Al-Balad
What Makes One Balk
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
In the name of God, the All-Benevolent, the Benevolent.
No! I swear by this land, and you are a resident in it, and by a father and what he begot! We have certainly created the human being in hardship.
لَآ أُقْسِمُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ وَأَنتَ حِلٌّۢ بِهَٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ وَوَالِدٍۢ وَمَا وَلَدَ لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ فِى كَبَدٍ
Does he think that no one will ever have power over him? He says, "I have annihilated goods in heaps!"
أَيَحۡسِبُ أَن لَّن يَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌۭ يَقُولُ أَهْلَكْتُ مَالًۭا لُّبَدًا
Does he think that no one has seen him?
أَيَحۡسِبُ أَن لَّمْ يَرَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ
Have We not assigned him two eyes, a tongue, and two lips, and guided him along the two paths?
أَلَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُۥ عَيْنَيْنِ وَلِسَانًۭا وَشَفَتَيْنِ وَهَدَيْنَٰهُ ٱلنَّجْدَيْنِ
But he has not plunged past what makes one balk.
فَلَا ٱقْتَحَمَ ٱلْعَقَبَةَ
And what will give you an idea of what makes one balk?
وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلْعَقَبَةُ
It is freeing a person from the burden of a debt, or feeding, on a day of famine, an orphan near of kin, or a destitute person in privation.
فَكَّ رَقَبَةً أَوْ أَطۡعَمَ فِى يَوْمٍۢ ذِى مَسْغَبَةٍۢ يَتِيمًۭا ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍ أَوْ مِسْكِينًۭا ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍۢ
Then, it is being of those who have believed and enjoined one another to patience, and enjoined one another to benevolence.
ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلْمَرْحَمَةِ
Those are the companions of the right side.
أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْمَيْمَنَةِ
But those who disowned Our signs, they are the companions of the left side.
وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا هُمْ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْمَشْـَٔمَةِ
Over them, a fire locked shut.
عَلَيْهِمْ نَارٌۭ مُّوصَدَةُۢ