The City (Al-Balad)
Verses 1-20 GROUP_1574 90.1-20
1
لَا أُقْسِمُ بِهَذَا الْبَلَدِ
I swear by this city—
2
وَأَنتَ حِلٌّ بِهَذَا الْبَلَدِ
and you are dwelling in this city—
3
وَوَالِدٍ وَمَا وَلَدَ
and by parent and offspring,
4
لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ فِي كَبَدٍ
that We have created man into a life of toil and trial.
5
أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌ
Does he think then that no one has power over him?
6
يَقُولُ أَهْلَكْتُ مَالًا لُّبَدًا
He says, ‘I have spent enormous wealth.’
7
أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّمْ يَرَهُ أَحَدٌ
Does he then think that no one sees him?
8
أَلَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُ عَيْنَيْنِ
Have We not given him two eyes,
9
وَلِسَانًا وَشَفَتَيْنِ
and a tongue, and a pair of lips,
10
وَهَدَيْنَاهُ النَّجْدَيْنِ
and shown him the two paths?
11
فَلَا اقْتَحَمَ الْعَقَبَةَ
But he has not attempted the ascent.
12
وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْعَقَبَةُ
What will explain to you what the ascent is?
13
فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ
It is the freeing of a slave;
14
أَوْ إِطْعَامٌ فِي يَوْمٍ ذِي مَسْغَبَةٍ
or the feeding in times of famine
15
يَتِيمًا ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍ
of an orphaned relative
16
أَوْ مِسْكِينًا ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍ
or some needy person in distress,
17
ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْمَرْحَمَةِ
and to be one of those who believe and urge one another to steadfastness and compassion.
18
أُوْلَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْمَيْمَنَةِ
Those who do so are the people of the right hand,
19
وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِآيَاتِنَا هُمْ أَصْحَابُ الْمَشْأَمَةِ
and [as for] those who are bent on denying the truth of Our revelations, they are the people of the left hand,
20
عَلَيْهِمْ نَارٌ مُّؤْصَدَةٌ
and the Fire will close in on them.
No class discussions published for this verse group yet.
Commentary
(a) Man has never been able to free himself from hardship. This shows that he is subordinate to some Superior Power. Similarly, man’s eyes show that there is also a Superior Eye which is watching him. His power of speech indicates that there is One capable of speech over and above him, who has bestowed upon him the power of speech and showed him the right path. If a man realizes himself in the true sense, then he will certainly recognise God. (b) God has commanded man to scale two heights—one is to treat others with justice, and help them in their hour of need. The other is to have firm faith in God. When such belief enters the inner depths of a human being, it does not remain confined to his own thinking but rather makes him become communicative. He then attempts to lead others along the path of Truth which he himself has adopted.