The Town (Al-Balad)
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
۞ I swear by yonder city 1 And thou art an indweller of this city - 2 or by the great father and his wonderful son (Abraham and Ishmael) 3 Certainly We have created man to be in distress. 4 Thinketh he that none hath power over him? 5 He says: “I have squandered enormous wealth.” 6 Thinketh he that none beholdeth him? 7 Did We not assign unto him two eyes 8 And a tongue, and a pair of lips?- 9 and shown him the two highways [of good and evil]? 10 But he hath made no haste on the path that is steep. 11 What could let you know what the height is! 12 (It is) the setting free of a slave, 13 or the feeding in times of famine 14 An orphan, of kin, 15 or to a needy person in distress; 16 And to be of those who believe and exhort one another to perseverance and exhort one another to pity. 17 They are the people of the right hand (and will succeed). 18 and [as for] those who are bent on denying the truth of Our revelations, they are the people of the left hand, 19 Fire will be an awning over them. 20