The Town (Al-Balad)
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
۞ I swear by yonder city 1 And thou shalt be allowed in yonder city 2 and by parent and offspring, 3 That We created man in toil and trouble. 4 Does he think that no one can overpower him? 5 He says (boastfully): "I have wasted wealth in abundance!" 6 Thinketh he that none beholdeth him? 7 Have We not given him two eyes, 8 And a tongue and two lips, 9 and shown him the two highways [of good and evil]? 10 Yet he has not scaled the height. 11 And what have you understood, what the valley is! 12 To free a neck (from the burden of debt or slavery), 13 or, in a day of famine, the feeding of 14 The orphan near in relationship, 15 or to a 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 Those are the Companions 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