90. Surah Al-Balad (The City)

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

1

YUSUFALI : I do call to witness this City;-

PICKTHAL : Nay, I swear by this city -

SHAKIR : Nay! I swear by this city.

M& HILALI : I swear by this city (Makkah);

2

YUSUFALI : And thou art a freeman of this City;-

PICKTHAL : And thou art an indweller of this city -

SHAKIR : And you shall be made free from obligation in this city--

M& HILALI : And you are free (from sin, to punish the enemies of Islam on the Day of the conquest) in this city (Makkah),

3

YUSUFALI : And (the mystic ties of) parent and child;-

PICKTHAL : And the begetter and that which he begat,

SHAKIR : And the begetter and whom he begot.

M& HILALI : And by the begetter (i.e. Adam) and that which he begot (i.e. his progeny);

4

YUSUFALI : Verily We have created man into toil and struggle.

PICKTHAL : We verily have created man in an atmosphere:

SHAKIR : Certainly We have created man to be in distress.

M& HILALI : Verily, We have created man in toil.

5

YUSUFALI : Thinketh he, that none hath power over him?

PICKTHAL : Thinketh he that none hath power over him?

SHAKIR : Does he think that no one has power over him?

M& HILALI : Thinks he that none can overcome him?

6

YUSUFALI : He may say (boastfully); Wealth have I squandered in abundance!

PICKTHAL : And he saith: I have destroyed vast wealth:

SHAKIR : He shall say: I have wasted much wealth.

M& HILALI : He says (boastfully): "I have wasted wealth in abundance!"

7

YUSUFALI : Thinketh he that none beholdeth him?

PICKTHAL : Thinketh he that none beholdeth him?

SHAKIR : Does he think that no one sees him?

M& HILALI : Thinks he that none sees him?

8

YUSUFALI : Have We not made for him a pair of eyes?-

PICKTHAL : Did We not assign unto him two eyes

SHAKIR : Have We not given him two eyes,

M& HILALI : Have We not made for him a pair of eyes?

9

YUSUFALI : And a tongue, and a pair of lips?-

PICKTHAL : And a tongue and two lips,

SHAKIR : And a tongue and two lips,

M& HILALI : And a tongue and a pair of lips?

10

YUSUFALI : And shown him the two highways?

PICKTHAL : And guide him to the parting of the mountain ways?

SHAKIR : And pointed out to him the two conspicuous ways?

M& HILALI : And shown him the two ways (good and evil)?

11

YUSUFALI : But he hath made no haste on the path that is steep.

PICKTHAL : But he hath not attempted the Ascent -

SHAKIR : But he would not attempt the uphill road,

M& HILALI : But he has made no effort to pass on the path that is steep.

12

YUSUFALI : And what will explain to thee the path that is steep?-

PICKTHAL : Ah, what will convey unto thee what the Ascent is! -

SHAKIR : And what will make you comprehend what the uphill road is?

M& HILALI : And what will make you know the path that is steep?

13

YUSUFALI : (It is:) freeing the bondman;

PICKTHAL : (It is) to free a slave,

SHAKIR : (It is) the setting free of a slave,

M& HILALI : (It is) Freeing a neck (slave, etc.)

14

YUSUFALI : Or the giving of food in a day of privation

PICKTHAL : And to feed in the day of hunger.

SHAKIR : Or the giving of food in a day of hunger

M& HILALI : Or giving food in a day of hunger (famine),

15

YUSUFALI : To the orphan with claims of relationship,

PICKTHAL : An orphan near of kin,

SHAKIR : To an orphan, having relationship,

M& HILALI : To an orphan near of kin.

16

YUSUFALI : Or to the indigent (down) in the dust.

PICKTHAL : Or some poor wretch in misery,

SHAKIR : Or to the poor man lying in the dust.

M& HILALI : Or to a Miskin (poor) afflicted with misery.

17

YUSUFALI : Then will he be of those who believe, and enjoin patience, (constancy, and self-restraint), and enjoin deeds of kindness and compassion.

PICKTHAL : And to be of those who believe and exhort one another to perseverance and exhort one another to pity.

SHAKIR : Then he is of those who believe and charge one another to show patience, and charge one another to show compassion.

M& HILALI : Then he became one of those who believed, and recommended one another to perseverance and patience, and (also) recommended one another to pity and compassion.

18

YUSUFALI : Such are the Companions of the Right Hand.

PICKTHAL : Their place will be on the right hand.

SHAKIR : These are the people of the right hand.

M& HILALI : They are those on the Right Hand (the dwellers of Paradise),

19

YUSUFALI : But those who reject Our Signs, they are the (unhappy) Companions of the Left Hand.

PICKTHAL : But those who disbelieve Our revelations, their place will be on the left hand.

SHAKIR : And (as for) those who disbelieve in our communications, they are the people of the left hand.

M& HILALI : But those who disbelieved in Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.), they are those on the Left Hand (the dwellers of Hell).

20

YUSUFALI : On them will be Fire vaulted over (all round).

PICKTHAL : Fire will be an awning over them.

SHAKIR : On them is fire closed over.

M& HILALI : The Fire will be shut over them (i.e. they will be enveloped by the Fire without any opening or window or outlet.