90. Al-Baladالبلد

The City · Meccan · 20 ayahs · 1 ruku

بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

لَاۤ اُقْسِمُ بِهٰذَا الْبَلَدِ ۟ۙلَاۤ اُقۡسِمُ بِهٰذَا الۡبَلَدِۙ

I swear by this city—

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

وَاَنْتَ حِلٌّۢ بِهٰذَا الْبَلَدِ ۟ۙوَاَنۡتَ حِلٌّ ۢ بِهٰذَا الۡبَلَدِۙ

and you are dwelling in this city—

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

وَوَالِدٍ وَّمَا وَلَدَ ۟ۙوَوَالِدٍ وَّمَا وَلَدَ

and by parent and offspring,

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْاِنْسَانَ فِیْ كَبَدٍ ۟ؕلَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا الۡاِنۡسَانَ فِىۡ كَبَدٍؕ

that We have created man into a life of toil and trial.

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

Tafseer of 90:1–4

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.

اَیَحْسَبُ اَنْ لَّنْ یَّقْدِرَ عَلَیْهِ اَحَدٌ ۟ۘاَيَحۡسَبُ اَنۡ لَّنۡ يَّقۡدِرَ عَلَيۡهِ اَحَدٌ‌ ۘ‏

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

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

یَقُوْلُ اَهْلَكْتُ مَالًا لُّبَدًا ۟ؕيَقُوۡلُ اَهۡلَكۡتُ مَالًا لُّبَدًا

He says, ‘I have spent enormous wealth.’

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

اَیَحْسَبُ اَنْ لَّمْ یَرَهٗۤ اَحَدٌ ۟ؕاَيَحۡسَبُ اَنۡ لَّمۡ يَرَهٗۤ اَحَدٌ

Does he then think that no one sees him?

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

اَلَمْ نَجْعَلْ لَّهٗ عَیْنَیْنِ ۟ۙاَلَمۡ نَجۡعَلۡ لَّهٗ عَيۡنَيۡنِۙ‏

Have We not given him two eyes,

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

وَلِسَانًا وَّشَفَتَیْنِ ۟ۙوَلِسَانًا وَّشَفَتَيۡنِۙ

and a tongue, and a pair of lips,

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

وَهَدَیْنٰهُ النَّجْدَیْنِ ۟ۚوَهَدَيۡنٰهُ النَّجۡدَيۡنِ‌ۚ

and shown him the two paths?

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

فَلَا اقْتَحَمَ الْعَقَبَةَ ۟ؗۖفَلَا اقۡتَحَمَ الۡعَقَبَةَ

But he has not attempted the ascent.

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

وَمَاۤ اَدْرٰىكَ مَا الْعَقَبَةُ ۟ؕوَمَاۤ اَدۡرٰٮكَ مَا الۡعَقَبَةُ

What will explain to you what the ascent is?

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ ۟ۙفَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ

It is the freeing of a slave;

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

اَوْ اِطْعٰمٌ فِیْ یَوْمٍ ذِیْ مَسْغَبَةٍ ۟ۙاَوۡ اِطۡعٰمٌ فِىۡ يَوۡمٍ ذِىۡ مَسۡغَبَةٍ

or the feeding in times of famine

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

یَّتِیْمًا ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍ ۟ۙيَّتِيۡمًا ذَا مَقۡرَبَةٍ

of an orphaned relative

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

اَوْ مِسْكِیْنًا ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍ ۟ؕاَوۡ مِسۡكِيۡنًا ذَا مَتۡرَبَةٍ

or some needy person in distress,

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْا وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْمَرْحَمَةِ ۟ؕثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَتَوَاصَوۡا بِالصَّبۡرِ وَتَوَاصَوۡا بِالۡمَرۡحَمَةِ

and to be one of those who believe and urge one another to steadfastness and compassion.

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

اُولٰٓىِٕكَ اَصْحٰبُ الْمَیْمَنَةِ ۟ؕاُولٰٓئِكَ اَصۡحٰبُ الۡمَيۡمَنَةِ

Those who do so are the people of the right hand,

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

وَالَّذِیْنَ كَفَرُوْا بِاٰیٰتِنَا هُمْ اَصْحٰبُ الْمَشْـَٔمَةِ ۟ؕوَالَّذِيۡنَ كَفَرُوۡا بِاٰيٰتِنَا هُمۡ اَصۡحٰبُ الۡمَشۡئَـمَةِ

and [as for] those who are bent on denying the truth of Our revelations, they are the people of the left hand,

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

عَلَیْهِمْ نَارٌ مُّؤْصَدَةٌ ۟۠عَلَيۡهِمۡ نَارٌ مُّؤۡصَدَةٌ

and the Fire will close in on them.

— Tazkirul Quran (En)

Tafseer of 90:5–20

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.