The Town (Al-Balad)
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
۞ Nay, I swear by this city - 1 this land in which thou art free to dwell 2 And by the begetter and that which he begat, 3 We have indeed created man surrounded by hardships. 4 Does he think that no one has power over him? 5 He saith: I have wasted riches plenteous. 6 Does he, then, think that no one sees him? 7 Did We not give 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 has made no effort to pass on the path that is steep. 11 And what do you know what that difficult steep is? 12 The freeing of a slave, 13 Or the feeding on a day of hunger. 14 an orphaned relative 15 or some needy person in distress, 16 and, then besides this, he be one of those who believed, and enjoined upon one another steadfastness and enjoined upon one another compassion. 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 who will be engulfed in the fire. 20