Surah Al-Balad
البلد
Surah Al-Balad is a 20-verse Meccan surah that describes human life as struggle and defines the steep road to goodness as freeing slaves, feeding the hungry and caring for orphans and the poor.
- Meaning
- The City
- Surah
- 90 of 114
- Verses
- 20
- Revealed in
- Mecca
- Found in
- Juz 30
What Surah Al-Balad is about
Surah Al-Balad, "The City", opens with an oath by this city, understood by commentators as Mecca, while noting that the Prophet ﷺ himself lives in it (verses 1 and 2). Verse 3 adds an oath by a parent and child, and verse 4 gives the surah's central statement: the human being was created in toil and struggle.
Verses 5 to 7 describe a man who boasts that he has spent heaps of money, and asks whether he thinks no one has power over him or sees him. Verses 8 to 10 remind him of what he was given: two eyes, a tongue and two lips, and guidance to the two paths.
Verse 11 says he did not attempt the steep climb, and verses 12 to 16 explain what that climb is: freeing a slave, or feeding someone on a day of hunger, an orphan who is a relative, or a poor person lying in the dust. Verse 17 adds that the person must also be among those who believe and who encourage one another to patience and compassion. The surah closes by naming them the people of the right, and those who reject Allah's signs the people of the left, with a fire closed over them.
Main themes
Life as struggle
Verse 4 states that human beings were created in hardship. The surah does not treat this as a complaint but as the setting in which choices are made.
Verses 1–7Gifts that bring responsibility
Eyes, a tongue and lips, and the ability to see two ways, are listed as Allah's gifts. Having them means a person cannot claim they were never shown the choice.
Verses 8–10The steep path
The surah defines goodness in concrete social terms: freeing slaves, feeding the hungry, caring for orphaned relatives and the destitute. It treats these as an uphill climb that takes effort.
Verses 11–16Patience and compassion together
Verse 17 describes believers who urge each other to patience and to mercy. Faith here is something practiced in community, not alone.
Verses 17–20
Verses to know
لَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ فِي كَبَدٍ ﴿٤﴾
We created man in distress.
A short, honest statement that human life involves toil and difficulty. Many readers find it reassuring that the Quran names this so directly.
وَهَدَيۡنَٰهُ ٱلنَّجۡدَيۡنِ ﴿١٠﴾
And We showed him the two ways?
Says Allah showed the human being the two ways, often understood as the paths of good and evil. It underlines human choice and responsibility.
وَمَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلۡعَقَبَةُ ﴿١٢﴾ فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ ﴿١٣﴾ أَوۡ إِطۡعَٰمࣱ فِي يَوۡمٖ ذِي مَسۡغَبَةٖ ﴿١٤﴾ يَتِيمٗا ذَا مَقۡرَبَةٍ ﴿١٥﴾ أَوۡ مِسۡكِينٗا ذَا مَتۡرَبَةٖ ﴿١٦﴾
12And what will explain to you what the ascent is? 13The freeing of a slave. 14Or the feeding on a day of hunger. 15An orphan near of kin. 16Or a destitute in the dust.
One of the Quran's clearest definitions of righteous action, entirely made up of practical help to people in need.
Surah Al-Balad in Arabic and English
All 20 verses, with the Arabic, a transliteration to help you read it aloud, and the English translation by Talal Itani.
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
- 1
لَآ أُقۡسِمُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ
La oqsimu bihatha albaladi
I swear by this land.
- 2
وَأَنتَ حِلُّۢ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ
Waanta hillun bihatha albaladi
And you are a resident of this land.
- 3
وَوَالِدٖ وَمَا وَلَدَ
Wawalidin wama walada
And by a father and what he fathered.
- 4
لَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ فِي كَبَدٍ
Laqad khalaqna alinsana fee kabadin
We created man in distress.
- 5
أَيَحۡسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقۡدِرَ عَلَيۡهِ أَحَدࣱ
Ayahsabu an lan yaqdira AAalayhi ahadun
Does he think that no one has power over him?
- 6
يَقُولُ أَهۡلَكۡتُ مَالٗا لُّبَدًا
Yaqoolu ahlaktu malan lubadan
He says, “I have used up so much money.”
- 7
أَيَحۡسَبُ أَن لَّمۡ يَرَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ
Ayahsabu an lam yarahu ahadun
Does he think that no one sees him?
- 8
أَلَمۡ نَجۡعَل لَّهُۥ عَيۡنَيۡنِ
Alam najAAal lahu AAaynayni
Did We not give him two eyes?
- 9
وَلِسَانٗا وَشَفَتَيۡنِ
Walisanan washafatayni
And a tongue, and two lips?
- 10
وَهَدَيۡنَٰهُ ٱلنَّجۡدَيۡنِ
Wahadaynahu alnnajdayni
And We showed him the two ways?
- 11
فَلَا ٱقۡتَحَمَ ٱلۡعَقَبَةَ
Fala iqtahama alAAaqabata
But he did not brave the ascent.
- 12
وَمَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلۡعَقَبَةُ
Wama adraka ma alAAaqabatu
And what will explain to you what the ascent is?
- 13
فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ
Fakku raqabatin
The freeing of a slave.
- 14
أَوۡ إِطۡعَٰمࣱ فِي يَوۡمٖ ذِي مَسۡغَبَةٖ
Aw itAAamun fee yawmin thee masghabatin
Or the feeding on a day of hunger.
- 15
يَتِيمٗا ذَا مَقۡرَبَةٍ
Yateeman tha maqrabatin
An orphan near of kin.
- 16
أَوۡ مِسۡكِينٗا ذَا مَتۡرَبَةٖ
Aw miskeenan tha matrabatin
Or a destitute in the dust.
- 17
ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلۡمَرۡحَمَةِ
Thumma kana mina allatheena amanoo watawasaw bialssabri watawasaw bialmarhamati
Then he becomes of those who believe, and advise one another to patience, and advise one another to kindness.
- 18
أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡمَيۡمَنَةِ
Olaika ashabu almaymanati
These are the people of happiness.
- 19
وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا هُمۡ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡمَشۡـَٔمَةِ
Waallatheena kafaroo biayatina hum ashabu almashamati
But as for those who defy Our revelations—these are the people of misery.
- 20
عَلَيۡهِمۡ نَارࣱ مُّؤۡصَدَةُۢ
AAalayhim narun musadatun
Upon them is a padlocked Fire.
Surah Al-Balad PDF
The whole surah on printable pages: Arabic, transliteration and English side by side. Free to download, print and share.
Questions about Surah Al-Balad
Which city is Surah Al-Balad about?
Commentators widely agree that this city in verse 1 is Mecca, where the Prophet ﷺ was living when the surah was revealed.
How many verses are in Surah Al-Balad?
Surah Al-Balad has 20 verses. It is the 90th surah and a Meccan surah.
What is the steep path in Surah Al-Balad?
Verses 12 to 16 explain it as freeing a slave, or feeding someone on a day of hunger, especially an orphaned relative or a poor person in the dust.