Surah Al-Balad - English Translation by Ali Unal

لَآ أُقۡسِمُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ

I swear by this (sacred) city (Makkah)
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 1

وَأَنتَ حِلُّۢ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ

– And you (O Messenger) are a dweller in this city. –
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 2

وَوَالِدٖ وَمَا وَلَدَ

And by him (Abraham) who begets, and him (Muhammad) whom he begot
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 3

لَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ فِي كَبَدٍ

We have assuredly created human in (a life of) trial and hardship
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 4

أَيَحۡسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقۡدِرَ عَلَيۡهِ أَحَدٞ

Does human think that no one has power over him
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 5

يَقُولُ أَهۡلَكۡتُ مَالٗا لُّبَدًا

He says: "I have consumed abundant wealth
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 6

أَيَحۡسَبُ أَن لَّمۡ يَرَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ

Does he, then, think that no one ever sees him
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 7

أَلَمۡ نَجۡعَل لَّهُۥ عَيۡنَيۡنِ

Have We not made for him a pair of eyes
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 8

وَلِسَانٗا وَشَفَتَيۡنِ

And a tongue and two lips
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 9

وَهَدَيۡنَٰهُ ٱلنَّجۡدَيۡنِ

And shown him the two ways (one to follow and one to avoid)
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 10

فَلَا ٱقۡتَحَمَ ٱلۡعَقَبَةَ

Yet he makes no effort to make the ascent
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 11

وَمَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلۡعَقَبَةُ

What enables you to perceive what the ascent is
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 12

فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ

It is the freeing of a bondsman (a slave or a captive)
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 13

أَوۡ إِطۡعَٰمٞ فِي يَوۡمٖ ذِي مَسۡغَبَةٖ

Or feeding, on a day of privation
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 14

يَتِيمٗا ذَا مَقۡرَبَةٍ

An orphan near of kin
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 15

أَوۡ مِسۡكِينٗا ذَا مَتۡرَبَةٖ

Or a poor wretch in misery
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 16

ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلۡمَرۡحَمَةِ

And being, besides, of those who believe and exhort one another to patience and exhort one another to pity and compassion
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 17

أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡمَيۡمَنَةِ

Those are they who are the people of happiness and prosperity (who will be given their Records in their right hands on Judgment Day)
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 18

وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا هُمۡ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡمَشۡـَٔمَةِ

But those who disbelieve in Our Revelations – they are the people of wretchedness (who will be given their Records in their left hands)
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 19