The Town (Al-Balad)
Allah - beginning with the name of - the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
۞ NAY! I call to witness this land 1 and thou art a lodger in this land; 2 And by the begetter (i.e. Adam) and that which he begot (i.e. his progeny); 3 Verily, We have created man into [a life of] pain, toil and trial. 4 Thinks he that none can overcome him? 5 He says, "I have spent enormous wealth." 6 Does he, then, think that no one sees him? 7 Have We not given him two eyes, 8 and a tongue and two lips? 9 and guided him on the two highways? 10 So he did not quickly enter the steep valley. 11 And what do you know what that difficult steep is? 12 [It is] the freeing of one's neck [from the burden of sin,] 13 or the feeding, upon a day of [one's own] hunger, 14 to an orphan near of kin 15 Or a needy person in misery 16 Then he became of those who believed and enjoined on each other steadfastness and enjoined on each other compassion. 17 They are those on the Right Hand (the dwellers of Paradise), 18 But those who disbelieve in Our verses, they are the Companions of the Left, 19 Upon them is a fire, in which they are imprisoned, closed and shut above them. 20