The Town (Al-Balad)
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
۞ I swear by this city -- 1 And thou art an indweller of this city - 2 and I swear by the parent and his offspring: 3 Certainly We have created man to be in distress. 4 Does man think that no one will ever have power over him? 5 He will say: 'I have destroyed a vast wealth' 6 Does he, then, think that no one sees him? 7 Did We not grant him two eyes, 8 And a tongue and two lips, 9 and guided him on the two paths (of good and evil)? 10 But he has made no effort to pass on the path that is steep. 11 How will you comprehend what the Steep ascent is? -- 12 It is the freeing of a slave 13 or the feeding, upon a day of [one's own] hunger, 14 An orphan near of kin, 15 or to a destitute lying in dust; 16 then that he become of those who believe and counsel each other to be steadfast, and counsel each other to be merciful. 17 They are the people of the right hand (and will succeed). 18 whereas those who are bent on denying the truth of Our messages - they are such as have lost themselves in evil, 19 who will be engulfed in the fire. 20