Surah Al-Balad: word by word, transliteration and English translation

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Transliteration bis'mi l-lahi l-raḥmāni l-raḥīmi

English In the name of Allāh, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

1. بِسْمِbis'miIn (the) name
2. ٱللَّهِl-lahi(of) Allah
3. ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِl-raḥmānithe Most Gracious
4. ٱلرَّحِيمِl-raḥīmithe Most Merciful

لَآ أُقْسِمُ بِهَـٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ

Transliteration lā uq'simu bihādhā l-baladi

English I swear by this city [i.e., Makkah]

1. لَآlāNay
2. أُقْسِمُuq'simuI swear
3. بِهَـٰذَاbihādhāby this
4. ٱلْبَلَدِl-baladicity

وَأَنتَ حِلٌّۢ بِهَـٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ

Transliteration wa-anta ḥillun bihādhā l-baladi

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

1. وَأَنتَwa-antaAnd you
2. حِلٌّۢḥillun(are) free (to dwell)
3. بِهَـٰذَاbihādhāin this
4. ٱلْبَلَدِl-baladicity

وَوَالِدٍ وَمَا وَلَدَ

Transliteration wawālidin wamā walada

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

1. وَوَالِدٍۢwawālidinAnd the begetter
2. وَمَاwamāand what
3. وَلَدَwaladahe begot

لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ فِى كَبَدٍ

Transliteration laqad khalaqnā l-insāna fī kabadin

English We have certainly created man into hardship.

1. لَقَدْlaqadCertainly
2. خَلَقْنَاkhalaqnāWe have created
3. ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَl-insānaman
4. فِىfī(to be) in
5. كَبَدٍkabadinhardship

أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌ

Transliteration ayaḥsabu an lan yaqdira ʿalayhi aḥadun

English Does he think that never will anyone overcome him?

1. أَيَحْسَبُayaḥsabuDoes he think
2. أَنanthat
3. لَّنlannot
4. يَقْدِرَyaqdirahas power
5. عَلَيْهِʿalayhiover him
6. أَحَدٌۭaḥadunanyone

يَقُولُ أَهْلَكْتُ مَالًا لُّبَدًا

Transliteration yaqūlu ahlaktu mālan lubadan

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

1. يَقُولُyaqūluHe will say
2. أَهْلَكْتُahlaktuI have squandered
3. مَالًۭاmālanwealth
4. لُّبَدًاlubadanabundant

أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّمْ يَرَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ

Transliteration ayaḥsabu an lam yarahu aḥadun

English Does he think that no one has seen him?

1. أَيَحْسَبُayaḥsabuDoes he think
2. أَنanthat
3. لَّمْlamnot
4. يَرَهُۥٓyarahusees him
5. أَحَدٌaḥadunanyone

أَلَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُۥ عَيْنَيْنِ

Transliteration alam najʿal lahu ʿaynayni

English Have We not made for him two eyes?

1. أَلَمْalamHave not
2. نَجْعَلnajʿalWe made
3. لَّهُۥlahufor him
4. عَيْنَيْنِʿaynaynitwo eyes

وَلِسَانًا وَشَفَتَيْنِ

Transliteration walisānan washafatayni

English And a tongue and two lips?

1. وَلِسَانًۭاwalisānanAnd a tongue
2. وَشَفَتَيْنِwashafatayniand two lips

وَهَدَيْنَـٰهُ ٱلنَّجْدَيْنِ

Transliteration wahadaynāhu l-najdayni

English And have shown him the two ways?

1. وَهَدَيْنَـٰهُwahadaynāhuAnd shown him
2. ٱلنَّجْدَيْنِl-najdaynithe two ways

فَلَا ٱقْتَحَمَ ٱلْعَقَبَةَ

Transliteration falā iq'taḥama l-ʿaqabata

English But he has not broken through the difficult pass.

1. فَلَاfalāBut not
2. ٱقْتَحَمَiq'taḥamahe has attempted
3. ٱلْعَقَبَةَl-ʿaqabatathe steep path

وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلْعَقَبَةُ

Transliteration wamā adrāka mā l-ʿaqabatu

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

1. وَمَآwamāAnd what
2. أَدْرَىٰكَadrākacan make you know
3. مَاmāwhat
4. ٱلْعَقَبَةُl-ʿaqabatuthe steep path (is)

فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ

Transliteration fakku raqabatin

English It is the freeing of a slave

1. فَكُّfakku(It is) freeing
2. رَقَبَةٍraqabatina neck

أَوْ إِطْعَـٰمٌ فِى يَوْمٍ ذِى مَسْغَبَةٍ

Transliteration aw iṭ'ʿāmun fī yawmin dhī masghabatin

English Or feeding on a day of severe hunger

1. أَوْawOr
2. إِطْعَـٰمٌۭiṭ'ʿāmunfeeding
3. فِىfīin
4. يَوْمٍۢyawmina day
5. ذِىdhīof
6. مَسْغَبَةٍۢmasghabatinsevere hunger

يَتِيمًا ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍ

Transliteration yatīman dhā maqrabatin

English An orphan of near relationship

1. يَتِيمًۭاyatīmanAn orphan
2. ذَاdhāof
3. مَقْرَبَةٍmaqrabatinnear relationship

أَوْ مِسْكِينًا ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍ

Transliteration aw mis'kīnan dhā matrabatin

English Or a needy person in misery

1. أَوْawOr
2. مِسْكِينًۭاmis'kīnana needy person
3. ذَاdhāin
4. مَتْرَبَةٍۢmatrabatinmisery

ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلْمَرْحَمَةِ

Transliteration thumma kāna mina alladhīna āmanū watawāṣaw bil-ṣabri watawāṣaw bil-marḥamati

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

1. ثُمَّthummaThen
2. كَانَkānahe is
3. مِنَminaof
4. ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnathose who
5. ءَامَنُوا۟āmanūbelieve
6. وَتَوَاصَوْا۟watawāṣawand enjoin (each other)
7. بِٱلصَّبْرِbil-ṣabrito patience
8. وَتَوَاصَوْا۟watawāṣawand enjoin (each other)
9. بِٱلْمَرْحَمَةِbil-marḥamatito compassion

أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْمَيْمَنَةِ

Transliteration ulāika aṣḥābu l-maymanati

English Those are the companions of the right.

1. أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَulāikaThose
2. أَصْحَـٰبُaṣḥābu(are the) companions
3. ٱلْمَيْمَنَةِl-maymanati(of) the right (hand)

وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا هُمْ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْمَشْـَٔمَةِ

Transliteration wa-alladhīna kafarū biāyātinā hum aṣḥābu l-mashamati

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

1. وَٱلَّذِينَwa-alladhīnaBut those who
2. كَفَرُوا۟kafarūdisbelieve
3. بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَاbiāyātināin Our Verses
4. هُمْhumthey
5. أَصْحَـٰبُaṣḥābu(are the) companions
6. ٱلْمَشْـَٔمَةِl-mashamati(of) the left (hand)

عَلَيْهِمْ نَارٌ مُّؤْصَدَةٌۢ

Transliteration ʿalayhim nārun mu'ṣadatun

English Over them will be fire closed in.

1. عَلَيْهِمْʿalayhimOver them
2. نَارٌۭnārun(will be the) Fire
3. مُّؤْصَدَةٌۢmu'ṣadatunclosed in