Surah Al Balad with English translation

In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

90:1 لَا أُقْسِمُ بِهَٰذَا الْبَلَدِ

I swear by this city, Makkah –

90:2 وَأَنْتَ حِلٌّ بِهَٰذَا الْبَلَدِ

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

90:3 وَوَالِدٍ وَمَا وَلَدَ

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

90:4 لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ فِي كَبَدٍ

We have certainly created man into hardship.

90:5 أَيَحْسَبُ أَنْ لَنْ يَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌ

Does he think that never will anyone overcome him?

90:6 يَقُولُ أَهْلَكْتُ مَالًا لُبَدًا

He says, “I have spent wealth in abundance.”

90:7 أَيَحْسَبُ أَنْ لَمْ يَرَهُ أَحَدٌ

Does he think that no one has seen him?

90:8 أَلَمْ نَجْعَلْ لَهُ عَيْنَيْنِ

Have We not made for him two eyes?

90:9 وَلِسَانًا وَشَفَتَيْنِ

And a tongue and two lips?

90:10 وَهَدَيْنَاهُ النَّجْدَيْنِ

And have shown him the two ways?

90:11 فَلَا اقْتَحَمَ الْعَقَبَةَ

But he has not broken through the difficult pass.

90:12 وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْعَقَبَةُ

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

90:13 فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ

It is the freeing of a slave

90:14 أَوْ إِطْعَامٌ فِي يَوْمٍ ذِي مَسْغَبَةٍ

Or feeding on a day of severe hunger

90:15 يَتِيمًا ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍ

An orphan of near relationship

90:16 أَوْ مِسْكِينًا ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍ

Or a needy person in misery

90:17 ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْمَرْحَمَةِ

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

90:18 أُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْمَيْمَنَةِ

Those are the companions of the right.

90:19 وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِآيَاتِنَا هُمْ أَصْحَابُ الْمَشْأَمَةِ

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

90:20 عَلَيْهِمْ نَارٌ مُؤْصَدَةٌ

Over them will be fire closed in.