The Town (Al-Balad)
In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate
۞ I swear by this city -- 1 And you, [O Muhammad], are free of restriction in this city - 2 by the begetter, and that he begot, 3 Assuredly We have created man in trouble. 4 Does he think that no one has 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 give him two eyes, 8 and a tongue, and a pair of lips, 9 and shown him the two paths? 10 But he has not broken through the difficult pass. 11 And what can make you know what is [breaking through] the difficult pass? 12 It is freeing someone's neck from slavery; 13 the giving of food upon the day of hunger 14 An orphan near of kin, 15 or some needy person in distress, 16 Then he became of those who believed and enjoined on each other steadfastness and enjoined on each other compassion. 17 They are those on the Right Hand (the dwellers of Paradise), 18 whereas those who are bent on denying the truth of Our messages - they are such as have lost themselves in evil, 19 Upon them shall be a Fire that will hem them in. 20