Note: If you are seeing English words in the Transliteration, please turn off auto translate on your device.
Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem
Verse by Verse
Side by Side View
Stacked View
Print
Make PDF
Email This Surah
Translators: Ahmed Ali ● Amatul Rahman Omar ● Daryabadi ● Faridul Haque ● Hamid S. Aziz ● Maulana Mohammad Ali ● Pickthall ● Sarwar ● Shakir ● Yusuf Ali
Recitation by Mishary Al-Alfasy
The Surah has been so named after the word al balad in the first verse.
Period of Revelation
Its subject matter and style resemble those of the
earliest Surahs revealed at Makkah, but it contains a pointer which indicates
that it was sent down in the period when the disbelievers of Makkah had resolved
to oppose the Holy Prophet (upon whom be Allah's peace), and made it lawful for
themselves to commit tyranny and excess against him.
Theme and Subject Matter
In this Surah a vast subject has been compressed into a few brief sentences,
and it is a miracle of the Quran that a complete ideology of life which could
hardly be explained in a thick volume has been abridged most effectively in
brief sentences of this short Surah. Its theme is to explain the true position
of man in the world and of the world in relation to man and to tell that God has
shown to man both the highways of good and evil, has also provided for him the
means to judge and see and follow them, and now it rests upon mans own effort
and judgment whether he chooses the path of virtue and reaches felicity or
adopts the path of vice and meets with doom.
First, the city of Makkah
and the hardships being faced therein by the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace)
and the state of the children of Adam have been cited as a witness to the truth
that this world is not a place of rest and ease for man, where he might have
been born to enjoy life, but here he has been created into toil and struggle. If
this theme is read with verse 39 of Surah An-Najm (Laisa lil insani illa ma saa:
there is nothing for man but what he has striven for), it becomes plain that in
this world the future of man depends on his toil and struggle, effort and
striving.
After this, man's misunderstanding that he is all in all in
this world and that there is no superior power to watch what he does and to call
him to account, has been refuted.
Then, taking one of the many moral
concepts of ignorance held by man, as an example, it has been pointed out what
wrong criteria of merit and greatness he has proposed for himself in the world.
The person who for ostentation and display squanders heaps of wealth, not only
himself prides upon his extravagances but the people also admire him for it
enthusiastically, whereas the Being Who is watching over his deeds, sees by what
methods he obtained the wealth and in what ways and with what motives and
intention he spent it.
Then Allah says: We have given man the means of
knowledge and the faculties of thinking and understanding and opened up before
him both the highways of virtue and vice: one way leads down to moral depravity,
and it is an easy way pleasing for the self; the other way leads up to moral
heights, which is steep like an uphill road, for scaling which man has to
exercise self- restraint. It is man's weakness that he prefers slipping down
into the abyss to scaling the cliff.
Then, Allah has explained what the
steep road is by following which man can ascend to the heights. It is that he
should give up spending for ostentation, display and pride and should spend his
wealth to help the orphans and the needy, should believe in Allah and His
Religion and joining the company of believers should participate in the
construction of a society which should fulfill the demands of virtue and
righteousness patiently and should be compassionate to the people. The end of
those who follow this way is that they would become worthy of Allah's mercies.
On the contrary, the end of those who follow the wrong way, is the fire of Hell
from which there is no escape.
As we have explained in
E.N.1 of Surah AI-Qiyamah above, to begin a discourse with a "Nay" and resume it
with an oath means that the people were asserting a wrong thing to refute which
it was said: "Nay, the truth is not that which you seem to assert, but I swear
by such and such a thing that the truth is this and this" As for the question
what it was to refute which this discourse was sent down, it is indicated by the
theme that follows. The disbelievers of Makkah said that there was nothing wrong
with the way of life that they were following, as if to say: "Eat, drink and be
merry for tomorrow we die in the natural process of time. Muhammad (upon whom be
Allah's peace), without any reason, is finding fault with this way of life and
warning us that we would at some time in the future be called to account for it
and rewarded and punished accordingly."
2"This City": the city of Makkah.
There was no need here to explain why an oath was being sworn by this City. The
people of Makkah were well aware of the background and importance of their city
and knew how in the midst of desolate mountains, in an un-cultivated, barren
valley, the Prophet Abraham had brought his wife and suckling child and left
them there without any support; how he had built a House there and proclaimed to
the people to visit it as pilgrims when there was no soul for miles around to
hear the proclamation, and then how this city had eventually become the
commercial and religious center of Arabia and was blessed with such sacredness
that there was no other place of security beside it in that lawless land for
centuries.
3Three meanings of the words in the Text have been given by
the commentators:
(1) "That you are a resident of this city and your
residence here has further enhanced the glory of this city";
(2) "that
although this city is a sanctuary; a time will come when for some time it will
become lawful for you to fight and kill the enemies of the true Faith here; and,
(3) "that in this city where even killing of animals and cutting of trees is
forbidden for the people of Arabia, and where everyone is living in perfect
peace, you, O Prophet, have no peace, and persecuting you and devising plans to
kill you has been made lawful."
Although the words are comprehensive
enough to cover all the three meanings, yet when the theme that follows is
considered, one feels that the first two meanings bear no relevance to it, and
only the third meaning seems to be correct.
4As the words "father and
children he begot" have been used indefinitely, and this is followed by the
mention of man, father could only imply Adam (peace be on him) and children the
human beings who existed in the world, exist today and will exist in the future.
5This is that for which the oaths as mentioned above have been sworn. Man's
being created in toil means that man in this world has not been created to enjoy
himself and live a life of ease and comfort, but the world for him is a place of
enduring and undergoing toil, labor and hardship, and no man can be immune from
this. The city of Makkah is a witness that a servant of Allah toiled and
struggled hard, then only did it become a city and the center of Arabia. In this
city of Makkah the condition of Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace) is a
witness that he is enduring every kind of hardship for the sake of a mission; so
much so that there is full peace here for the wild animals but no peace for him.
Then, every man's survival, from the tithe he is conceived in the mother's womb
till the last breath of life, is a witness that he has to pass through trouble,
toil, labor, dangers and hardships at every step. The most fortunate of us is
also exposed to grave dangers of death before birth or of elimination by
abortion while in the mother's womb. At birth he is only a hair-breadth away
from death. After birth he is so helpless that had there not been somebody to
look after him, he would perish uncared for and un-noticed. When he became able
to walk he stumbled at every step. Froth childhood to youth and old age he had
to pass through such physical changes that if any change had taken a wrong turn,
his very life would have been at stake. Even if he is a king or a dictator, he
at no time enjoys internal peace from the tear that a rebellion might arise
against him somewhere. Even if he is a conqueror he is never at peace from the
danger that one of his generals might rise in revolt against him Even if he is a
Korah of his time, he is ever anxious to increase his wealth and to safeguard
it. Thus, there is no one who may he enjoying perfect peace freely and without
hesitation, for man indeed has been created into a life of toil and trouble.
6That is: Is man, who is ever exposed to such hazards, involved in the
delusion that he can do what he likes, and there is no superior power to seize
and suppress him? The fact, however, is that even before the occurrence of the
Hereafter in this world itself, he sees that his destiny every moment is being
ruled by some other Being against Whose decrees all his plans and designs prove
ineffective. A single jolt of the earthquake, a blast of wind, a flood in the
river and a sea-storm are enough to show how weak and feeble man is against the
Divine forces. A sudden accident can reduce a strong and robust person to a
cripple; one turn of the fortune deposes a mighty sovereign froth the position
of authority. When the fortunes of the nations, which have climbed to the very
apex of glory and prosperity, change, they are humiliated and disgraced even in
the world where do one could dare look them in the face. How has then this man
been deluded into thinking that no one else can have power over him ?
7Literally: "I have destroyed heaps of wealth", i.e. squandered and wasted it.
These words show how proud the speaker was of his wealth. The heaps of wealth
that he spent was so insignificant as against his total wealth that he did not
mind squandering it carelessly. And to what purpose did he squander it'? Not for
a genuine, good cause as becomes evident from the following verses, but for
display of his wealth and expression of his pride and glory. Bestowing rich
awards on , poetic admirers, inviting and feeding hundreds of thousands of
people on marriage and death ceremonies, gambling away heaps of wealth,
attending festivals with large entourages, trying to excel others in display of
glory and grandeur, having heaps of food cooked on ceremonial occasions and
throwing invitations to all and sundry to come and eat, or arranging and
supplying running meals at the residence so as to impress the people around with
one's generosity and largeheartedness; such were the expenditures of
ostentation, which in the days of ignorance were regarded as a symbol of man's
munificence and magnanmity, and a sign of his greatness. For these they were
praised and admired; on these their Praises were sung; and on account of these
they prided themselves against the less fortunate.
8That is, "Doesn't
this boaster understand that there is also a God above him, Who sees by what
means he obtained this wealth, in what ways he spent it, and with what
intention, motive, and purpose he did all this ? Does he think that God will put
any value on his extravagance, his fame-mongering and his boasting Does he think
that like the world, God too will be deluded by it?"
9That is, "Have We
not given him the means of obtaining knowledge and wisdom '?" "Two eyes" does
not imply the eyes of the cow and buffalo, but human eyes, which if used
intelligently can help man see all around himself those signs which lead to the
reality and distinguish the right from the wrongs. "The tongue and lips" do not
merely imply the instruments of speech but the rational wind behind these
instruments which performs the functions of thinking and understanding and then
uses them for expressing its ideas, motives and designs.
10That is, "We
have not left him alone after granting him the faculties of thinking and
reasoning so that he may have to search out his own way, but We have also guided
him and opened up before him both the highways of good and evil, virtue and
vice, so that he may consider them seriously and choose and adopt one or the
other way on his own responsibility. This same subject has been expressed in
Surah Ad-Dahr: 2-3, thus: "Indeed We created man from a mixed sperm-drop, to try
him, and so We made him capable of hearing and seeing. We showed him the way,
whether to be grateful or disbelieving. " For explanation, see E.N.'s 3 to S of
Ad-Dahr.
11The words in the original are: fa-lagtaham-al- aqabah.
Iqtiham means to apply oneself to a hard and toilsome task, and 'aqabah is the
steep path that passes through mountains for ascending heights. Thus, the verse
means: "One of the two paths that We have shown him, leads to heights but is
toilsome and steep; man has to tread it against the desires of his self and the
temptations of Satan. The other path is easy which descends into chasms, but
does not require any toil from man; one only needs to give free reins to
oneself, then one automatically goes on rolling down the abyss. Now, the man to
whom We had shown both the paths, adopted the easy down-hill path and abandoned
the toilsome path, which leads to the heights."
12Since in the foregoing
verses the extravagances of man which he indulges in for ostentation and
expression of superiority to others, have been mentioned, now here it is being
stated as to what expenditure of wealth it is which leads man up to moral
heights instead of causing him to sink into moral depravity and perversion. But
in this there is no enjoyment for the self; on the contrary, man has to exercise
self-restraints and make sacrifices. The expenditure is that one should set a
slave free, or should render a slave monetary help so as to enable him to win
his freedom by paying the ransom, or free a debtor from his debt, or secure
release of a helpless person without means from penalties. Likewise, the
expenditure is that one should feed a nearly related orphan (i.e. an orphan who
is either a relative or a neighbor) who is hungry, and a needy, helpless person
who might have been reduced to extreme poverty and might have none to support
and help him. Helping such people does not win a person fame and reputation, nor
feeding them brings him the admiration for being wealthy and generous which one
usually wins by holding banquets to thousands of well-to-do people. But the path
to moral and spiritual heights passes on steep uphill roads only.
Great
merits of the acts of virtue mentioned in these verses have been described by
the Holy Prophet (upon whom be Allah's peace). For instance, about fakku raqabah
(fleeing a neck from bondage) many ahadith have been related in the traditions,
one of which is a tradition from Hadrat Abu Hurairah, to the effect; "The Holy
Prophet said: The person who set a believing slave free, Allah will save from
fire of Hell every limb of his body in lieu of every limb of the slave's body,
the hand in lieu of the hand, the foot in lies of the foot, the private parts in
lieu of the private parts " (Musnad, Ahmad, Bukhari. Muslim, Tirmidhi, Nasa'i).
Hadrat 'Ali bin Husain (lmam Zain al-`Abedin) asked Sa`d bin Marjanah, the
reporter of this Hadith: "Did you hear it yourself from Abu Hurairah?" When 6e
replied in the affirmative, Imam Zain al-`Abedin called out his most valuable
slave and set him free there and then. According to Muslim, he had an offer
often thousand dirhams for the slave. On the basis of this verse, Imam Abu
Hanifah and Imam Sha`bi have ruled: "Setting a slave free is superior to giving
away charity, for Allah has mentioned it before the mention of charity.
The Holy Prophet has mentioned the merits of rendering help to the needy in many
ahadith, one of which is this Hadith from Hadrat Abu Hurairah: "The Holy Prophet
said: The one who strives in the cause of rendering help to the widow and the
needy is like the one who endeavors and strives in the cause of jihad for the
sake of Allah. (And Hadrat Abu Hurairah says :) I think that the Holy Prophet
also said: He is even like him who keeps standing up in the Prayer constantly,
without ever taking rest, and like him who observes the fast continuously
without ever breaking it:" (Bukhari, Muslim).
As for the orphans, there
are numerous sayings reported from the Holy Prophet. Hadrat Sahl bin Sa`d has
reported: "The Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) said: I and the one who
supports a nearly related of un-related orphan, shall stand in Paradise like
this-saying this he raised his index finger and the middle finger, keeping them
a little apart." (Bukhari). Hadrat Abu HIurairah has reported this saying of the
Holy Prophet: "The best among the Muslim homes is the home wherein an orphan is
treated well and the worst the one wherein an orphan is mistreated." (Ibn Majah,
Bukhari in Al-Adab al- Mufrad). Hadrat Abu Umamah says that the Holy Prophet
said: "The one who passed his hand on the head of an orphan, only for the sake
of Allah, will have as many acts of virtue recorded in his favour as the number
of the hair on which his hand passed, and the one who treated an orphan boy or
girl well. will stand in Paradise with me like this...saying this the Holy
Prophet joined his two fingers together." (Musnad Ahmad, Tirmidhi). Ibn 'Abbas
says: The Holy Prophet said: "The one who made an orphan join him in eating and
drinking, Allah will make Paradise obligatory for him unless he commits a sin
which cannot be forgiven." (Sharh as-Sunnah).Hadrat Abu Hurairah says: A man
complained before the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace), saying: "I am
hard-hearted." The Holy Prophet said to him: "Treat the orphan with kindness and
love and feed the needy one." (Musnad Ahmad).
13That is, "In addition to
these qualities it is essential that one should be a believer, for without faith
no act is an act of virtue, nor acceptable in the sight of Allah. At numerous
places in the Qur'an it has been stated that only such an act of virtue is
appreciable and becomes a means of salvation as is accompanied by faith. In
.Surah An-Nisa', for example, it has been said: "The one who does good deeds,
whether man or woman, provided that the one is a believer, will enter Paradise
(v. 1245.)" In Surah An-Nahl: "Whosoever does righteous deeds, whether male or
female, provided that he is a believer, We shall surely grant him to live a pure
life in this world, and We will reward such people (in the Hereafter) according
to their best deeds" (v. 97). In Surah Al-Mu'min: "Whoever does good, whether
man or woman, provided that he is a believer, all such people shall enter
Paradise wherein they shall be provided without measure." (v : 4U). Whoever
studies the Qur'an, will see that in this Book wherever the good reward of a
righteous act has been mentioned, it has always been made conditional upon the
faith, a good act without faith; has nowhere been regarded as acceptable to God,
nor has any hope been given for a reward for it.
Here, the following
important point also should not remain hidden from view: In this verse it has
not been said: "Then he believed", but: "Then he joined those who believed.'
This means that mere believing as an individual and remaining content with it is
not what is desired; what is desired is that every new believer should join
those who have already believed so as to form a party of the believers, to bring
about a believing society, which should work for establishing the virtues and
wiping out the vices as demanded by the faith.
14These are two of the
important characteristics of the believing society, which have been expressed in
two brief sentences. The first characteristic is that its members should exhort
one another to patience, and the second that they should exhort one another to
compassion and mercy.
As for patience, we have explained at many places
that in view of the extensive meaning in which the Qur'an has used this word,
the entire life of a believer is a life of patience. As soon as a man stops on
to the path of the faith, test of his patience starts. Patience is required to
be exercised in performing the acts of worship enjoined by Allah patience is
needed in carrying out the commands of Allah; abstention from the things
forbidden by Allah is not possible without patience; patience is needed in
abandoning the moral evils and in adopting the pure morals; temptations to sin
faced at every step can be resisted only by recourse to patience. On countless
occasions in life obedience to God's law entails losses, troubles, hardships and
deprivations, and disobedience to the law seems to bring benefits and pleasures.
Without patience no believer can fare well on such occasions. Then, as soon as a
believer has adopted the way of the faith, he has to meet with resistance not
only from his own self and personal desires but also from his children, family,
society, country and nation and from the base-hearted among men and jinn of the
entire world; so much so that he is even required to abandon his country and
undertake Jihad in the cause of God. Under all these conditions only the quality
of patience can cause a man to remain steadfast to principles. Now, obviously,
if every believer individually was put to such a hard test, he would be faced
with the danger of defeat at every step and world hardly be able to pass through
the test successfully. On the contrary, if there existed a believing society
every member of which was not only himself possessed of patience but all its
members also were .supporting one another mutually in the test of patience,
successes would fall to its lot, a tremendous power would be generated to face
the evil, a mighty force of good individuals would be ready to help bring the
entire society on to the path of virtue and righteousness.
As for mercy
and compassion, it is the distinctive feature of the society of believers that
they are not a hard-hearted, merciless and unjust people but a society whose
members are merciful and compassionate. to humanity at large and sympathetic and
friendly among themselves. A believer as an individual is an embodiment of
Allah's quality of mercy and the group of the believers as a party also is a
representative of Allah's Messenger, who has been described thus: "O Muhammad,
We have sent you to be a real blessing for the people of the world." (AI-Anbiya':
107). The highest moral quality which the Holy Messenger (upon whom be Allah's
peace) tried his utmost to inculcate among his followers was this very quality
of mercy. Consider - the following of his sayings, which show what importance he
attached to it. Hadrat Jarir bin `Abdullah says that the Holy Messenger (upon
whom be peace) said: "Allah does not show mercy to him who does not show mercy
to others." (Bukhari, Muslim).
Hadrat `Abdullah bin `Amr bin al-`As says
that the holy Prophet said: "The Rahman (Merciful) shows mercy to those who show
mercy (to others). Show mercy to those who live in the earth, the One who is in
heaven will show mercy to you." (Abu Da'ud, Tirmidhi).
Hadrat Abu Sa`id
Khudri has reported that the Holy Prophet said: "The one who does not show
mercy, is not shown mercy. " (Bukhari in Al-Adab al-Mufrad). Ibn `Abbas says
that the Holy Prophet said: "The one who does not treat our young ones
mercifully and does not treat our elderly ones respectfully, dces not belong to
us. " (TirmidhI).
Abu Da'ud has related this same saying of the Holy
Prophet on the authority of Hadrat `Abdullah bin `Amr, thus: "The one who did
not feel pity on our young and did not respect our elderly does not belong to
us."
Hadrat Abu Hurairah says: "I have heard Abul-Qasim, the Truthful
(upon whom be peace), say: "The heart of the wretched one is deprived of the
quality of mercy altogether' . " (Musnad Ahmad, Tirmidhi).
Hadrat `Iyad
bin Humad relates that the Holy Prophet said: "Three kinds of men belong to
Paradise, one of whom is the person who is kindly and compassionate to every
relative and every Muslim." (Muslim).
Hadrat Nu`man bin Bashir has
reported that the Holy Prophet said: "You will find the believers like a body in
the matter of mutual kindness, love and sympathy, so that if one part of the
body suffers the whole body suffers and becomes restless because of it." (Bukhari,
Muslim).
Hadrat Abu Musa Al-ash`ari says that the Holy Prophet said: "The
believer is for the other believer like a wall each part of which supports and
strengthens the other part." (Bukhari, Muslim).
Hadrat `Abdullah bin
'Umar has reported that the Holy Prophet said: "A Muslim is a brother of the
other Muslim: neither treats him unjustly, nor withholds his help from him. The
person who works to fulfill a need of his brother, Allah will seek to fulfill
his need; and the one who rescues a Muslim from an affliction, Allah will rescue
him from an affliction of the afflictions of the Resurrection Day; and the one
who conceals the fault of a Muslim, Allah will conceal his fault on the
Resurrection Day. " (Bukhari, Muslim).
These traditions indicate what
kind of a society is envisaged by the Qur'anic instruction given in this verse,
which exhorts the righteous people to join the group of the believers after they
have affirmed the faith.
15For an explanation of "the people of the
right hand and of the left hand", see E.N.'s 5, 6 of Surah Al-Waqi'ah.
16That is, fire will be so covering them from every side that they will find no
way of escape from it.