Surah Al-Balad (البلد) is a Meccan surah of the Quran with 20 verses. Read, listen and memorize this surah with our interactive tools.
Updated on 07 March 2026 at 4:16 PM
📖 1 min readIt indicates that whoever's disbelief is lighter is not stubborn, and thus is likely to be guided and become one of those on the right side. Since the meaning of this is that they are on the side of misfortune and perdition, far from all blessings, it led to the statement: {upon them} specifically, not others, {a fire confined} meaning a fire that has its doors closed upon them while surrounding them from all sides - implying, through the instrument of superiority, and with narrowness and ruggedness. This, by my life, is the most severe narrowness, distress, and hardship. The refuge from it is to Allah, the One, the Unique, the Eternal. It has been made known that its beginning is this end, so the resort to it is what the hands grasp and the fingers are clenched upon. Allah, the Exalted, is the One hoped for guidance to the best of intentions, and He is the Guide to what is right; to Him is the return and the refuge.
Read the full surah text
لَآ أُقْسِمُ بِهَـٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ ﴿١﴾
I swear by this city, Makkah -
وَأَنتَ حِلٌّۢ بِهَـٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ ﴿٢﴾
And you, [O Muhammad], are free of restriction in this city -
وَوَالِدٍۢ وَمَا وَلَدَ ﴿٣﴾
And [by] the father and that which was born [of him],
لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ فِى كَبَدٍ ﴿٤﴾
We have certainly created man into hardship.
أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌۭ ﴿٥﴾
Does he think that never will anyone overcome him?
يَقُولُ أَهْلَكْتُ مَالًۭا لُّبَدًا ﴿٦﴾
He says, "I have spent wealth in abundance."
أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّمْ يَرَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ ﴿٧﴾
Does he think that no one has seen him?
أَلَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُۥ عَيْنَيْنِ ﴿٨﴾
Have We not made for him two eyes?
وَلِسَانًۭا وَشَفَتَيْنِ ﴿٩﴾
And a tongue and two lips?
وَهَدَيْنَـٰهُ ٱلنَّجْدَيْنِ ﴿١٠﴾
And have shown him the two ways?
فَلَا ٱقْتَحَمَ ٱلْعَقَبَةَ ﴿١١﴾
But he has not broken through the difficult pass.
وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلْعَقَبَةُ ﴿١٢﴾
And what can make you know what is [breaking through] the difficult pass?
فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ ﴿١٣﴾
It is the freeing of a slave
أَوْ إِطْعَـٰمٌۭ فِى يَوْمٍۢ ذِى مَسْغَبَةٍۢ ﴿١٤﴾
Or feeding on a day of severe hunger
يَتِيمًۭا ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍ ﴿١٥﴾
An orphan of near relationship
أَوْ مِسْكِينًۭا ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍۢ ﴿١٦﴾
Or a needy person in misery
ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلْمَرْحَمَةِ ﴿١٧﴾
And then being among those who believed and advised one another to patience and advised one another to compassion.
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْمَيْمَنَةِ ﴿١٨﴾
Those are the companions of the right.
وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا هُمْ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْمَشْـَٔمَةِ ﴿١٩﴾
But they who disbelieved in Our signs - those are the companions of the left.
عَلَيْهِمْ نَارٌۭ مُّؤْصَدَةٌۢ ﴿٢٠﴾
Over them will be fire closed in.