The Town (Al-Balad)
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
۞ I swear by this city, Makkah - 1 and you are a lodger in this country. 2 And the begetter and whom he begot. 3 Verily, We have created man into [a life of] pain, toil and trial. 4 Does He think that no one will ever have control over him? 5 He shall say: I have wasted much wealth. 6 Does he think that no one sees him? 7 Have We not given him two eyes, 8 and a tongue and two lips? 9 and guided him on the two paths (of good and evil)? 10 Yet he has not scaled the height. 11 Ah, what will convey unto thee what the Ascent is! - 12 The freeing of a slave! 13 Or, feeding, in a day of privation, 14 The orphan near in relationship, 15 Or a needy person in misery 16 and, then besides this, he be one of those who believed, and enjoined upon one another steadfastness and enjoined upon one another compassion. 17 These are the people of the right hand. 18 But those who deny Our revelations are the people of the left hand: 19 who will be engulfed in the fire. 20