What does « Country / City » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word Country / City (بلد) in the Quran, with 19 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

بلد

Country / City

Root: ب - ل - د

Jurisprudence (fiqh) 19 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 3 min read

Definition of Country / City

Al-balad (country): the inhabited region.

Plural 'bilâd' and 'buldân'.

Allah says: 'I swear by this country (al-balad)' (Al-Balad: 1).

Al-balda: land without vegetation.

Allah says: 'To a dead land (balda)' (Fâtir: 9).

Country / City in the Quran (19)

Meccan: 17 Medinan: 2

Distribution of verses by surah

Al-A'raf 2

Qaf 2

Al-Fajr 2

Al-Balad 2

Al-Baqara 1

Âl 'Imrân 1

Ibrahim 1

An-Nahl 1

Al-Furqan 1

An-Naml 1

+ 5 more surahs

Surah Al-Baqara : 126 Medinan

﴿وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَٰهِۦمُ رَبِّ ٱجْعَلْ هَٰذَا بَلَدًا ءَامِنًا وَٱرْزُقْ أَهْلَهُۥ مِنَ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ مَنْ ءَامَنَ مِنْهُم بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْءَاخِرِ قَالَ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَأُمَتِّعُهُۥ قَلِيلًا ثُمَّ أَضْطَرُّهُۥٓ إِلَىٰ عَذَابِ ٱلنَّارِ وَبِئْسَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ﴾

And [mention] when Abraham said, "My Lord, make this a secure city and provide its people with fruits - whoever of them believes in Allah and the Last Day." [Allah] said. "And whoever disbelieves - I will grant him enjoyment for a little; then I will force him to the punishment of the Fire, and wretched is the destination."

Surah Âl 'Imrân : 196 Medinan

﴿لَا يَغُرَّنَّكَ تَقَلُّبُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْبِلَٰدِ﴾

Be not deceived by the [uninhibited] movement of the disbelievers throughout the land.

Surah Al-A'raf : 57 Meccan

﴿وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى يُرْسِلُ ٱلرِّيَٰحَ بُشْرًۢا بَيْنَ يَدَىْ رَحْمَتِهِۦ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَقَلَّتْ سَحَابًا ثِقَالًا سُقْنَٰهُ لِبَلَدٍ مَّيِّتٍ فَأَنزَلْنَا بِهِ ٱلْمَآءَ فَأَخْرَجْنَا بِهِۦ مِن كُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ كَذَٰلِكَ نُخْرِجُ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ﴾

And it is He who sends the winds as good tidings before His mercy until, when they have carried heavy rainclouds, We drive them to a dead land and We send down rain therein and bring forth thereby [some] of all the fruits. Thus will We bring forth the dead; perhaps you may be reminded.

Surah Al-A'raf : 58 Meccan

﴿وَٱلْبَلَدُ ٱلطَّيِّبُ يَخْرُجُ نَبَاتُهُۥ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِۦ وَٱلَّذِى خَبُثَ لَا يَخْرُجُ إِلَّا نَكِدًا كَذَٰلِكَ نُصَرِّفُ ٱلْءَايَٰتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَشْكُرُونَ﴾

And the good land - its vegetation emerges by permission of its Lord; but that which is bad - nothing emerges except sparsely, with difficulty. Thus do We diversify the signs for a people who are grateful.

Surah Ibrahim : 35 Meccan

﴿وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَٰهِيمُ رَبِّ ٱجْعَلْ هَٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدَ ءَامِنًا وَٱجْنُبْنِى وَبَنِىَّ أَن نَّعْبُدَ ٱلْأَصْنَامَ﴾

And [mention, O Muhammad], when Abraham said, "My Lord, make this city [Makkah] secure and keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols.

Surah An-Nahl : 7 Meccan

﴿وَتَحْمِلُ أَثْقَالَكُمْ إِلَىٰ بَلَدٍ لَّمْ تَكُونُوا۟ بَٰلِغِيهِ إِلَّا بِشِقِّ ٱلْأَنفُسِ إِنَّ رَبَّكُمْ لَرَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ﴾

And they carry your loads to a land you could not have reached except with difficulty to yourselves. Indeed, your Lord is Kind and Merciful.

Surah Al-Furqan : 49 Meccan

﴿لِّنُحْۦِىَ بِهِۦ بَلْدَةً مَّيْتًا وَنُسْقِيَهُۥ مِمَّا خَلَقْنَآ أَنْعَٰمًا وَأَنَاسِىَّ كَثِيرًا﴾

That We may bring to life thereby a dead land and give it as drink to those We created of numerous livestock and men.

Surah An-Naml : 91 Meccan

﴿إِنَّمَآ أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ رَبَّ هَٰذِهِ ٱلْبَلْدَةِ ٱلَّذِى حَرَّمَهَا وَلَهُۥ كُلُّ شَىْءٍ وَأُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ﴾

[Say, O Muhammad], "I have only been commanded to worship the Lord of this city, who made it sacred and to whom [belongs] all things. And I am commanded to be of the Muslims [those who submit to Allah]

Surah Saba : 15 Meccan

﴿لَقَدْ كَانَ لِسَبَإٍ فِى مَسْكَنِهِمْ ءَايَةٌ جَنَّتَانِ عَن يَمِينٍ وَشِمَالٍ كُلُوا۟ مِن رِّزْقِ رَبِّكُمْ وَٱشْكُرُوا۟ لَهُۥ بَلْدَةٌ طَيِّبَةٌ وَرَبٌّ غَفُورٌ﴾

There was for [the tribe of] Saba' in their dwelling place a sign: two [fields of] gardens on the right and on the left. [They were told], "Eat from the provisions of your Lord and be grateful to Him. A good land [have you], and a forgiving Lord."

Surah Fatir : 9 Meccan

﴿وَٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَرْسَلَ ٱلرِّيَٰحَ فَتُثِيرُ سَحَابًا فَسُقْنَٰهُ إِلَىٰ بَلَدٍ مَّيِّتٍ فَأَحْيَيْنَا بِهِ ٱلْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا كَذَٰلِكَ ٱلنُّشُورُ﴾

And it is Allah who sends the winds, and they stir the clouds, and We drive them to a dead land and give life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness. Thus is the resurrection.

Surah Ghafir : 4 Meccan

﴿مَا يُجَٰدِلُ فِىٓ ءَايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ فَلَا يَغْرُرْكَ تَقَلُّبُهُمْ فِى ٱلْبِلَٰدِ﴾

No one disputes concerning the signs of Allah except those who disbelieve, so be not deceived by their [uninhibited] movement throughout the land.

Surah Az-Zukhruf : 11 Meccan

﴿وَٱلَّذِى نَزَّلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءًۢ بِقَدَرٍ فَأَنشَرْنَا بِهِۦ بَلْدَةً مَّيْتًا كَذَٰلِكَ تُخْرَجُونَ﴾

And who sends down rain from the sky in measured amounts, and We revive thereby a dead land - thus will you be brought forth -

Surah Qaf : 11 Meccan

﴿رِّزْقًا لِّلْعِبَادِ وَأَحْيَيْنَا بِهِۦ بَلْدَةً مَّيْتًا كَذَٰلِكَ ٱلْخُرُوجُ﴾

As provision for the servants, and We have given life thereby to a dead land. Thus is the resurrection.

Surah Qaf : 36 Meccan

﴿وَكَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا قَبْلَهُم مِّن قَرْنٍ هُمْ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُم بَطْشًا فَنَقَّبُوا۟ فِى ٱلْبِلَٰدِ هَلْ مِن مَّحِيصٍ﴾

And how many a generation before them did We destroy who were greater than them in [striking] power and had explored throughout the lands. Is there any place of escape?

Surah Al-Fajr : 8 Meccan

﴿ٱلَّتِى لَمْ يُخْلَقْ مِثْلُهَا فِى ٱلْبِلَٰدِ﴾

The likes of whom had never been created in the land?

Surah Al-Fajr : 11 Meccan

﴿ٱلَّذِينَ طَغَوْا۟ فِى ٱلْبِلَٰدِ﴾

[All of] whom oppressed within the lands

Surah Al-Balad : 1 Meccan

﴿لَآ أُقْسِمُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ﴾

I swear by this city, Makkah -

Surah Al-Balad : 2 Meccan

﴿وَأَنتَ حِلٌّۢ بِهَٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ﴾

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