The Town (Al-Balad)
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful
۞ I swear by this city, Makkah - 1 And you are free to live upon it, -- 2 And by the begetter and that which he begat, 3 We have certainly created man into hardship. 4 Does he think that no one has power over him? 5 He says: “I have squandered enormous wealth.” 6 Does he believe that none has seen him? 7 Have We not made for him two eyes 8 And a tongue and a pair of lips? 9 Have We not shown him the ways of good and evil? 10 But he did not venture to scale the difficult steep. 11 And what will make you comprehend what the uphill road is? 12 (It is) the setting free of a slave, 13 Or to feed in times of famine 14 to an orphan near of kin; 15 or of a needy [stranger] lying in the dust 16 and to be one of those who believe and urge one another to steadfastness and compassion. 17 These are the people of the right hand. 18 But they who disbelieved in Our signs - those are the companions of the left. 19 Over them will be fire closed in. 20