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Surah Al-Balad البلد

The City · 20 verses · Meccan

How many verses does Surah Al-Balad have?

Surah Al-Balad is surah 90 of 114 in the Quran and has 20 verses. It is classified as Meccan. Its name means “The City”.

Surah number
90 / 114
Verses
20
Classification
Meccan

Updated 29 October 2026. Tanzil Project (tanzil.net), quran-json.

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بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

لَآ أُقْسِمُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ ١

(1) I swear by this city [i.e., Makkah] –

وَأَنتَ حِلٌّۢ بِهَٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ ٢

(2) And you, [O Muḥammad], are free of restriction in this city –

وَوَالِدٍ وَمَا وَلَدَ ٣

(3) And [by] the father[1924] and that which was born [of him],

Notes

[1924]- Said to be Adam (upon him be peace) .

لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ فِى كَبَدٍ ٤

(4) We have certainly created man into hardship.

أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌ ٥

(5) Does he think that never will anyone overcome him?

يَقُولُ أَهْلَكْتُ مَالًا لُّبَدًا ٦

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

أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّمْ يَرَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ ٧

(7) Does he think that no one has seen him?

أَلَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُۥ عَيْنَيْنِ ٨

(8) Have We not made for him two eyes?

وَلِسَانًا وَشَفَتَيْنِ ٩

(9) And a tongue and two lips?

وَهَدَيْنَٰهُ ٱلنَّجْدَيْنِ ١٠

(10) And have shown him the two ways?[1925]

Notes

[1925]- Of good and evil.

فَلَا ٱقْتَحَمَ ٱلْعَقَبَةَ ١١

(11) But he has not broken through the difficult pass.[1926]

Notes

[1926]- 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.

وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلْعَقَبَةُ ١٢

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

فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ ١٣

(13) It is the freeing of a slave

أَوْ إِطْعَٰمٌ فِى يَوْمٍ ذِى مَسْغَبَةٍ ١٤

(14) Or feeding on a day of severe hunger

يَتِيمًا ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍ ١٥

(15) An orphan of near relationship

أَوْ مِسْكِينًا ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍ ١٦

(16) Or a needy person in misery

ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلْمَرْحَمَةِ ١٧

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

أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْمَيْمَنَةِ ١٨

(18) Those are the companions of the right.[1927]

Notes

[1927]- Or "the companions of good fortune," i.e., those who receive their records in their right hands and proceed to Paradise.

وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا هُمْ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْمَشْـَٔمَةِ ١٩

(19) But they who disbelieved in Our signs - those are the companions of the left.[1928]

Notes

[1928]- Or "the companions of ill fortune," i.e., those who receive their records in their left hands and proceed to Hell.

عَلَيْهِمْ نَارٌ مُّؤْصَدَةٌۢ ٢٠

(20) Over them will be fire closed in.[1929]

Notes

[1929]- The cover over Hell will be sealed and locked, containing its fire and its inhabitants.

Questions about reading the Quran online

Is Surah Al-Balad Meccan or Medinan?

Surah Al-Balad is classified as Meccan in the data this reader uses (Tanzil).

Which surahs come before and after Surah Al-Balad?

It comes after Al-Fajr and before Ash-Shams.

Can I read Surah Al-Balad in my own language?

Yes. Choose any of 130 translations in 81 languages above the text, or read the Arabic only.

Can I listen to Surah Al-Balad?

Yes. Press Play surah to hear it verse by verse, or the play button beside any verse. Choose one of 50 reciters; recordings stream from EveryAyah.com only when you press play.

Arabic text: Tanzil Project (tanzil.net), used verbatim. Translation: Noor International Center (QuranEnc.com, version 1.1.2), unaltered. Data: quran-json (CC BY-SA 4.0). Recitations: EveryAyah.com (streamed only when you press play). Sources and licences