The Town (Al-Balad)
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
۞ NAY! I call to witness this land 1 And you are free to live upon it, -- 2 and [I call to witness] parent and offspring: 3 Verily, We have created man into [a life of] pain, toil and trial. 4 Does He think that no one will ever have control over him? 5 He shall say: I have wasted much wealth. 6 Does he think that no one sees him? 7 Did We not assign unto him two eyes 8 and a tongue, and a pair of lips, 9 And have shown him the two ways? 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, in a day of privation, 14 An orphan near of kin, 15 Or to a Miskin (poor) afflicted with misery. 16 and being, withal, of those who have attained to faith, and who enjoin upon one another patience in adversity, and enjoin upon one another compassion. 17 Those are the Companions of the Right. 18 And those who disbelieve Our signs - they are the fellows of the lefthand. 19 who will be engulfed in the fire. 20