Surah 90 · Makkan · 20 ayahs

Al-Balad

البلد

The City

Arabic in the Uthmani script. English translation by Saheeh International. Every ayah below carries its own reference.

What is this surah about?

Scholarly explanation

Name The Surah has been so named after the word al balad in the first verse. Period of Revelation Its subject matter and style resemble those of the earliest Surahs revealed at Makkah, but it contains a pointer which indicates that it was sent down in the period when the disbelievers of Makkah had resolved to oppose the Holy Prophet (upon whom be Allah's peace), and made it lawful for themselves to commit tyranny and excess against him. Theme and Subject Matter In this Surah a vast subject has been compressed into a few brief sentences, and it is a miracle of the Quran that a complete ideology of life which could hardly be explained in a thick volume has been abridged most effectively in brief sentences of this short Surah.

Reference · Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, Tafhim al-Qur'an — The Meaning of the Quran

Translation

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بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

90:1

لَآ أُقْسِمُ بِهَـٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ

I swear by this city [i.e., Makkah]

90:2

وَأَنتَ حِلٌّۢ بِهَـٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ

And you, [O Muḥammad], are free of restriction in this city

90:3

وَوَالِدٍ وَمَا وَلَدَ

And [by] the father and that which was born [of him],

90:4

لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ فِى كَبَدٍ

We have certainly created man into hardship.

90:5

أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌ

Does he think that never will anyone overcome him?

90:6

يَقُولُ أَهْلَكْتُ مَالًا لُّبَدًا

He says, "I have spent wealth in abundance."

90:7

أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّمْ يَرَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ

Does he think that no one has seen him?

90:8

أَلَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُۥ عَيْنَيْنِ

Have We not made for him two eyes?

90:9

وَلِسَانًا وَشَفَتَيْنِ

And a tongue and two lips?