بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Al-Balad 90:17
The City · Juz 30 · Page 594
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.
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 90:17–20
Obligations of a Believer
ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْمَرْحَمَةِ (then he did not join those who believe and advise each other to be patient and advise each other to be merciful...90:17). The verse points out that the doing only of good actions mentioned in the foregoing verse is not enough for raising the all round stature of the Muslim community. Good ideals and right principles, combined with continuous and sustained adherence to the path of moral rectitude and teaching of virtues to others, are equally essential for the attainment of the high aim. Thus the verse after 'faith' draws the attention of a believer to his socio-moral obligation to the effect that he ought to teach his other Muslim brothers to be patient and to be merciful. The word sabr signifies 'to withhold oneself from evil deeds and to act upon good deeds'. The word marhamah signifies 'to show mercy to one another or to empathise with others and abstain from hurting them.' This embraces almost all the injunctions of the entire religion.
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Surah Al-Balad
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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. ↩