The Town (Al-Balad)
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
۞ I do call to witness this City;- 1 And thou art a freeman of this City;- 2 And the parent and the offspring, 3 Verily, We have created man in toil. 4 Does he think then that no one has power over him? 5 He says, "I have spent enormous wealth." 6 Does he think that no one has seen him? 7 Have We not made for him a pair of eyes? 8 And a tongue and two lips, 9 and shown him the two highways [of good and evil]? 10 But he would not try to ascend the steep uphill road... 11 And what do you know what that difficult steep is? 12 The freeing of a slave, 13 or, in a day of famine, the feeding of 14 to an orphan near of kin 15 Or a poor man cleaving to the dust. 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 fellows of the righthand. 18 and [as for] those who are bent on denying the truth of Our revelations, they are the people of the left hand, 19 On them is fire closed over. 20