Surah Al-Balad - English Translation by Muhammad Sarwar
لَآ أُقۡسِمُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ
I do not (need to) swear by this town (Mecca)
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 1
وَأَنتَ حِلُّۢ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ
in which you are now living
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 2
وَوَالِدٖ وَمَا وَلَدَ
or by the great father and his wonderful son (Abraham and Ishmael)
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 3
لَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ فِي كَبَدٍ
that We have created the human being to face a great deal of hardship
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 4
أَيَحۡسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقۡدِرَ عَلَيۡهِ أَحَدٞ
Does He think that no one will ever have control over him
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 5
يَقُولُ أَهۡلَكۡتُ مَالٗا لُّبَدًا
(He boasts and shows off) saying, "I have spent a great deal of money (for the cause of God)
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 6
أَيَحۡسَبُ أَن لَّمۡ يَرَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ
Does he think that no one has seen him
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 7
أَلَمۡ نَجۡعَل لَّهُۥ عَيۡنَيۡنِ
Have We not given him two eyes
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 8
وَلِسَانٗا وَشَفَتَيۡنِ
a tongue, and two lips
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 9
وَهَدَيۡنَٰهُ ٱلنَّجۡدَيۡنِ
Have We not shown him the ways of good and evil
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 10
فَلَا ٱقۡتَحَمَ ٱلۡعَقَبَةَ
Yet, he has not entered into Aqaba
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 11
وَمَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلۡعَقَبَةُ
Would that you knew what Aqaba is
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 12
فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ
It is the setting free of a slave
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 13
أَوۡ إِطۡعَٰمٞ فِي يَوۡمٖ ذِي مَسۡغَبَةٖ
or, in a day of famine, the feeding of
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 14
يَتِيمٗا ذَا مَقۡرَبَةٍ
an orphaned relative
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 15
أَوۡ مِسۡكِينٗا ذَا مَتۡرَبَةٖ
and downtrodden destitute person, (so that he would be of)
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 16
ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلۡمَرۡحَمَةِ
the believers who cooperate with others in patience (steadfastness) and kindness
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
As for those who disbelieve in Our revelations, they are the people of the left
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 19
عَلَيۡهِمۡ نَارٞ مُّؤۡصَدَةُۢ
who will be engulfed in the fire
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 20