Al-Balad

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ لَا أُقْسِمُ بِهَٰذَا الْبَلَدِ

Nay! I swear by this city

وَأَنْتَ حِلٌّ بِهَٰذَا الْبَلَدِ

– this city wherein you have been rendered violable–

وَوَالِدٍ وَمَا وَلَدَ

and I swear by the parent and his offspring:

لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ فِي كَبَدٍ

Verily We have created man into toil and hardship.

أَيَحْسَبُ أَنْ لَنْ يَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌ

Does he think that no one can overpower him?

يَقُولُ أَهْلَكْتُ مَالًا لُبَدًا

He says: “I have squandered enormous wealth.”

أَيَحْسَبُ أَنْ لَمْ يَرَهُ أَحَدٌ

Does he believe that none has seen him?

أَلَمْ نَجْعَلْ لَهُ عَيْنَيْنِ

Did We not grant him two eyes,

وَلِسَانًا وَشَفَتَيْنِ

and a tongue and two lips?

وَهَدَيْنَاهُ النَّجْدَيْنِ

And did We not show him the two highroads (of good and evil)?

فَلَا اقْتَحَمَ الْعَقَبَةَ

But he did not venture to scale the difficult steep.

وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْعَقَبَةُ

And what do you know what that difficult steep is?

فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ

It is freeing someone's neck from slavery;

أَوْ إِطْعَامٌ فِي يَوْمٍ ذِي مَسْغَبَةٍ

or giving food on a day of hunger

يَتِيمًا ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍ

to an orphan near of kin;

أَوْ مِسْكِينًا ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍ

or to a destitute lying in dust;

ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْمَرْحَمَةِ

and, then besides this, he be one of those who believed, and enjoined upon one another steadfastness and enjoined upon one another compassion.

أُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْمَيْمَنَةِ

These are the People of the Right Hand.

وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِآيَاتِنَا هُمْ أَصْحَابُ الْمَشْأَمَةِ

As for those who rejected Our Signs, they are the People of the Left Hand.

عَلَيْهِمْ نَارٌ مُؤْصَدَةٌ

Upon them shall be a Fire that will hem them in.