The Town (Al-Balad)
In the name of God, The Most Gracious, The Dispenser of Grace
۞ No, I swear by this country (Mecca), 1 and thou art a lodger in this land; 2 And the begetter and that which he begat, 3 Verily, We have created man in toil. 4 Does He think that no one will ever have control over him? 5 He says: “I have squandered enormous wealth.” 6 Does he think that no one has seen him? 7 Have We not given him two eyes, 8 a tongue, and two lips, 9 And pointed out to him the two conspicuous ways? 10 Yet he has not assaulted the steep; 11 And what can make you know what is [breaking through] the difficult pass? 12 It is the freeing of a slave; 13 the giving of food upon the day of hunger 14 An orphan, of kin, 15 or some needy person in distress, 16 and being, withal, of those who have attained to faith, and who enjoin upon one another patience in adversity, and enjoin upon one another compassion. 17 Those are the Companions of the Right. 18 And those who denied Our signs, are the people of the left. 19 [with] fire closing in upon them. 20