The Town (Al-Balad)
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
۞ I swear by this city -- 1 this land in which thou art free to dwell 2 or by the great father and his wonderful son (Abraham and Ishmael) 3 Verily, We have created man in toil. 4 Does he think that never will anyone overcome him? 5 He says: “I have squandered enormous wealth.” 6 Does he think that no one has seen him? 7 Did We not assign unto him two eyes 8 a tongue, and two lips? 9 and shown him the two paths? 10 Yet he has not scaled the height. 11 And what will explain to thee the path that is steep?- 12 It is the freeing of a slave; 13 Or the giving of food in a day of hunger 14 to an orphan near of kin 15 or to a needy person in distress; 16 And to be of those who believe, and urge upon one another to persevere, and urge upon each other to be kind. 17 Those who do so 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 On them is fire closed over. 20