Surah Al-Balad (90): Arabic, Transliteration and English

Full text of Surah Al-Balad, verse by verse

Every verse is given in Arabic (Uthmani script), in transliteration and in English. To hear it recited, open our Quran audio page and choose this surah; the rules of recitation are explained on our tajweed page.

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

لَآ أُقْسِمُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ ﴿١﴾

Laaa uqsimu bihaazal balad

1 I swear by this city, Makkah -

وَأَنتَ حِلٌّۢ بِهَٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ ﴿٢﴾

Wa anta hillum bihaazal balad

2 And you, [O Muhammad], are free of restriction in this city -

وَوَالِدٍۢ وَمَا وَلَدَ ﴿٣﴾

Wa waalidinw wa maa walad

3 And [by] the father and that which was born [of him],

لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ فِى كَبَدٍ ﴿٤﴾

Laqad khalaqnal insaana fee kabad

4 We have certainly created man into hardship.

أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌۭ ﴿٥﴾

Ayahsabu al-lai yaqdira 'alaihi ahad

5 Does he think that never will anyone overcome him?

يَقُولُ أَهْلَكْتُ مَالًۭا لُّبَدًا ﴿٦﴾

Yaqoolu ahlaktu maalal lubadaa

6 He says, "I have spent wealth in abundance."

أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّمْ يَرَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ ﴿٧﴾

Ayahsabu al lam yarahooo ahad

7 Does he think that no one has seen him?

أَلَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُۥ عَيْنَيْنِ ﴿٨﴾

Alam naj'al lahoo 'aynayn

8 Have We not made for him two eyes?

وَلِسَانًۭا وَشَفَتَيْنِ ﴿٩﴾

Wa lisaananw wa shafatayn

9 And a tongue and two lips?

وَهَدَيْنَٰهُ ٱلنَّجْدَيْنِ ﴿١٠﴾

Wa hadaynaahun najdayn

10 And have shown him the two ways?

فَلَا ٱقْتَحَمَ ٱلْعَقَبَةَ ﴿١١﴾

Falaq tahamal-'aqabah

11 But he has not broken through the difficult pass.

وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلْعَقَبَةُ ﴿١٢﴾

Wa maaa adraaka mal'aqabah

12 And what can make you know what is [breaking through] the difficult pass?

فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ ﴿١٣﴾

Fakku raqabah

13 It is the freeing of a slave

أَوْ إِطْعَٰمٌۭ فِى يَوْمٍۢ ذِى مَسْغَبَةٍۢ ﴿١٤﴾

Aw it'aamun fee yawmin zee masghabah

14 Or feeding on a day of severe hunger

يَتِيمًۭا ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍ ﴿١٥﴾

Yateeman zaa maqrabah

15 An orphan of near relationship

أَوْ مِسْكِينًۭا ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍۢ ﴿١٦﴾

Aw miskeenan zaa matrabah

16 Or a needy person in misery

ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلْمَرْحَمَةِ ﴿١٧﴾

Summa kaana minal lazeena aamanoo wa tawaasaw bissabri wa tawaasaw bilmarhamah

17 And then being among those who believed and advised one another to patience and advised one another to compassion.

أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْمَيْمَنَةِ ﴿١٨﴾

Ulaaa'ika As-haabul maimanah

18 Those are the companions of the right.

وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا هُمْ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْمَشْـَٔمَةِ ﴿١٩﴾

Wallazeena kafaroo bi aayaatinaa hum as-haabul Mash'amah

19 But they who disbelieved in Our signs - those are the companions of the left.

عَلَيْهِمْ نَارٌۭ مُّؤْصَدَةٌۢ ﴿٢٠﴾

Alaihim naarum mu'sadah

20 Over them will be fire closed in.

Sources: Arabic text in Uthmani script (Tanzil edition); English translation: Saheeh International; transliteration in standard Latin letters. Transliteration helps with pronunciation but cannot render every Arabic letter.