The Town (Al-Balad)
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful
۞ I swear by this city (Mecca) – 1 And you are free to live upon it, -- 2 And the begetter and whom he begot. 3 Certainly We have created man to be in distress. 4 Does he think that none has power over him! 5 He says, "I have spent wealth in abundance." 6 Does man think that no one saw him? 7 Have We not made for him two eyes? 8 And a tongue and two lips, 9 And did We not show him the two highroads (of good and evil)? 10 Yet he has not scaled the height. 11 How will you comprehend what the Steep ascent is? -- 12 [It is] the freeing of one's neck [from the burden of sin,] 13 Or feeding on a day of severe hunger 14 An orphan of near relationship 15 Or the poor in distress; 16 and to be one of those who believe and urge one another to steadfastness and compassion. 17 They are the people of the right hand (and will succeed). 18 But those who disbelieve in Our verses, they are the Companions of the Left, 19 Over them will be fire closed in. 20