The Town

In the name of GOD, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

bis'mi l-lahi l-raḥmāni l-raḥīm

I solemnly swear by this town.

لَآ أُقْسِمُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ

lā uq'simu bihādhā l-balad

The town where you live.

وَأَنتَ حِلٌّۢ بِهَٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ

wa-anta ḥillun bihādhā l-balad

The begetting and the begotten.

وَوَالِدٍ وَمَا وَلَدَ

wawālidin wamā walad

We created the human being to work hard (to redeem himself).

لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ فِى كَبَدٍ

laqad khalaqnā l-insāna fī kabadi

Does he think that no one will ever call him to account?

أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌ

ayaḥsabu an lan yaqdira ʿalayhi aḥadu

He boasts, "I spent so much money!"

يَقُولُ أَهْلَكْتُ مَالًا لُّبَدًا

yaqūlu ahlaktu mālan lubada

Does he think that no one sees him?

أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّمْ يَرَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ

ayaḥsabu an lam yarahu aḥadu

Did we not give him two eyes?

أَلَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُۥ عَيْنَيْنِ

alam najʿal lahu ʿaynayn

A tongue and two lips?

وَلِسَانًا وَشَفَتَيْنِ

walisānan washafatayn

Did we not show him the two paths?

وَهَدَيْنَٰهُ ٱلنَّجْدَيْنِ

wahadaynāhu l-najdayn

He should choose the difficult path.

فَلَا ٱقْتَحَمَ ٱلْعَقَبَةَ

falā iq'taḥama l-ʿaqabat

Which one is the difficult path?

وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلْعَقَبَةُ

wamā adrāka mā l-ʿaqabat

The freeing of slaves.

فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ

fakku raqabati

Feeding, during the time of hardship.

أَوْ إِطْعَٰمٌ فِى يَوْمٍ ذِى مَسْغَبَةٍ

aw iṭ'ʿāmun fī yawmin dhī masghabati

Orphans who are related.

يَتِيمًا ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍ

yatīman dhā maqrabati

Or the poor who is in need.

أَوْ مِسْكِينًا ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍ

aw mis'kīnan dhā matrabati

And being one of those who believe, and exhorting one another to be steadfast, and exhorting one another to be kind.

ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلْمَرْحَمَةِ

thumma kāna mina alladhīna āmanū watawāṣaw bil-ṣabri watawāṣaw bil-marḥamat

These have deserved happiness.

أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْمَيْمَنَةِ

ulāika aṣḥābu l-maymanat

As for those who disbelieved in our revelations, they have incurred misery.

وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا هُمْ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْمَشْـَٔمَةِ

wa-alladhīna kafarū biāyātinā hum aṣḥābu l-mashamat

They will be confined in the Hellfire.

عَلَيْهِمْ نَارٌ مُّؤْصَدَةٌۢ

ʿalayhim nārun mu'ṣadatu