Surah Al-Balad - English Translation by Syed Vickar Ahamed
لَآ أُقۡسِمُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ
I (reference is to Allah) do swear by this City (of Makkah)
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 1
وَأَنتَ حِلُّۢ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ
That you (O Prophet!) are a free-man of this City
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 2
وَوَالِدٖ وَمَا وَلَدَ
And (with the ties of) parent and child
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 3
لَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ فِي كَبَدٍ
Surely, We have created man into hard work and struggle
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 4
أَيَحۡسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقۡدِرَ عَلَيۡهِ أَحَدٞ
Does he think, that no one has power over him
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 5
يَقُولُ أَهۡلَكۡتُ مَالٗا لُّبَدًا
He may (wrongly) say: "I have wasted away a lot of wealth
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 6
أَيَحۡسَبُ أَن لَّمۡ يَرَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ
Does he think that no one oversees him
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 7
أَلَمۡ نَجۡعَل لَّهُۥ عَيۡنَيۡنِ
Have We not made a pair of eyes for him
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 8
وَلِسَانٗا وَشَفَتَيۡنِ
And a tongue and a pair of lips
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 9
وَهَدَيۡنَٰهُ ٱلنَّجۡدَيۡنِ
And shown him the two highways? (The right and the wrong)
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 10
فَلَا ٱقۡتَحَمَ ٱلۡعَقَبَةَ
But he has made no haste for the path that is hard
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 11
وَمَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلۡعَقَبَةُ
And what will explain to you the path that is hard
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 12
فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ
(It is) freeing the slave
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 13
أَوۡ إِطۡعَٰمٞ فِي يَوۡمٖ ذِي مَسۡغَبَةٖ
Or the giving of food in a day of want (and suffering)
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 14
يَتِيمٗا ذَا مَقۡرَبَةٍ
To the orphan with claims of relationship
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 15
أَوۡ مِسۡكِينٗا ذَا مَتۡرَبَةٖ
Or to the needy one (down) in the dust
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 16
ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلۡمَرۡحَمَةِ
Then will he be (one) of those who believe and practices patience, (constancy, and self-restraint), and practices acts of kindness and compassion
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 17
أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡمَيۡمَنَةِ
Such are the companions of the right hand
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 18
وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا هُمۡ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡمَشۡـَٔمَةِ
But those who reject Our Signs, they are the (unhappy) companions of the left hand
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 19
عَلَيۡهِمۡ نَارٞ مُّؤۡصَدَةُۢ
On them will be the Fire covering over (all around)
Surah Al-Balad, Verse 20