Surah Al-Balad word by word

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Al-Balad (البلد) word by word, in full: Meccan, revealed in Mecca, 20 verses, 82 words. Each verse is displayed in Arabic with its English translation, then broken down into words, each with its transliteration and meaning.

With 82 words to discover, Surah Al-Balad becomes accessible even without knowing how to read Arabic: the transliteration guides the pronunciation and the meaning gives the sense. Repeat each word, then read the whole verse again: this is the most effective way to memorize this surah, understand what you recite in prayer and grow your Quranic vocabulary.

Updated on 30 September 2026 at 4:42 AM

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بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Verse 1 - Surah Al-Balad: 4 words

لَآ أُقْسِمُ بِهَـٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ

I swear by this city, Makkah -

لَآ lā Nay
أُقْسِمُ uq'simu I swear
بِهَـٰذَا bihādhā by this
ٱلْبَلَدِ l-baladi city

Verse 2 - Surah Al-Balad: 4 words

وَأَنتَ حِلٌّۢ بِهَـٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ

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

وَأَنتَ wa-anta And you
حِلٌّۢ ḥillun (are) free (to dwell)
بِهَـٰذَا bihādhā in this
ٱلْبَلَدِ l-baladi city

Verse 3 - Surah Al-Balad: 3 words

وَوَالِدٍۢ وَمَا وَلَدَ

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

وَوَالِدٍۢ wawālidin And the begetter
وَمَا wamā and what
وَلَدَ walada he begot

Verse 4 - Surah Al-Balad: 5 words

لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ فِى كَبَدٍ

We have certainly created man into hardship.

لَقَدْ laqad Certainly
خَلَقْنَا khalaqnā We have created
ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ l-insāna man
فِى fī (to be) in
كَبَدٍ kabadin hardship

Verse 5 - Surah Al-Balad: 6 words

أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌۭ

Does he think that never will anyone overcome him?

أَيَحْسَبُ ayaḥsabu Does he think
أَن an that
لَّن lan not
يَقْدِرَ yaqdira has power
عَلَيْهِ ʿalayhi over him
أَحَدٌۭ aḥadun anyone

Verse 6 - Surah Al-Balad: 4 words

يَقُولُ أَهْلَكْتُ مَالًۭا لُّبَدًا

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

يَقُولُ yaqūlu He will say
أَهْلَكْتُ ahlaktu I have squandered
مَالًۭا mālan wealth
لُّبَدًا lubadan abundant

Verse 7 - Surah Al-Balad: 5 words

أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّمْ يَرَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ

Does he think that no one has seen him?

أَيَحْسَبُ ayaḥsabu Does he think
أَن an that
لَّمْ lam not
يَرَهُۥٓ yarahu sees him
أَحَدٌ aḥadun anyone

Verse 8 - Surah Al-Balad: 4 words

أَلَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُۥ عَيْنَيْنِ

Have We not made for him two eyes?

أَلَمْ alam Have not
نَجْعَل najʿal We made
لَّهُۥ lahu for him
عَيْنَيْنِ ʿaynayni two eyes

Verse 9 - Surah Al-Balad: 2 words

وَلِسَانًۭا وَشَفَتَيْنِ

And a tongue and two lips?

وَلِسَانًۭا walisānan And a tongue
وَشَفَتَيْنِ washafatayni and two lips

Verse 10 - Surah Al-Balad: 2 words

وَهَدَيْنَـٰهُ ٱلنَّجْدَيْنِ

And have shown him the two ways?

وَهَدَيْنَـٰهُ wahadaynāhu And shown him
ٱلنَّجْدَيْنِ l-najdayni the two ways

Verse 11 - Surah Al-Balad: 3 words

فَلَا ٱقْتَحَمَ ٱلْعَقَبَةَ

But he has not broken through the difficult pass.

فَلَا falā But not
ٱقْتَحَمَ iq'taḥama he has attempted
ٱلْعَقَبَةَ l-ʿaqabata the steep path

Verse 12 - Surah Al-Balad: 4 words

وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلْعَقَبَةُ

And what can make you know what is [breaking through] the difficult pass?

وَمَآ wamā And what
أَدْرَىٰكَ adrāka can make you know
مَا mā what
ٱلْعَقَبَةُ l-ʿaqabatu the steep path (is)

Verse 13 - Surah Al-Balad: 2 words

فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ

It is the freeing of a slave

فَكُّ fakku (It is) freeing
رَقَبَةٍ raqabatin a neck

Verse 14 - Surah Al-Balad: 6 words

أَوْ إِطْعَـٰمٌۭ فِى يَوْمٍۢ ذِى مَسْغَبَةٍۢ

Or feeding on a day of severe hunger

أَوْ aw Or
إِطْعَـٰمٌۭ iṭ'ʿāmun feeding
فِى fī in
يَوْمٍۢ yawmin a day
ذِى dhī of
مَسْغَبَةٍۢ masghabatin severe hunger

Verse 15 - Surah Al-Balad: 3 words

يَتِيمًۭا ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍ

An orphan of near relationship

يَتِيمًۭا yatīman An orphan
ذَا dhā of
مَقْرَبَةٍ maqrabatin near relationship

Verse 16 - Surah Al-Balad: 4 words

أَوْ مِسْكِينًۭا ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍۢ

Or a needy person in misery

أَوْ aw Or
مِسْكِينًۭا mis'kīnan a needy person
ذَا dhā in
مَتْرَبَةٍۢ matrabatin misery

Verse 17 - Surah Al-Balad: 9 words

ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلْمَرْحَمَةِ

And then being among those who believed and advised one another to patience and advised one another to compassion.

ثُمَّ thumma Then
كَانَ kāna he is
مِنَ mina of
ٱلَّذِينَ alladhīna those who
ءَامَنُوا۟ āmanū believe
وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ watawāṣaw and enjoin (each other)
بِٱلصَّبْرِ bil-ṣabri to patience
وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ watawāṣaw and enjoin (each other)
بِٱلْمَرْحَمَةِ bil-marḥamati to compassion

Verse 18 - Surah Al-Balad: 3 words

أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْمَيْمَنَةِ

Those are the companions of the right.

أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ulāika Those
أَصْحَـٰبُ aṣḥābu (are the) companions
ٱلْمَيْمَنَةِ l-maymanati (of) the right (hand)

Verse 19 - Surah Al-Balad: 6 words

وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا هُمْ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْمَشْـَٔمَةِ

But they who disbelieved in Our signs - those are the companions of the left.

وَٱلَّذِينَ wa-alladhīna But those who
كَفَرُوا۟ kafarū disbelieve
بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا biāyātinā in Our Verses
هُمْ hum they
أَصْحَـٰبُ aṣḥābu (are the) companions
ٱلْمَشْـَٔمَةِ l-mashamati (of) the left (hand)

Verse 20 - Surah Al-Balad: 3 words

عَلَيْهِمْ نَارٌۭ مُّؤْصَدَةٌۢ

Over them will be fire closed in.

عَلَيْهِمْ ʿalayhim Over them
نَارٌۭ nārun (will be the) Fire
مُّؤْصَدَةٌۢ mu'ṣadatun closed in

See also

All surahs word by word

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سبحان الله وبحمده Glory and praise be to Allah

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَمَلَٰٓئِكَتَهُۥ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى ٱلنَّبِىِّ ۚ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ صَلُّوا۟ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا۟ تَسْلِيمًا

God and His angels shower their blessings on the Prophet. O believers, you should also send your blessings on him, and salute him with a worthy greeting.

Al-Ahzab 33:56

Blessings on the Prophet ﷺ