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Tafsir of Surah Al-Balad (90) — The City · البلد

Meccan surah, 20 ayat. Read the whole surah

Al-Mukhtasar in Interpreting the Noble Quran — Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies. QuranEnc.com (english_mokhtasar), 2026-10-30.

Al-Balad 90:1

لَآ أُقۡسِمُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ

I swear by this city, Makkah

Tafsir 90:1

Allah takes an oath on the sacred city i.e. Makkah Al-Mukarramah

Al-Balad 90:2

وَأَنتَ حِلُّۢ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ

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

Tafsir 90:2

O Messenger! It is permissible for you to do whatever you wish on the Day of the Conquest of Makkah, from capital punishment to those whom are deserving of it, to taking captive whomsoever deserves it.

Al-Balad 90:3

وَوَالِدٖ وَمَا وَلَدَ

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

Tafsir 90:3

And Allah takes an oath on the father of humanity, also taking an oath on the offspring reproduced from him.

Al-Balad 90:4

لَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ فِي كَبَدٍ

We have certainly created man into hardship

Tafsir 90:4

Verily, I have created the human in tiredness and difficulty, because of the severities he experiences in the world.

Al-Balad 90:5

أَيَحۡسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقۡدِرَ عَلَيۡهِ أَحَدٞ

Does he think that never will anyone overcome him

Tafsir 90:5

Does the human think that when he sins, no one is in a position to be able to do anything to him, nor take retribution from him, even if it is his Lord who created him?

Al-Balad 90:6

يَقُولُ أَهۡلَكۡتُ مَالٗا لُّبَدًا

He says, "I have spent wealth in abundance

Tafsir 90:6

He says: “I spent a lot of wealth, heaped up.”

Al-Balad 90:7

أَيَحۡسَبُ أَن لَّمۡ يَرَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ

Does he think that no one has seen him

Tafsir 90:7

Does this person boastful over the wealth he has spent think that Allah does not see him? And that He will not take him to account over his wealth: how he earned it and where he spent it?

Al-Balad 90:8

أَلَمۡ نَجۡعَل لَّهُۥ عَيۡنَيۡنِ

Have We not made for him two eyes

Tafsir 90:8

Did I not create eyes for him with which he can see?

Al-Balad 90:9

وَلِسَانٗا وَشَفَتَيۡنِ

And a tongue and two lips

Tafsir 90:9

And a tongue and lips with which he can speak?

Al-Balad 90:10

وَهَدَيۡنَٰهُ ٱلنَّجۡدَيۡنِ

And have shown him the two ways

Tafsir 90:10

And I made the paths of goodness and evils known to him.

Al-Balad 90:11

فَلَا ٱقۡتَحَمَ ٱلۡعَقَبَةَ

But he has not broken through the difficult pass

Tafsir 90:11

He will be required to cross the valley that separates him from Paradise, which he will cross.

Al-Balad 90:12

وَمَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلۡعَقَبَةُ

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

Tafsir 90:12

O Messenger! Do you know what the valley is that he has to cross, in order to enter Paradise?

Al-Balad 90:13

فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ

It is the freeing of a slave

Tafsir 90:13

It is to free a male or female slave.

Al-Balad 90:14

أَوۡ إِطۡعَٰمٞ فِي يَوۡمٖ ذِي مَسۡغَبَةٖ

Or feeding on a day of severe hunger

Tafsir 90:14

Or to feed on a day of drought, in which food is scarce.

Al-Balad 90:15

يَتِيمٗا ذَا مَقۡرَبَةٍ

An orphan of near relationship

Tafsir 90:15

A child who has lost his father, whom he is related to.

Al-Balad 90:16

أَوۡ مِسۡكِينٗا ذَا مَتۡرَبَةٖ

Or a needy person in misery

Tafsir 90:16

Or a poor person who has no possessions.

Al-Balad 90:17

ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلۡمَرۡحَمَةِ

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

Tafsir 90:17

Then he is required to be from those who have faith in Allah and advise each other to remain steadfast on act of obedience and refraining from sins, and bearing patience over difficulties, together with advising one another to show mercy to the servants of Allah.