The Town (Al-Balad)
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate
۞ I do not (need to) swear by this town (Mecca) 1 in which you are now living 2 by the begetter, and that he begot, 3 We verily have created man in an atmosphere: 4 Does He think that no one will ever have control over him? 5 He saith: I have wasted riches plenteous. 6 Thinketh he that none beholdeth him? 7 Have We not given him two eyes, 8 and a tongue, and two 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 Ah, what will convey unto thee what the Ascent is! - 12 It is the freeing of a slave; 13 or the feeding, upon a day of [one's own] hunger, 14 Of a related orphan, 15 Or to the poor man lying in the dust. 16 then that he become of those who believe and counsel each other to be steadfast, and counsel 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