Surah Al-Balad - English Translation by Dr Kamal Omar
لَآ أُقۡسِمُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ
Nay! I bring to witness this city (Makka)
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 1
وَأَنتَ حِلُّۢ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ
— and you are a freeman and a citizen of this city
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 2
وَوَالِدٖ وَمَا وَلَدَ
And (I bring to witness) the begetter (father) and that (son) which he begot
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 3
لَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ فِي كَبَدٍ
Verily, We have created the human being to face hardship
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 4
أَيَحۡسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقۡدِرَ عَلَيۡهِ أَحَدٞ
Does he think that none will (ever) object against him
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 5
يَقُولُ أَهۡلَكۡتُ مَالٗا لُّبَدًا
He says (regretfully): “I have spent enormous wealth!”
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 6
أَيَحۡسَبُ أَن لَّمۡ يَرَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ
Does he think that none has watched him (— neither Allah, nor the two angels imposed on 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 a pair of lips
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 9
وَهَدَيۡنَٰهُ ٱلنَّجۡدَيۡنِ
And We showed him the two ways (the righteous as well as the evil one)
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 10
فَلَا ٱقۡتَحَمَ ٱلۡعَقَبَةَ
But he has not yet passed through the difficult terrain
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 11
وَمَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلۡعَقَبَةُ
And what has made you realise what Al-Aqaba (the difficult terrain) is
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 12
فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ
It is freeing or getting freed one (human) neck from (any sort of) enslavement
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 13
أَوۡ إِطۡعَٰمٞ فِي يَوۡمٖ ذِي مَسۡغَبَةٖ
Or providing food in a day of famine and hunger
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 14
يَتِيمٗا ذَا مَقۡرَبَةٍ
to Yatim (weak in society, or an orphan,) near of kin
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 15
أَوۡ مِسۡكِينٗا ذَا مَتۡرَبَةٖ
or an indigent in full contentment
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 16
ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلۡمَرۡحَمَةِ
Then he became of those who accepted Faith, and they recommended to one another for perseverance and patience; and they recommended one another for pity and compassion
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 17
أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡمَيۡمَنَةِ
Such are the people of the desirable site
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 18
وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا هُمۡ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡمَشۡـَٔمَةِ
And those who disbelieved in Ayaatina: they are the people of the site devoid of (Allah’s) mercy
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 19
عَلَيۡهِمۡ نَارٞ مُّؤۡصَدَةُۢ
over them (will be) Fire, made completely covered over them with no outlet
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 20