Surah 90. Al-Balad

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Verses [Section]: 1-20[1]

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Quran Text of Verse 1-2090. Al-Baladبِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِلَاۤNay!اُقْسِمُI swearبِهٰذَاby thisالْبَلَدِۙcity وَ اَنْتَAnd youحِلٌّۢ(are) free (to dwell)بِهٰذَاin thisالْبَلَدِۙcity وَ وَالِدٍAnd the begetterوَّ مَاand whatوَلَدَۙhe begot لَقَدْCertainlyخَلَقْنَاWe have createdالْاِنْسَانَmanفِیْ(to be) inكَبَدٍؕhardship اَیَحْسَبُDoes he thinkاَنْthatلَّنْnotیَّقْدِرَhas powerعَلَیْهِover himاَحَدٌۘanyone یَقُوْلُHe will sayاَهْلَكْتُI have squanderedمَالًاwealthلُّبَدًاؕabundant اَیَحْسَبُDoes he thinkاَنْthatلَّمْnotیَرَهٗۤsees himاَحَدٌؕanyone اَلَمْHave notنَجْعَلْWe madeلَّهٗfor himعَیْنَیْنِۙtwo eyes وَ لِسَانًاAnd a tongueوَّ شَفَتَیْنِۙand two lips وَ هَدَیْنٰهُAnd shown himالنَّجْدَیْنِۚthe two ways فَلَاBut notاقْتَحَمَhe has attemptedالْعَقَبَةَؗۖthe steep path وَ مَاۤAnd whatاَدْرٰىكَcan make you knowمَاwhatالْعَقَبَةُؕthe steep path is فَكُّ(It is) freeingرَقَبَةٍۙa neck اَوْOrاِطْعٰمٌfeedingفِیْinیَوْمٍa dayذِیْofمَسْغَبَةٍۙsevere hunger یَّتِیْمًاAn orphanذَاofمَقْرَبَةٍۙnear relationship اَوْOrمِسْكِیْنًاa needy personذَاinمَتْرَبَةٍؕmisery ثُمَّThenكَانَhe isمِنَofالَّذِیْنَthose whoاٰمَنُوْاbelieveوَ تَوَاصَوْاand enjoin each otherبِالصَّبْرِto patienceوَ تَوَاصَوْاand enjoin each otherبِالْمَرْحَمَةِؕto compassion اُولٰٓىِٕكَThoseاَصْحٰبُ(are the) companionsالْمَیْمَنَةِؕ(of) the right hand وَ الَّذِیْنَBut those whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelieveبِاٰیٰتِنَاin Our Versesهُمْtheyاَصْحٰبُ(are the) companionsالْمَشْـَٔمَةِؕ(of) the left hand عَلَیْهِمْOver themنَارٌ(will be the) Fireمُّؤْصَدَةٌ۠closed in

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Translation of Verse 1-20In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

(90:1) Nay!¹ I swear by this city²

(90:2) – this city wherein you have been rendered violable–³

(90:3) and I swear by the parent and his offspring:⁴

(90:4) Verily We have created man into toil and hardship.⁵

(90:5) Does he think that no one can overpower him?⁶

(90:6) He says: “I have squandered enormous wealth.”⁷

(90:7) Does he believe that none has seen him?⁸

(90:8) Did We not grant him two eyes,

(90:9) and a tongue and two lips?⁹

(90:10) And did We not show him the two highroads (of good and evil)?¹⁰

(90:11) But he did not venture to scale the difficult steep.¹¹

(90:12) And what do you know what that difficult steep is?

(90:13) It is freeing someone's neck from slavery;

(90:14) or giving food on a day of hunger

(90:15) to an orphan near of kin;

(90:16) or to a destitute lying in dust;¹²

(90:17) and, then besides this, he be one of those who believed,¹³ and enjoined upon one another steadfastness and enjoined upon one another compassion.¹⁴

(90:18) These are the People of the Right Hand.

(90:19) As for those who rejected Our Signs, they are the People of the Left Hand.¹⁵

(90:20) Upon them shall be a Fire that will hem them in.¹⁶

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Commentary

1. As already explained in note 1 to Surah al-Qiyamah, the word “nay” at the beginning of a statement, and followed by an oath, ‘stresses that the unbelievers’ ideas were altogether devoid of reality.

As to what is refuted here, this becomes clear in the light of the verse that follows. The Makkan unbelievers refused to accept any flaw in their way of life. They believed that the life of this world is only for enjoyment. One should eat, drink, enjoy life and then die. They thought that the Prophet's criticism of their way of life was wrong. They also denied the concepts of Life-after-Death and divine reckoning.

2. In other words, Makkah. There was no need to explain why the oath was taken in the name of Makkah. For the Makkans fully recognized its circumstantial background - how the Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) had left his wife and infant son in _ this arid, desolate valley and how he had built there the House of God. He invited people to visit Makkah for pilgrimage, though there was no one to listen to his call. Eventually, this town grew _ into the religious and commercial center of the whole of Arabia. For centuries, it served as the only sanctuary in the lawless environs of Arabia.

3. The wording of the verse, “this city wherein you have been rendered violable” have elicited the following three interpretations from Quranic scholars: (i) The Prophet’s stay in Makkah has enhanced the glory of Makkah. (ii) Although it is a sacred city, it will be permissible, in time, for him to engage in fighting and killing Islam’s enemies. (iii) The irony was that in Makkah even animals, let alone human beings, were inviolable and enjoyed security. Astonishingly, in that very city, every kind of wrong and injustice was perpetrated against the Prophet (peace be upon him) as though it was lawful to do so only in his particular case. All three meanings are, thus, equally tenable. However, as one studies the whole Sarah, it appears that the last meaning is more plausible.

4. Since the parent and the offspring are mentioned in the generic sense, the obvious reference is to the progenitor of mankind, the Prophet Adam (peace be upon him) and to the whole of mankind as his progeny, flourishing from the beginning until the end of time.

5. The oaths reinforce this truth. That is, this world is essentially not a place of fun and frolic; instead, here, one has to pass through the rigors of toil and hardship, something which no human being can escape. The history of Makkah illustrates that a noble soul had strived hard, as a result of which this town eventually turned into the pride of Arabia. The Prophet's life testifies to his bearing with hardships for a noble cause. Even animals are inviolable in Makkah whereas his life is constantly under threat. Man’s life, since his conception until his last breath, is marked by toil and hardship, threats, risks and suffering. Even an enviable person presently enjoying life was quite vulnerable while he was within his mother’s womb. He could have a still birth. At the time of delivery his life was at a great risk. As an infant, he could die helplessly, if there was no one to look after him. Even as a toddler he could not fend for himself. Throughout his life, man is susceptible to numerous risks. A king or ruler is constantly under the threat of dethronement. A military general fears dissidence in his own ranks. Even the richest person is not content with his wealth and constantly strives to increase and protect it. As man has been created in toil and hardship, he cannot have a peaceful, totally comfortable life.

6. Does man, notwithstanding his constant vulnerability, think that he is free to do what pleases him? Does he not fear a superior power that may subdue him? In this world itself, even before the Hereafter, he observes that his fate is determined by someone; and all his efforts are to no avail. Earthquakes, storms and floods remind man of his utter helplessness before the forces of nature unleashed by Allah. Recall too that one can be reduced to a living "corpse in a single road accident. A change of fortune turns a tycoon into a pauper. Not only individuals, whole communities often undergo downfall and disgrace, though they once enjoyed might and glory. Man should not, therefore entertain the delusion that he is not accountable.

7. The speaker here boastfully | talks about his having “squandered enormous wealth” (Verse 6), and not his spending money on needs. It appears from his remark that he has no regret over such squandering or that he had too much wealth. Worse, it was spent only for showing off, not for any good cause. For example, it was wasted on rewarding sycophant courtiers, on marriage and funeral rituals, on throwing lavish feats, on gambling, on shopping in fairs, on competing with other wealthy people, on feeding people on an unlimited scale, again for earning fame as someone who is generous. In the period of Jahiliyah such spending was a matter of great pride and glory. Those squandering wealth thus were applauded; eulogies were composed, celebrating their generosity, and the wealthy took great pride in making such a show.

8. These boastful people are asked: Do they not realize that their misdeeds are being watched by Allah? He notes how they amassed riches, how they wasted it and for what motives they spent it. Do they think that Allah will appreciate their squandering, their lust for name and fame and their show of pride? Can they really go scot-free in the Hereafter?

9. Allah has favored man with knowledge and reason. The two eyes here signify the faculty of discernment. On drawing upon his rational power man could easily perceive the divine signs scattered around him. Likewise, the tongue and the lips do not stand for only the faculty of speech; instead, these signify his ability to observe and articulate the truth.

10. Allah has not left man on his own, after having invested him with the mental faculties. Instead, He has imparted him guidance, showing him the two highroads of good and evil. It is up to man to make a careful choice as to which way he goes. The same observation features thus elsewhere in the Qur’an: “Verily We created: man out of a drop of intermingled sperm so that We might try him, and We therefore endowed him with hearing and sight. Surely We showed him the right path, regardless of whether he chooses to be thankful or unthankful to his Lord,” (al-Dahr 76: 2-3).

11. The verse makes a pointed reference to “the difficult steep”. Of the two highroads shown to man by Allah, one takes him to great heights. However, it is a hard task. On crossing this difficult steep man has to restrain his base desires and dismiss Satan’s promptings. The other path is, no doubt, easy. For one only has to descend. On this way, he faces no hardship. He is carried along by his base desires. It is a pity that man opts for the path of evil while disregarding the other path, which could exalt him much.

12. Verse 6 describes man’s squandering of wealth for pride and vanity. Now man is instructed on how to spend. This mode of spending elevates him to great heights. However, the base self does not enjoy pursuing this path, as man has to display self-restraint and sacrifice. The recommended heads of spending are: (i) freeing a slave or giving him money, which may help him secure his freedom. (ii) Helping one in debt so that he may be relieved of his burden. (iii) Giving food to an orphan or a poor person, who has no means of supporting himself. Such help may not bring instant fame and one may not get applause for being generous. However, it will certainly help one scale the difficult steep and attain moral excellence.

The charitable acts mentioned in these verses were amplified by the Prophet (peace be upon him), highlighting their excellence. For example, several Ahadith are on record that extol the act of freeing a slave. For example, Abu Hurayrah relates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “One who frees a believing slave will be rewarded by Allah by way of getting protection from the Hellfire. Each of his body parts will gain this protection as a reward for the corresponding body parts of the slave freed by him, i.e. hands for hands, feet for feet and private parts for private parts.” (Ahmad, Bukhari, Kitab al-‘Itq, No. 2517, Muslim, Tirmidhi and Nasa’) ‘Alt ibn Husain asked the narrator of the above report, Sa‘d ibn Marjanah, whether he had heard this directly from Abu Hurayrah, to which he replied in the affirmative. Upon hearing this, he called for his most expensive slave and freed him then and there. According to Muslim, he had even been offered ten thousand dirhams for the same slave. In the light of these verses, Imam Abu Hanifah and Imam Sha’bi prefer the freeing of slaves to giving charity money; this because the verse gives precedence to it.

Many Ahadith speak highly of helping the poor. For example, Abu Hurayrah reports that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “One striving for rendering help to the widow and the poor is akin to an activist in jihad in the cause of Allah.” He adds that perhaps the Prophet (peace be upon him) had also said the following: “Such a person is like the one engaged constantly in Prayer, or fasting consecutively, never-abandoning fasting,” (Bukhari Kitab al-Nafagat, and Muslim).

There are numerous sayings of the Prophet (peace be upon him) urging good treatment of orphans. Sahl ibn Sa‘d relates: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: ‘One who sponsors an orphan, be he his kin or not, he and I will be so close in Paradise.’ Saying this, he showed his index and his middle fingers while maintaining alittle gap between the two,” (Bukhari). Abu Hurayrah is on record as recounting the Prophet's saying: “The best house of Muslims is the one in which an orphan is treated well. And the worst one is that in which he is maltreated,” (Ibn Majah and Bukhari, al-Adab al-Mufrad, ‘Kitab al-Birr’). Abu Umamah says that the Prophet (peace be upon him) remarked: “One who pats an orphan on the head for Allah’s sake will be credited with good deeds equal to the hair of the orphan. One who treats an orphan boy or girl well he and I will be together in Paradise like this,” and he joined his two fingers as illustration, (Ahmad and Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Birr). Ibn ‘Abbas informs that the Prophet (peace be upon him). said: “One who shares his food and drink with an orphan is bound to enter Paradise, unless he committed some unpardonable sin,” (Sharh al-Sunnah). Another Hadith on Abu Hurayrah’s authority is: “Someone confessed to the Prophet (peace be upon him) about - his hard-heartedness. The latter directed him to pat an orphan on his head and to feed the poor,” (Ahmad).

13. It is essential that one who does these good acts must be a believer. For no action is acceptable to Allah without faith. The Quran clarifies this important point at several places:

Whoever does good and believes — whether he is male or female — such shall enter the Garden. (al-Nisa’ 4: 124)

Whoever acts righteously - whether a man or a woman -and embraces belief, We will surely grant him a good life; and will surely grant such people their reward according to the best of their deeds. (al-Nahl 16: 97)

Whoever acts righteously and has attained to faith - be he a male or a female they shall enter Paradise and be provided sustenance beyond all reckoning. (al-Mu’min 40: 40)

On studying the Qur’an, one is bound to note that the reward for good deeds is inextricably linked with faith. Without belief no good action will be accepted by Allah. Nor is any reward promised in this case.

Also noteworthy is that a pointed reference is made here to his joining the believers, not simply to his embracing faith. An individual should not only accept faith but also join the fold of other believers, which may lead to the formation of the Muslim community and to the construction of the believers’ society. Collectively, they should perform and: promote good deeds and forbid evil, as is dictated by faith.

14. The verse spells out these two outstanding features of a Muslim society: (i) Enjoining upon one another steadfastness, and (ii) enjoining upon one another compassion.

As for steadfastness, the Qur’an presents this as a very broad rubric and insists that a Muslims life should be characterized by it. As soon as one embraces faith, one’s steadfastness is tested. This is required for fulfilling one’s obligations towards Allah, for obeying His commands, for shunning all that is forbidden by Him, for observing His moral code and for developing good morals and manners. It is only steadfastness that helps man overcome temptations to indulge in sin. On numerous occasions one incurs loss, suffering, hardship and deprivation as one abides by divine teachings. On the contrary, one may have many gains as one defies these commands. A believer constantly undergoes this test of steadfastness. After embracing faith one has to confront numerous challenges posed by one’s own base self, one’s family, community, country and by the devils from among men and jinn. At some stage, one even has to leave one’s home and hearth and engage in jihad for the sake of Allah. Only steadfastness can keep such a person on the right track. As an individual, one tends to be more vulnerable. However, if there is a strong Muslim community, of which the members urge one another to do good and support one another, they are more likely to be successful. They will constitute an invincible force against evil and serve as a huge army, promoting good in society.

In so far as compassion is an issue, a Muslim society is not marred by insensitivity, oppressiveness and callousness. Muslims are kind and compassionate towards the whole of mankind. As members of the community, they share one another’s sorrows and sufferings. Every Muslim stands out as a manifestation of Allah’s mercifulness. As a community, they represent the Prophet (peace be upon him), who is described in the Qur’an as “a mercy unto the worlds”, (al-Anbiya’ 21: 106).

The Prophet (peace be upon him) tried his best to instill compassion among the Muslims, as is illustrated by his following sayings. These are a pointer to the premium he placed on compassion in society.

According to Jarir ibn ‘Abd Allah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) remarked: “Allah does not show mercy to him who is not kind to his fellow human beings,” (Bukhari, Kitab al-Tawhid and Muslim).

‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘As reports the Prophet (peace be upon him) as saying: “The Most Compassionate One shows mercy to those who are kind. Have mercy on the inhabitants of the earth. The One on high above will be kind to you,” (Abu Dawud, Kitab al-Adab and Tirmidhi).

Abu Sa‘id Khudri relates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “One who does not show mercy is not shown mercy,” (Bukhari, al-Adab al-Mufrad). .

As recounted by Ibn ‘Abbas, the Prophet (peace be upon him) affirmed: “He is not one of us who does not show affection F towards the young and respect towards the elders,” (Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Birr).

On the authority of ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Amr, Abu Dawud cited this saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him): “One who is not affectionate towards the young and does not discharge his _ obligation to the elderly among us is not one of us,” (Abu Dawud, Bab al-Rahmah).

Abu Hurayrah reports that he heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) saying: “A wicked person is denied mercy,” (Ahmad and Tirmidhi, Bab al-Rahmah).

‘Iyad ibn Humayd recounts the Prophet's observation: “Of the three types of people who will enter Paradise, one is he who is kind and soft-hearted towards every y kin of his and every Muslim,” (Muslim).

Nu‘man ibn Bashir states that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “You will find Muslims like a unified body in terms of mutual love, kindness and sympathy. If one body part is in pain, the whole body feels disturbed,” (Bukhari, Kitab al-Adab and Muslim).

Abu Musa Ash’ari records the following saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him): “A believer is like a wall for a fellow believer, reinforcing him,” (Bukhari and Muslim).

On ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Umar’s authority, this Hadith is reported: “A Muslim is a brother in faith to another Muslim. He does not oppress or abandon him. One who serves a fellow Muslim is helped by Allah. Likewise, one who rescues his Muslim brother will be rescued by Allah on the Day of Judgement. One who covers up a lapse of a Muslim will have his lapses overlooked on the Day of Judgement,” (Bukhari, Bab al-Mazalim and Muslim).

The above Ahadith give a fair idea of the kind of society Islam intends to construct once Muslims join one another to make up a community.

15. As to people of the right and the left hand, this allusion has been explained in the notes to Verses 5-6 of Surah al-Waqi'ah.

16. The Hellfire will hem them in, blocking totally any escape route.