Al-Balad

Verse 1

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

لَا أُقْسِمُ بِهَذَا الْبَلَدِ

Allah swore by this sacred land, Makkah.

Verse 2

وَأَنتَ حِلٌّ بِهَذَا الْبَلَدِ

And you, O Prophet, are permitted on this sacred land to do on it as you will. [This] was not made permissible for him except for one hour of a [particular] day; the verse contains glad tidings to the Prophet ﷺ of the Conquest of Makkah at his hands and its being made permissible for him to fight [there].

Verse 3

وَوَالِدٍ وَمَا وَلَدَ

And Allāh swore by the father of Mankind, Ādam, may Allāh protect him further from every kind of fault or harm, and [He swore by] that which issued from him of offspring.

Verse 4

لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ فِي كَبَدٍ

We have indeed created Mankind [to] undergo hardship and difficulty, bearing the troubles of the present life of this world.

Verse 5

أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌ

Does he think, due to what he has gathered of wealth, that Allāh will have no power over him?

Verse 6

 يَقُولُ أَهْلَكْتُ مَالًا لُّبَدًا

He says, boasting over others: I have spent a great deal of wealth.

Verse 7

أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّمْ يَرَهُ أَحَدٌ

Does he think, in his doing this, that Allāh, Mighty and Majestic, does not see him or hold him to account for [all things] small and large?

Verse 8

 أَلَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُ عَيْنَيْنِ

Have We not made two eyes for him to see with?

Verse 9

وَلِسَانًا وَشَفَتَيْنِ

And a tongue and two lips to speak with?

Verse 10

وَهَدَيْنَاهُ النَّجْدَيْنِ

And made clear to him the two paths to good and evil?

Verse 11

 فَلَا اقْتَحَمَ الْعَقَبَةَ

Then why would he not cross over the difficulties of the Hereafter by spending his wealth, assuring his safety thereby?

Verse 12

 وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْعَقَبَةُ

And what will get you to know what the difficulties of the Hereafter are and what helps in crossing over them?

Verse 13

 فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ

Certainly, it is a believing slave’s becoming free of the bonds of slavery;

Verse 14

 أَوْ إِطْعَامٌ فِي يَوْمٍ ذِي مَسْغَبَةٍ

or providing food, on a day of severe hunger…

Verse 15

يَتِيمًا ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍ

…to an orphan–one whose father died while he was young–from [one’s] close relatives, in which the virtue of giving charity comes together with [that of] keeping ties with one’s blood relatives;

Verse 16

أَوْ مِسْكِينًا ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍ

or to one stricken by poverty, destitute, possessing nothing.

Verse 17

ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْمَرْحَمَةِ

After that, he would be–having done that which has been mentioned of good deeds–of those who have made their faith solely for Allāh [with their beliefs, actions, and speech]; directed one another to perseverance in obeying Allāh and [keeping away] from acts of disobedience to Him; and directed one another to be compassionate and good to creation.

Verse 18

 أُولَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْمَيْمَنَةِ

Those who do these deeds are the People on the Right, those who will be taken on the Day of Resurrection to the right towards Paradise.

Verse 19

 وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِآيَاتِنَا هُمْ أَصْحَابُ الْمَشْأَمَةِ

And those who disbelieve in the Qurʾān are the ones who will be taken on the Day of Resurrection to the left towards the Fire.

Verse 20

 عَلَيْهِمْ نَارٌ مُّؤْصَدَةٌ

Their requital is [the blazing fire of] Jahannam, covering them, shutting them in.

Source:

Al-Tafsīr Al-Muyassar. King Fahd Qurʾān Printing Complex. Madīnah: 1434 H.