The Town (Al-Balad)
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
۞ No! I swear by this land, 1 this land in which thou art free to dwell 2 and [I call to witness] parent and offspring: 3 We have certainly created man into hardship. 4 Does man think that no one will ever have power over him? 5 He says: "I have wasted a great deal of wealth." 6 Does he think that no one sees him? 7 Have We not given him two eyes, 8 and a tongue, and a pair of lips, 9 Have We not shown him the ways of good and evil? 10 But he hath made no haste on the path that is steep. 11 And what do you know what that difficult steep is? 12 (It is) the freeing of a slave, 13 Or the giving of food in a day of hunger 14 to an orphaned relative 15 and downtrodden destitute person, (so that he would be of) 16 then that he become of those who believe and counsel each other to be steadfast, and counsel each other to be merciful. 17 These are the people of the right hand. 18 As for those who disbelieve in Our revelations, they are the people of the left 19 On them is fire closed over. 20