Sura Al-Balad

Nay! I swear by this city.

I do call to witness this City;-

Nay, I swear by this city -

And you shall be made free from obligation in this city--

And thou art a freeman of this City;-

And thou art an indweller of this city -

And the begetter and whom he begot.

And (the mystic ties of) parent and child;-

And the begetter and that which he begat,

Certainly We have created man to be in distress.

Verily We have created man into toil and struggle.

We verily have created man in an atmosphere:

Does he think that no one has power over him?

Thinketh he, that none hath power over him?

Thinketh he that none hath power over him?

He shall say: I have wasted much wealth.

He may say (boastfully); Wealth have I squandered in abundance!

And he saith: I have destroyed vast wealth:

Does he think that no one sees him?

Thinketh he that none beholdeth him?

Thinketh he that none beholdeth him?

Have We not given him two eyes,

Have We not made for him a pair of eyes?-

Did We not assign unto him two eyes

And a tongue and two lips,

And a tongue, and a pair of lips?-

And a tongue and two lips,

And pointed out to him the two conspicuous ways?

And shown him the two highways?

And guide him to the parting of the mountain ways?

But he would not attempt the uphill road,

But he hath made no haste on the path that is steep.

But he hath not attempted the Ascent -

And what will make you comprehend what the uphill road is?

And what will explain to thee the path that is steep?-

Ah, what will convey unto thee what the Ascent is! -

(It is) the setting free of a slave,

(It is:) freeing the bondman;

(It is) to free a slave,

Or the giving of food in a day of hunger

Or the giving of food in a day of privation

And to feed in the day of hunger.

To an orphan, having relationship,

To the orphan with claims of relationship,

An orphan near of kin,

Or to the poor man lying in the dust.

Or to the indigent (down) in the dust.

Or some poor wretch in misery,

Then he is of those who believe and charge one another to show patience, and charge one another to show compassion.

Then will he be of those who believe, and enjoin patience, (constancy, and self-restraint), and enjoin deeds of kindness and compassion.

And to be of those who believe and exhort one another to perseverance and exhort one another to pity.

These are the people of the right hand.

Such are the Companions of the Right Hand.

Their place will be on the right hand.

And (as for) those who disbelieve in our communications, they are the people of the left hand.

But those who reject Our Signs, they are the (unhappy) Companions of the Left Hand.

But those who disbelieve Our revelations, their place will be on the left hand.

On them is fire closed over.

On them will be Fire vaulted over (all round).

Fire will be an awning over them.