The Town (Al-Balad)
In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate
۞ I swear by this city (Makkah); 1 in which you are now living 2 And by the giver of birth, and whom he fathered, 3 that We have created man into a life of toil and trial. 4 Does He think that no one will ever have control over him? 5 He says, “I destroyed vast wealth.” 6 Thinketh he that none beholdeth him? 7 Have We not appointed to him two eyes, 8 a tongue, and two lips, 9 Have We not shown him the ways of good and evil? 10 But he did not venture to scale the difficult steep. 11 And what can make you know what is [breaking through] the difficult pass? 12 (It is) Freeing a neck (slave, etc.) 13 or the feeding in times of famine 14 The orphan near in relationship, 15 or to a needy person in distress; 16 so that he becomes one of those who believe, charge each other to be patient, and charge each other to be merciful. 17 These are the People of the Right Hand. 18 and [as for] those who are bent on denying the truth of Our revelations, they are the people of the left hand, 19 Upon them shall be a Fire that will hem them in. 20