90th surah of the Quran

Surah Al-Balad

The City

Meccan 20 verses Juz 30
Al-Balad

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

لَآ أُقْسِمُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ ﴿١﴾

Nay, I swear by this city -

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

وَأَنتَ حِلٌّۢ بِهَٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ ﴿٢﴾

And thou art an indweller of this city -

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

وَوَالِدٍۢ وَمَا وَلَدَ ﴿٣﴾

And the begetter and that which he begat,

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ فِى كَبَدٍ ﴿٤﴾

We verily have created man in an atmosphere:

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌۭ ﴿٥﴾

Thinketh he that none hath power over him?

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

يَقُولُ أَهْلَكْتُ مَالًۭا لُّبَدًا ﴿٦﴾

And he saith: I have destroyed vast wealth:

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّمْ يَرَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ ﴿٧﴾

Thinketh he that none beholdeth him?

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

أَلَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُۥ عَيْنَيْنِ ﴿٨﴾

Did We not assign unto him two eyes

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

وَلِسَانًۭا وَشَفَتَيْنِ ﴿٩﴾

And a tongue and two lips,

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

وَهَدَيْنَٰهُ ٱلنَّجْدَيْنِ ﴿١٠﴾

And guide him to the parting of the mountain ways?

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

فَلَا ٱقْتَحَمَ ٱلْعَقَبَةَ ﴿١١﴾

But he hath not attempted the Ascent -

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلْعَقَبَةُ ﴿١٢﴾

Ah, what will convey unto thee what the Ascent is! -

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ ﴿١٣﴾

(It is) to free a slave,

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

أَوْ إِطْعَٰمٌۭ فِى يَوْمٍۢ ذِى مَسْغَبَةٍۢ ﴿١٤﴾

And to feed in the day of hunger.

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

يَتِيمًۭا ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍ ﴿١٥﴾

An orphan near of kin,

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

أَوْ مِسْكِينًۭا ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍۢ ﴿١٦﴾

Or some poor wretch in misery,

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلْمَرْحَمَةِ ﴿١٧﴾

And to be of those who believe and exhort one another to perseverance and exhort one another to pity.

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْمَيْمَنَةِ ﴿١٨﴾

Their place will be on the right hand.

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا هُمْ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْمَشْـَٔمَةِ ﴿١٩﴾

But those who disbelieve Our revelations, their place will be on the left hand.

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

عَلَيْهِمْ نَارٌۭ مُّؤْصَدَةٌۢ ﴿٢٠﴾

Fire will be an awning over them.

Tafsir al-Muyassar (Arabic)

Al-Balad Verse 1 of 20

Arabic text: Uthmani script. English translation: Marmaduke Pickthall. Audio: everyayah.com.

About Surah Al-Balad

Surah Al-Balad (البلد) is the 90th surah of the Quran. It has 20 verses and is found in Juz 30. It is classified as a Meccan surah, meaning it was mainly revealed before the Prophet's migration (Hijra) to Medina.

Its name, البلد, is commonly translated as “The City”.

Questions about Surah Al-Balad

How many verses are in Surah Al-Balad?

Surah Al-Balad (البلد) has 20 verses. It is the 90th surah of the Quran, after Surah Al-Fajr and before Surah Ash-Shams, and it is found in Juz 30.

Is Surah Al-Balad Meccan or Medinan?

It is classified as a Meccan surah, meaning it was mainly revealed before the Hijra. In the traditional order of revelation it is number 35 out of 114. Scholars sometimes differ about the place of revelation of some verses.

What does the name of Surah Al-Balad mean?

البلد is commonly translated as “The City”. The surahs are named after a word or a theme that appears in them, and the name is a label rather than a summary of the whole surah.

Which Juz is Surah Al-Balad in?

Surah Al-Balad is in Juz' 30.

Where can I listen to Surah Al-Balad?

Press Play on this page to hear the whole surah without breaks, or press the play button on a verse to hear it verse by verse. Choose among 19 reciters: Abdur-Rahman As-Sudais, Mishary Alafasy, Mahmoud Khalil Al-Husary, Abdul Basit Abdus-Samad, Maher Al-Muaiqly, Saad Al-Ghamdi, Ahmad Al-Ajmi, Abu Bakr Ash-Shatri, Hani Ar-Rifai, Mohamed Siddiq Al-Minshawi, Ali Al-Hudhaify, Muhammad Ayyub, Abdullah Basfar, Yasser Ad-Dosari, Nasser Al-Qatami, Salah Al-Budair, Saud Ash-Shuraim, Abdullah Awad Al-Juhany, Muhammad Jibreel.

Can I read Surah Al-Balad with a translation and tafsir?

Yes. This page shows the Arabic text of Surah Al-Balad in the Uthmani script with a translation under each verse. You can switch between verse by verse, the whole surah, and mushaf pages, and save the surah as a PDF.