The Town (Al-Balad)
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate
۞ I do call to witness this City;- 1 and thou art a lodger in this land; 2 And (the mystic ties of) parent and child;- 3 Verily We have created man into toil and hardship. 4 Does he think that none has power 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 shown him the two highways [of good and evil]? 10 But he could not scale the steep ascent. 11 Ah, what will convey unto thee what the Ascent is! - 12 The freeing of a slave, 13 or giving food upon a day of hunger 14 To an orphan near of kin. 15 Or some poor wretch in misery, 16 so that he becomes one of those who believe, charge each other to be patient, and charge each other to be merciful. 17 These are the fellows of the righthand. 18 and [as for] those who are bent on denying the truth of Our revelations, they are the people of the left hand, 19 over them is a Fire covered down. 20