Surah Al-Balad - English Translation by Ali Quli Qarai
لَآ أُقۡسِمُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ
I swear by this town
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 1
وَأَنتَ حِلُّۢ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ
as you reside in this town
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 2
وَوَالِدٖ وَمَا وَلَدَ
[and] by the father and him whom he begot
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 3
لَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ فِي كَبَدٍ
certainly We created man in travail
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 4
أَيَحۡسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقۡدِرَ عَلَيۡهِ أَحَدٞ
Does he suppose that no one will ever have power over him
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 5
يَقُولُ أَهۡلَكۡتُ مَالٗا لُّبَدًا
He says, ‘I have squandered immense wealth.’
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 6
أَيَحۡسَبُ أَن لَّمۡ يَرَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ
Does he suppose that no one sees him
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 7
أَلَمۡ نَجۡعَل لَّهُۥ عَيۡنَيۡنِ
Have We not made for him two eyes
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 8
وَلِسَانٗا وَشَفَتَيۡنِ
a tongue, and two lips
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 9
وَهَدَيۡنَٰهُ ٱلنَّجۡدَيۡنِ
and shown him the two paths [of good and evil]
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 10
فَلَا ٱقۡتَحَمَ ٱلۡعَقَبَةَ
Yet he has not embarked upon the uphill task
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 11
وَمَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلۡعَقَبَةُ
And what will show you what is the uphill task
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 12
فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ
[It is] the freeing of a slave
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 13
أَوۡ إِطۡعَٰمٞ فِي يَوۡمٖ ذِي مَسۡغَبَةٖ
or feeding, during days of [general] starvation
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 14
يَتِيمٗا ذَا مَقۡرَبَةٍ
an orphan among relatives
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 15
أَوۡ مِسۡكِينٗا ذَا مَتۡرَبَةٖ
or a needy man in desolation
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 16
ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلۡمَرۡحَمَةِ
while being one of those who have faith and enjoin one another to patience, and enjoin one another to compassion
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 17
أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡمَيۡمَنَةِ
They are the People of the Right Hand
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 18
وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا هُمۡ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡمَشۡـَٔمَةِ
But those who defy Our signs, they are the People of the Left Hand
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 19
عَلَيۡهِمۡ نَارٞ مُّؤۡصَدَةُۢ
A closed Fire will be [imposed] upon them
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 20