90. Sūrat Al-Balad · The City

I do swear by this city ˹of Mecca˺—

Nay, I swear by this city -

NAY! I call to witness this land –

I swear by this City;

I swear by this city (Mecca)

even though you ˹O Prophet˺ are subject to abuse in this city—

And thou art an indweller of this city -

this land in which thou art free to dwell -

And O beloved! you are dwelling in this city;

(O My Esteemed Beloved,) because you are residing in it.

and by every parent and ˹their˺ child!

And the begetter and that which he begat,

and [I call to witness] parent and offspring:

And by your father Ibrahim and his progeny that you are;

(O My Esteemed Beloved!) By (your) father (Adam or Ibrahim [Abraham]) and by those who are born,

Indeed, We have created humankind in ˹constant˺ struggle.

We verily have created man in an atmosphere:

Verily, We have created man into [a life of] pain, toil and trial.

Undoubtedly, We created man in toil.

Indeed, We have created man (ever suffering) in rigours

Do they think that no one has power over them,

Thinketh he that none hath power over him?

Does he, then, think that no one has power over him?

Does man think that none will overcome him?

Does he think that no one can ever overpower him

boasting, “I have wasted enormous wealth!”?

And he saith: I have destroyed vast wealth:

He boasts, "I have spent wealth abundant!"

He says, 'I have wasted heaps of wealth;

(Boasting,) he says: ‘I have spent heaps of wealth.

Do they think that no one sees them?

Thinketh he that none beholdeth him?

Does he, then, think that no one sees him?

Does man think that none has seen him?

Does he think that no one has seen him (making this extravagant spending)

Have We not given them two eyes,

Did We not assign unto him two eyes

Have We not given him two eyes,

have We not made his two eyes;

Have We not made for him two eyes

a tongue, and two lips;

And a tongue and two lips,

and a tongue, and a pair of lips,

And a tongue and two lips'?

And (have We not given him) a tongue and two lips

and shown them the two ways ˹of right and wrong˺?

And guide him to the parting of the mountain ways?

and shown him the two highways [of good and evil]?

And pointed to him the way of two raised things.

And (have We also not) shown him the two highways (of good and evil)

If only they had attempted the challenging path ˹of goodness instead˺!

But he hath not attempted the Ascent -

But he would not try to ascend the steep uphill road...

Then he hurried not to the steep valley without deliberation;

But he has not yet attempted the steep ascent (of the Din [Religion]) of truth and the practical life dedicated to good and piety)

And what will make you realize what ˹attempting˺ the challenging path is?

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

And what could make thee conceive what it is, that steep uphill road?

And what did you know what that valley is?

And what have you thought of the steep ascent (of the rigours of the Din [Religion] of truth)

It is to free a slave;

(It is) to free a slave,

[It is] the freeing of one's neck [from the burden of sin],

It is the freeing of the neck of a bondman.

It is freeing a neck (from slavery and subjugation)

or to give food in times of famine

And to feed in the day of hunger.

or the feeding, upon a day of [one's own] hunger,

Or providing food in a day of hunger.

Or feeding on a day of scarcity (the poor and the needy during famine and scarcity i.e., striving to put an end to their sufferings and economic crises)

to an orphaned relative

An orphan near of kin,

of an orphan near of kin,

To an orphan near' of kin;

The orphaned relative

or to a poor person in distress;

Or some poor wretch in misery,

or of a needy [stranger] lying in the dust –

Or to a poor man lying in the dust.

Or the poverty-stricken destitute who is completely rundown (and homeless)

and—above all—to be one of those who have faith and urge each other to perseverance and urge each other to compassion.

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

and being, withal, of those who have attained to faith, and who enjoin upon one another patience in adversity, and enjoin upon one another compassion.

Again, he should he of those who believed and counseled among themselves to be steadfast and counseled among themselves to be merciful.

(Provided this striving soul is) one of those who believe and advise one another patience and tolerance and urge one another for mutual affection and mercy

These are the people of the right.

Their place will be on the right hand.

Such are they that have attained to righteousness;

These are the people of the right .

These are the people of the Right Hand (i.e., the privileged and the pardoned)

As for those who deny Our signs, they are the people of the left.

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

whereas those who are bent on denying the truth of Our messages – they are such as have lost themselves in evil,

But those who disbelieved Our signs, they are the people of , the left.

And those who reject Our signs are the people of the Left Hand (the callous and the doomed)

The Fire will be sealed over them.

Fire will be an awning over them.

[with] fire closing in upon them.

Over them is a fire, that after casting them therein it has been closed from above.

Fire will be enclosed upon them (covering from all sides)