Surah Al-Balad - English Translation by Mohammad Shafi
لَآ أُقۡسِمُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ
No! I do swear by this City
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 1
وَأَنتَ حِلُّۢ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ
— And you are a free citizen of this City —
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 2
وَوَالِدٖ وَمَا وَلَدَ
And by father and that which he begets
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 3
لَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ فِي كَبَدٍ
We have certainly created man for hard work
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 4
أَيَحۡسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقۡدِرَ عَلَيۡهِ أَحَدٞ
Does he think that no one has any control over him
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 5
يَقُولُ أَهۡلَكۡتُ مَالٗا لُّبَدًا
He claims, "I have squandered much wealth
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 6
أَيَحۡسَبُ أَن لَّمۡ يَرَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ
Does he think no one is keeping a watch on him
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 7
أَلَمۡ نَجۡعَل لَّهُۥ عَيۡنَيۡنِ
Have We not made two eyes for him
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 [right and wrong]
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 10
فَلَا ٱقۡتَحَمَ ٱلۡعَقَبَةَ
But he ventures not up the steep road
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 11
وَمَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلۡعَقَبَةُ
And what do you understand what the steep road is
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 12
فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ
Freeing a slave
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 13
أَوۡ إِطۡعَٰمٞ فِي يَوۡمٖ ذِي مَسۡغَبَةٖ
Or feeding on a day of extreme hunger
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 14
يَتِيمٗا ذَا مَقۡرَبَةٍ
An orphan closely related
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 15
أَوۡ مِسۡكِينٗا ذَا مَتۡرَبَةٖ
Or miserable poor man
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 16
ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلۡمَرۡحَمَةِ
Then he becomes of those who believe and exhort one another to patience, and exhort one another to mercy
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 17
أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡمَيۡمَنَةِ
These are the people of the right hand
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 18
وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا هُمۡ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡمَشۡـَٔمَةِ
And those who suppress the Truth in Our Verses, those are the people of the left hand
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 19
عَلَيۡهِمۡ نَارٞ مُّؤۡصَدَةُۢ
On them is Fire closing in
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 20