Surah 090

Al-Balad

البلد

20 verses · Meccan

Key structural observations

The surah is structured around a reversal of ascent: height that isolates is exposed as failure, while the true climb begins by bending downward toward freeing and feeding.
Its title image, the ʿaqaba, turns moral life into a steep passage through inner and outer barriers, where liberation is achieved not by dominance but by mercy under pressure.
The surah culminates by binding ascent to two ropes — ṣabr and marḥama — showing that the soul rises only when endurance and mutual mercy are woven together.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

لَا أُقْسِمُ بِهَٰذَا الْبَلَدِ

وَأَنْتَ حِلٌّ بِهَٰذَا الْبَلَدِ

وَوَالِدٍ وَمَا وَلَدَ

لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ فِي كَبَدٍ

أَيَحْسَبُ أَنْ لَنْ يَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌ

يَقُولُ أَهْلَكْتُ مَالًا لُبَدًا

أَيَحْسَبُ أَنْ لَمْ يَرَهُ أَحَدٌ

أَلَمْ نَجْعَلْ لَهُ عَيْنَيْنِ

وَلِسَانًا وَشَفَتَيْنِ

وَهَدَيْنَاهُ النَّجْدَيْنِ

فَلَا اقْتَحَمَ الْعَقَبَةَ

وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْعَقَبَةُ

فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ

أَوْ إِطْعَامٌ فِي يَوْمٍ ذِي مَسْغَبَةٍ

يَتِيمًا ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍ

أَوْ مِسْكِينًا ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍ

ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْمَرْحَمَةِ

أُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْمَيْمَنَةِ

وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِآيَاتِنَا هُمْ أَصْحَابُ الْمَشْأَمَةِ

عَلَيْهِمْ نَارٌ مُؤْصَدَةٌ