The Town (Al-Balad)
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
۞ I do not (need to) swear by this town (Mecca) 1 And you are free to live upon it, -- 2 or by the great father and his wonderful son (Abraham and Ishmael) 3 We have certainly created man into hardship. 4 Does he think that never will anyone overcome him? 5 (He boasts and shows off) saying, "I have spent a great deal of money (for the cause of God)". 6 Does he think that no one has seen him? 7 Have We not given him two eyes, 8 And a tongue and two lips, 9 Have We not shown him the ways of good and evil? 10 But he did not venture to scale the difficult steep. 11 Ah, what will convey unto thee what the Ascent is! - 12 [It is] the freeing of one's neck [from the burden of sin,] 13 Or, feeding, in a day of privation, 14 to an orphan near of kin; 15 Or a needy person in misery 16 Then he is of those who believe and charge one another to show patience, and charge one another to show compassion. 17 These are the People of the Right Hand. 18 whereas those who are bent on denying the truth of Our messages - they are such as have lost themselves in evil, 19 and the Fire will close in on them. 20