Al-Balad -- The City

لَآ أُقۡسِمُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ

I swear by this city, Makkah

وَأَنتَ حِلُّۢ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ

And you, [O Muhammad], are free of restriction in this city

وَوَالِدࣲ وَمَا وَلَدَ

And [by] the father and that which was born [of him]

لَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ فِي كَبَدٍ

We have certainly created man into hardship

أَيَحۡسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقۡدِرَ عَلَيۡهِ أَحَدࣱ‏

Does he think that never will anyone overcome him

يَقُولُ أَهۡلَكۡتُ مَالࣰ ا لُّبَدًا

He says, "I have spent wealth in abundance

أَيَحۡسَبُ أَن لَّمۡ يَرَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ

Does he think that no one has seen him

أَلَمۡ نَجۡعَل لَّهُۥ عَيۡنَيۡنِ

Have We not made for him two eyes

وَلِسَانࣰ ا وَشَفَتَيۡنِ

And a tongue and two lips

وَهَدَيۡنَٰهُ ٱلنَّجۡدَيۡنِ

And have shown him the two ways

فَلَا ٱقۡتَحَمَ ٱلۡعَقَبَةَ

But he has not broken through the difficult pass

وَمَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلۡعَقَبَةُ

And what can make you know what is [breaking through] the difficult pass

فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ

It is the freeing of a slave

أَوۡ إِطۡعَٰمࣱ فِي يَوۡمࣲ ذِي مَسۡغَبَةࣲ‏

Or feeding on a day of severe hunger

يَتِيمࣰ ا ذَا مَقۡرَبَةٍ

An orphan of near relationship

أَوۡ مِسۡكِينࣰ ا ذَا مَتۡرَبَةࣲ‏

Or a needy person in misery

ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلۡمَرۡحَمَةِ

And then being among those who believed and advised one another to patience and advised one another to compassion

أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡمَيۡمَنَةِ

Those are the companions of the right

وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا هُمۡ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡمَشۡـَٔمَةِ

But they who disbelieved in Our signs - those are the companions of the left

عَلَيۡهِمۡ نَارࣱ مُّؤۡصَدَةُۢ

Over them will be fire closed in