سُورَةُ البَلَدِ

لَاۤ أُقۡسِمُ بِهَـٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ (۱)

NAY! I call to witness this land –

وَأَنتَ حِلُّۢ بِهَـٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ (۲)

this land in which thou art free to dwell -

وَوَالِدࣲ وَمَا وَلَدَ (۳)

and [I call to witness] parent and offspring:

لَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنَ فِی كَبَدٍ (۴)

Verily, We have created man into [a life of] pain, toil and trial.

أَیَحۡسَبُ أَن لَّن یَقۡدِرَ عَلَیۡهِ أَحَدࣱ (۵)

Does he, then, think that no one has power over him?

یَقُولُ أَهۡلَكۡتُ مَالࣰا لُّبَدًا (۶)

He boasts, "I have spent wealth abundant!"

أَیَحۡسَبُ أَن لَّمۡ یَرَهُۥۤ أَحَدٌ (۷)

Does he, then, think that no one sees him?

أَلَمۡ نَجۡعَل لَّهُۥ عَیۡنَیۡنِ (۸)

Have We not given him two eyes,

وَلِسَانࣰا وَشَفَتَیۡنِ (۹)

and a tongue, and a pair of lips,

وَهَدَیۡنَـٰهُ ٱلنَّجۡدَیۡنِ (۱۰)

and shown him the two highways [of good and evil]?

فَلَا ٱقۡتَحَمَ ٱلۡعَقَبَةَ (۱۱)

But he would not try to ascend the steep uphill road...

وَمَاۤ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلۡعَقَبَةُ (۱۲)

And what could make thee conceive what it is, that steep uphill road?

فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ (۱۳)

[It is] the freeing of one's neck [from the burden of sin],

أَوۡ إِطۡعَـٰمࣱ فِی یَوۡمࣲ ذِی مَسۡغَبَةࣲ (۱۴)

or the feeding, upon a day of [one's own] hunger,

یَتِیمࣰا ذَا مَقۡرَبَةٍ (۱۵)

of an orphan near of kin,

أَوۡ مِسۡكِینࣰا ذَا مَتۡرَبَةࣲ (۱۶)

or of a needy [stranger] lying in the dust –

ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَتَوَاصَوۡا۟ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ وَتَوَاصَوۡا۟ بِٱلۡمَرۡحَمَةِ (۱۷)

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.

أُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ أَصۡحَـٰبُ ٱلۡمَیۡمَنَةِ (۱۸)

Such are they that have attained to righteousness;

وَٱلَّذِینَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِـَٔایَـٰتِنَا هُمۡ أَصۡحَـٰبُ ٱلۡمَشۡـَٔمَةِ (۱۹)

whereas those who are bent on denying the truth of Our messages – they are such as have lost themselves in evil,

عَلَیۡهِمۡ نَارࣱ مُّؤۡصَدَةُۢ (۲۰)

[with] fire closing in upon them.