بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Al-Balad 90:1
The City · Juz 30 · Page 594
لَآ أُقۡسِمُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ ١
I swear by this city [i.e., Makkah] –
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 90:1
Commentary
لَا أُقْسِمُ بِهَٰذَا الْبَلَدِ (I swear by this city...90:1). The particle la ('no' ) in the beginning of this sentence has no meaning here. Such particles in Arabic language are commonplace. However, the more appropriate view is that when a Surah begins with a la (no) followed by an oath, it was revealed in refutation to a false assumption of the opponents. In other words, Allah is saying, 'No, what you [ the unbelievers ] are saying or thinking is not correct, but the truth is what We are swearing about...'. The word al-balad 'the City' refers to the Holy City of Makkah, as in Surah At-Tin [ 95:3] where Allah swears an oath 'by this peaceful City [ of Makkah ] وھٰذا البَلَدِ الاَمِین . The adjective attached to the 'City' is 'peaceful'. This shows the superiority and honour of Makkah over other cities. Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn ` Adiyy ؓ reports that when the Holy Prophet of Allah ﷺ was migrating from Makkah to Madinah, he addressed the city of Makkah and said: "By Allah, you are dearer to Allah than the entire earth. If I was not forced out of this place, I would never have abandoned you." [ Transmitted by Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah vide Mazhari ].
Page 594
89:24
يَقُولُ يَٰلَيۡتَنِي قَدَّمۡتُ لِحَيَاتِي ٢٤
He will say, "Oh, I wish I had sent ahead [some good] for my life."1
1 translator’s note
- The everlasting life of the Hereafter. ↩
89:25
فَيَوۡمَئِذٖ لَّا يُعَذِّبُ عَذَابَهُۥٓ أَحَدٞ ٢٥
So on that Day, none will punish [as severely] as His punishment,
89:26
وَلَا يُوثِقُ وَثَاقَهُۥٓ أَحَدٞ ٢٦
And none will bind [as severely] as His binding [of the evildoers].
89:27
يَٰٓأَيَّتُهَا ٱلنَّفۡسُ ٱلۡمُطۡمَئِنَّةُ ٢٧
[To the righteous it will be said], "O reassured soul,
89:28
ٱرۡجِعِيٓ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةٗ مَّرۡضِيَّةٗ ٢٨
Return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing [to Him],
89:29
فَٱدۡخُلِي فِي عِبَٰدِي ٢٩
And enter among My [righteous] servants
89:30
وَٱدۡخُلِي جَنَّتِي ٣٠
And enter My Paradise."
سورة البلد
Al-Balad
The City · Meccan · 20 ayahs
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
90:1
لَآ أُقۡسِمُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ ١
I swear by this city [i.e., Makkah] –
90:2
وَأَنتَ حِلُّۢ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ ٢
And you, [O Muḥammad], are free of restriction in this city –
90:3
وَوَالِدٖ وَمَا وَلَدَ ٣
And [by] the father1 and that which was born [of him],
1 translator’s note
- Said to be Adam (upon him be peace) . ↩
90:4
لَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ فِي كَبَدٍ ٤
We have certainly created man into hardship.
90:5
أَيَحۡسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقۡدِرَ عَلَيۡهِ أَحَدٞ ٥
Does he think that never will anyone overcome him?
90:6
يَقُولُ أَهۡلَكۡتُ مَالٗا لُّبَدًا ٦
He says, "I have spent wealth in abundance."
90:7
أَيَحۡسَبُ أَن لَّمۡ يَرَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ ٧
Does he think that no one has seen him?
90:8
أَلَمۡ نَجۡعَل لَّهُۥ عَيۡنَيۡنِ ٨
Have We not made for him two eyes?
90:9
وَلِسَانٗا وَشَفَتَيۡنِ ٩
And a tongue and two lips?
90:10
وَهَدَيۡنَٰهُ ٱلنَّجۡدَيۡنِ ١٠
And have shown him the two ways?1
1 translator’s note
- Of good and evil. ↩
90:11
فَلَا ٱقۡتَحَمَ ٱلۡعَقَبَةَ ١١
But he has not broken through the difficult pass.1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., the steep incline or obstacle. In other words, he has not spent in the cause of Allāh but only boasts of spending in front of others. ↩
90:12
وَمَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلۡعَقَبَةُ ١٢
And what can make you know what is [breaking through] the difficult pass?
90:13
فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ ١٣
It is the freeing of a slave
90:14
أَوۡ إِطۡعَٰمٞ فِي يَوۡمٖ ذِي مَسۡغَبَةٖ ١٤
Or feeding on a day of severe hunger
90:15
يَتِيمٗا ذَا مَقۡرَبَةٍ ١٥
An orphan of near relationship
90:16
أَوۡ مِسۡكِينٗا ذَا مَتۡرَبَةٖ ١٦
Or a needy person in misery
90:17
ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلۡمَرۡحَمَةِ ١٧
And then being among those who believed and advised one another to patience and advised one another to compassion.
90:18
أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡمَيۡمَنَةِ ١٨
Those are the companions of the right.1
1 translator’s note
- Or "the companions of good fortune," i.e., those who receive their records in their right hands and proceed to Paradise. ↩
90:19
وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا هُمۡ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡمَشۡـَٔمَةِ ١٩
But they who disbelieved in Our signs - those are the companions of the left.1
1 translator’s note
- Or "the companions of ill fortune," i.e., those who receive their records in their left hands and proceed to Hell. ↩
90:20
عَلَيۡهِمۡ نَارٞ مُّؤۡصَدَةُۢ ٢٠
Over them will be fire closed in.1
1 translator’s note
- The cover over Hell will be sealed and locked, containing its fire and its inhabitants. ↩