90. Al-Balad

لَآ أُقۡسِمُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ

Nay! I swear by this city

وَأَنتَ حِلُّۢ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ

– this city wherein you have been rendered violable–

وَوَالِدࣲ وَمَا وَلَدَ

and I swear by the parent and his offspring

لَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ فِي كَبَدٍ

Verily We have created man into toil and hardship

أَيَحۡسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقۡدِرَ عَلَيۡهِ أَحَدࣱ‏

Does he think that no one can overpower him

يَقُولُ أَهۡلَكۡتُ مَالࣰ ا لُّبَدًا

He says: “I have squandered enormous wealth.”

أَيَحۡسَبُ أَن لَّمۡ يَرَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ

Does he believe that none has seen him

أَلَمۡ نَجۡعَل لَّهُۥ عَيۡنَيۡنِ

Did We not grant him two eyes

وَلِسَانࣰ ا وَشَفَتَيۡنِ

and a tongue and two lips

وَهَدَيۡنَٰهُ ٱلنَّجۡدَيۡنِ

And did We not show him the two highroads (of good and evil)

فَلَا ٱقۡتَحَمَ ٱلۡعَقَبَةَ

But he did not venture to scale the difficult steep

وَمَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلۡعَقَبَةُ

And what do you know what that difficult steep is

فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ

It is freeing someone's neck from slavery

أَوۡ إِطۡعَٰمࣱ فِي يَوۡمࣲ ذِي مَسۡغَبَةࣲ‏

or giving food on a day of hunger

يَتِيمࣰ ا ذَا مَقۡرَبَةٍ

to an orphan near of kin

أَوۡ مِسۡكِينࣰ ا ذَا مَتۡرَبَةࣲ‏

or to a destitute lying in dust

ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلۡمَرۡحَمَةِ

and, then besides this, he be one of those who believed, and enjoined upon one another steadfastness and enjoined upon one another compassion

أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡمَيۡمَنَةِ

These are the People of the Right Hand

وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا هُمۡ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡمَشۡـَٔمَةِ

As for those who rejected Our Signs, they are the People of the Left Hand

عَلَيۡهِمۡ نَارࣱ مُّؤۡصَدَةُۢ

Upon them shall be a Fire that will hem them in