Tazkirul Quran · Tafsir · in English
البلد
Al-Balad
The City · Meccan · 20 ayahs
89:28–90:4Page 594
لَآ أُقۡسِمُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ ١
I swear by this city [i.e., Makkah] –
وَأَنتَ حِلُّۢ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ ٢
And you, [O Muḥammad], are free of restriction in this city –
وَوَالِدٖ وَمَا وَلَدَ ٣
And [by] the father1 and that which was born [of him],
لَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ فِي كَبَدٍ ٤
We have certainly created man into hardship.
Man has never been able to free himself from hardship. This shows that he is subordinate to some Superior Power. Similarly, man’s eyes show that there is also a Superior Eye which is watching him. His power of speech indicates that there is One capable of speech over and above him, who has bestowed upon him the power of speech and showed him the right path. If a man realizes himself in the true sense, then he will certainly recognise God.
90:5–10Page 594
أَيَحۡسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقۡدِرَ عَلَيۡهِ أَحَدٞ ٥
Does he think that never will anyone overcome him?
يَقُولُ أَهۡلَكۡتُ مَالٗا لُّبَدًا ٦
He says, "I have spent wealth in abundance."
أَيَحۡسَبُ أَن لَّمۡ يَرَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ ٧
Does he think that no one has seen him?
أَلَمۡ نَجۡعَل لَّهُۥ عَيۡنَيۡنِ ٨
Have We not made for him two eyes?
وَلِسَانٗا وَشَفَتَيۡنِ ٩
And a tongue and two lips?
وَهَدَيۡنَٰهُ ٱلنَّجۡدَيۡنِ ١٠
And have shown him the two ways?1
God has commanded man to scale two heights—one is to treat others with justice, and help them in their hour of need. The other is to have firm faith in God. When such belief enters the inner depths of a human being, it does not remain confined to his own thinking but rather makes him become communicative. He then attempts to lead others along the path of Truth which he himself has adopted.
90:11–20Page 594
فَلَا ٱقۡتَحَمَ ٱلۡعَقَبَةَ ١١
But he has not broken through the difficult pass.1
وَمَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلۡعَقَبَةُ ١٢
And what can make you know what is [breaking through] the difficult pass?
فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ ١٣
It is the freeing of a slave
أَوۡ إِطۡعَٰمٞ فِي يَوۡمٖ ذِي مَسۡغَبَةٖ ١٤
Or feeding on a day of severe hunger
يَتِيمٗا ذَا مَقۡرَبَةٍ ١٥
An orphan of near relationship
أَوۡ مِسۡكِينٗا ذَا مَتۡرَبَةٖ ١٦
Or a needy person in misery
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.
أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡمَيۡمَنَةِ ١٨
Those are the companions of the right.1
وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا هُمۡ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡمَشۡـَٔمَةِ ١٩
But they who disbelieved in Our signs - those are the companions of the left.1
عَلَيۡهِمۡ نَارٞ مُّؤۡصَدَةُۢ ٢٠
Over them will be fire closed in.1
Almighty God has made threefold arrangements for the guidance of man. On the one hand, the universe has been so constructed that it has become the practical manifestation of God’s will. On the other hand, the human psyche has been infused with an intuitive consciousness of good and bad. Thereafter, it was arranged that Truth and falsehood, justice and injustice be revealed clearly through the prophets in a language understandable to the people. Even after this, if people do not adopt the right path, they are undoubtedly transgressors.
Text: through the Quran Foundation. The ayahs: Quran Foundation. Sources and licences