The Town (Al-Balad)
Allah - beginning with the name of - the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
۞ I swear by yonder city 1 And you are free to live upon it, -- 2 by the begetter, and that he begot, 3 Verily, We have created man into [a life of] pain, toil and trial. 4 Deemest he that none will overpower him? 5 He says: “I have squandered enormous wealth.” 6 Does he, then, think that no one sees him? 7 Did We not assign unto him two eyes 8 And a tongue and two lips? 9 And pointed out to him the two conspicuous ways? 10 But he has made no effort to pass on the path that is steep. 11 And what can make you know what is [breaking through] the difficult pass? 12 It is the freeing of a slave; 13 Or feeding on a day of severe hunger 14 to an orphan near of kin 15 or a needy man in misery; 16 And to be of those who believe, and urge upon one another to persevere, and urge upon each other to be kind. 17 These are the people of the right. 18 As for those who disbelieve in Our revelations, they are the people of the left 19 Upon them is a fire, in which they are imprisoned, closed and shut above them. 20