Sūrah 90
Sūrah al-Balad
This sūrah forms a pair with Sūrah al-Fajr; the introduction covering both is on that page.
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Ever-Merciful.
No, [they were never always like this!] I call to witness this city [O Prophet!] – [and this city is not alien to you;] you are its inhabitant – and the father and his progeny also [who populated this city] that when We created man here, he was surely in great toil at that time.1
[Now that he is leading a life of affluence,] does he think that no one has power over him? [When he is asked to spend,] he says: “I have thrown away a lot of wealth.” Does he think that no one has seen him?
Have We not given him two eyes [so that he could see the reality] and not given him a tongue and two lips [so that he could urge others to do good]? And not shown him the two ways [that he could understand the good and the evil]? But he did not attempt the steep path. And what do you understand what that steep path is? It is to liberate necks or, on a day of hunger, feeding of an orphan near of kin or an indigent down in the dust. Then a person be of those who accepted faith and who urged one another to remain steadfast on it and who urged one another to be sympathetic. These are the fortunate. They will be in Paradise. And those who deny Our revelations, it is they who are the unfortunate. The fire will close in on them.