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QUR’AN · SURAH 90

Al-Balad

The City · undefined verses · Meccan

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Translation of meaning: Muhammad Asad. Transliteration is a learning aid; it cannot capture every Arabic sound. Recitation: Mishary Rashid Alafasy via Islamic Network. Recitation is streamed from Islamic Network and requires internet access.
90:1
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ لَآ أُقْسِمُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ

Laaa uqsimu bihaazal balad

NAY! I call to witness this land –

90:2
وَأَنتَ حِلٌّۢ بِهَٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ

Wa anta hillum bihaazal balad

this land in which thou art free to dwell -

90:3
وَوَالِدٍۢ وَمَا وَلَدَ

Wa waalidinw wa maa walad

and [I call to witness] parent and offspring:

90:4
لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ فِى كَبَدٍ

Laqad khalaqnal insaana fee kabad

Verily, We have created man into [a life of] pain, toil and trial.

90:5
أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌۭ

Ayahsabu al-lai yaqdira 'alaihi ahad

Does he, then, think that no one has power over him?

90:6
يَقُولُ أَهْلَكْتُ مَالًۭا لُّبَدًا

Yaqoolu ahlaktu maalal lubadaa

He boasts, "I have spent wealth abundant!"

90:7
أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّمْ يَرَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ

Ayahsabu al lam yarahooo ahad

Does he, then, think that no one sees him?

90:8
أَلَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُۥ عَيْنَيْنِ

Alam naj'al lahoo 'aynayn

Have We not given him two eyes,

90:9
وَلِسَانًۭا وَشَفَتَيْنِ

Wa lisaananw wa shafatayn

and a tongue, and a pair of lips,

90:10
وَهَدَيْنَٰهُ ٱلنَّجْدَيْنِ

Wa hadaynaahun najdayn

and shown him the two highways [of good and evil]?

90:11
فَلَا ٱقْتَحَمَ ٱلْعَقَبَةَ

Falaq tahamal-'aqabah

But he would not try to ascend the steep uphill road...

90:12
وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلْعَقَبَةُ

Wa maaa adraaka mal'aqabah

And what could make thee conceive what it is, that steep uphill road?

90:13
فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ

Fakku raqabah

[It is] the freeing of one's neck [from the burden of sin],

90:14
أَوْ إِطْعَٰمٌۭ فِى يَوْمٍۢ ذِى مَسْغَبَةٍۢ

Aw it'aamun fee yawmin zee masghabah

or the feeding, upon a day of [one's own] hunger,

90:15
يَتِيمًۭا ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍ

Yateeman zaa maqrabah

of an orphan near of kin,

90:16
أَوْ مِسْكِينًۭا ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍۢ

Aw miskeenan zaa matrabah

or of a needy [stranger] lying in the dust –

90:17
ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلْمَرْحَمَةِ

Summa kaana minal lazeena aamanoo wa tawaasaw bissabri wa tawaasaw bilmarhamah

and being, withal, of those who have attained to faith, and who enjoin upon one another patience in adversity, and enjoin upon one another compassion.

90:18
أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْمَيْمَنَةِ

Ulaaa'ika As-haabul maimanah

Such are they that have attained to righteousness;

90:19
وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا هُمْ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْمَشْـَٔمَةِ

Wallazeena kafaroo bi aayaatinaa hum as-haabul Mash'amah

whereas those who are bent on denying the truth of Our messages – they are such as have lost themselves in evil,

90:20
عَلَيْهِمْ نَارٌۭ مُّؤْصَدَةٌۢ

Alaihim naarum mu'sadah

[with] fire closing in upon them.

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English translation of meaning: Muhammad Asad. Use the interactive reader above for transliteration, recitation and verse controls.

Qur’an 90:1

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ لَآ أُقْسِمُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ

NAY! I call to witness this land –

Qur’an 90:2

وَأَنتَ حِلٌّۢ بِهَٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ

this land in which thou art free to dwell -

Qur’an 90:3

وَوَالِدٍۢ وَمَا وَلَدَ

and [I call to witness] parent and offspring:

Qur’an 90:4

لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ فِى كَبَدٍ

Verily, We have created man into [a life of] pain, toil and trial.

Qur’an 90:5

أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌۭ

Does he, then, think that no one has power over him?

Qur’an 90:6

يَقُولُ أَهْلَكْتُ مَالًۭا لُّبَدًا

He boasts, "I have spent wealth abundant!"

Qur’an 90:7

أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّمْ يَرَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ

Does he, then, think that no one sees him?

Qur’an 90:8

أَلَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُۥ عَيْنَيْنِ

Have We not given him two eyes,

Qur’an 90:9

وَلِسَانًۭا وَشَفَتَيْنِ

and a tongue, and a pair of lips,

Qur’an 90:10

وَهَدَيْنَٰهُ ٱلنَّجْدَيْنِ

and shown him the two highways [of good and evil]?

Qur’an 90:11

فَلَا ٱقْتَحَمَ ٱلْعَقَبَةَ

But he would not try to ascend the steep uphill road...

Qur’an 90:12

وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلْعَقَبَةُ

And what could make thee conceive what it is, that steep uphill road?

Qur’an 90:13

فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ

[It is] the freeing of one's neck [from the burden of sin],

Qur’an 90:14

أَوْ إِطْعَٰمٌۭ فِى يَوْمٍۢ ذِى مَسْغَبَةٍۢ

or the feeding, upon a day of [one's own] hunger,

Qur’an 90:15

يَتِيمًۭا ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍ

of an orphan near of kin,

Qur’an 90:16

أَوْ مِسْكِينًۭا ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍۢ

or of a needy [stranger] lying in the dust –

Qur’an 90:17

ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلْمَرْحَمَةِ

and being, withal, of those who have attained to faith, and who enjoin upon one another patience in adversity, and enjoin upon one another compassion.

Qur’an 90:18

أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْمَيْمَنَةِ

Such are they that have attained to righteousness;

Qur’an 90:19

وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا هُمْ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْمَشْـَٔمَةِ

whereas those who are bent on denying the truth of Our messages – they are such as have lost themselves in evil,

Qur’an 90:20

عَلَيْهِمْ نَارٌۭ مُّؤْصَدَةٌۢ

[with] fire closing in upon them.