The Town (Al-Balad)
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
۞ Nay, I swear by this city - 1 And you are free to live upon it, -- 2 And the begetter and whom he begot. 3 We verily have created man in an atmosphere: 4 Thinketh he, that none hath power over him? 5 He says: “I have squandered enormous wealth.” 6 Thinketh he that none beholdeth him? 7 Did We not make two eyes for him? 8 And a tongue and two lips, 9 And shown unto him the two highways? 10 But he could not scale the steep ascent. 11 And what do you know what that difficult steep is? 12 To free a neck (from the burden of debt or slavery), 13 Or, feeding, in a day of privation, 14 To an orphan, having relationship, 15 Or to the poor man lying in the dust. 16 Then he became one of those who believed, and recommended one another to perseverance and patience, and (also) recommended one another to pity and compassion. 17 They are those on the Right Hand (the dwellers of Paradise), 18 But those who deny Our revelations are the people of the left hand: 19 and the Fire will close in on them. 20