لَا أُقْسِمُ بِهَٰذَا الْبَلَدِ (1)
I swear by this sacred town -Macca |
وَأَنتَ حِلٌّ بِهَٰذَا الْبَلَدِ (2)
In which you are being an inhabitant, the town which in due time shall open to you its gates and deliver to you O Muhammad its key to accomplish what you will, respected, vindicated and venerated |
وَوَالِدٍ وَمَا وَلَدَ (3)
And I swear by the father –Adam- or –Ibrahim (Abraham)- and what he procreated |
لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ فِي كَبَدٍ (4)
That We created man and set him on earth wherein he strives and struggles from womb to tomb, each according to his disposition and inclination and whether he will acknowledge resurrection and adjudication |
أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌ (5)
Does he think no one can overpower him or he will not be called to account |
يَقُولُ أَهْلَكْتُ مَالًا لُّبَدًا (6)
He boastfully says: "I spent too much money", when it was not for a good cause |
أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّمْ يَرَهُ أَحَدٌ (7)
Does he think no one could see him, not even Allah |
أَلَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُ عَيْنَيْنِ (8)
Have We not given him a pair of eyes for vision |
وَلِسَانًا وَشَفَتَيْنِ (9)
A tongue and a pair of lips for eating and talking and pronouncing a decision |
وَهَدَيْنَاهُ النَّجْدَيْنِ (10)
We showed him both paths, that of virtue and that of vice |
فَلَا اقْتَحَمَ الْعَقَبَةَ (11)
Yet he has not been eager to challenge his way through the path of virtue and attempt the difficult path of overcoming self-interest |
وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْعَقَبَةُ (12)
And you just do not know what the difficult path of overcoming self- interest |
فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ (13)
It is the freeing of a slave |
أَوْ إِطْعَامٌ فِي يَوْمٍ ذِي مَسْغَبَةٍ (14)
Or feeding one in need on a day of privation |
يَتِيمًا ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍ (15)
Such as an orphan of your kin or blood-relation |
أَوْ مِسْكِينًا ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍ (16)
Or an indigent who is in dire need |
ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْمَرْحَمَةِ (17)
Besides being one of those characterized by piety in every deed, who enjoin forbearance under provocation, bear with others their faults and limitations and enjoin endurance of pain, trouble or evil and constancy in labour, exertion or effort and show compassion toward suffering fellow-creatures, being disposed to forgive and exercise mercy |
أُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْمَيْمَنَةِ (18)
Such persons have rightfully earned the seat on the right |
وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِآيَاتِنَا هُمْ أَصْحَابُ الْمَشْأَمَةِ (19)
But those who rejected Allah and His authoritative signs and divine revelations are the ill-omened who have deservedly earned the awkward position on the left |
عَلَيْهِمْ نَارٌ مُّؤْصَدَةٌ (20)
Who are destined to be exposed to a perpetual fire in closed cells where there is no escape and of all hope they are bereft |
