بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ لَآ أُقْسِمُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ (1)

NAY! I call to witness this land –

وَأَنتَ حِلٌّۢ بِهَٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ (2)

this land in which thou art free to dwell -

وَوَالِدٍۢ وَمَا وَلَدَ (3)

and [I call to witness] parent and offspring:

لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ فِى كَبَدٍ (4)

Verily, We have created man into [a life of] pain, toil and trial.

أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌۭ (5)

Does he, then, think that no one has power over him?

يَقُولُ أَهْلَكْتُ مَالًۭا لُّبَدًا (6)

He boasts, "I have spent wealth abundant!"

أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّمْ يَرَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ (7)

Does he, then, think that no one sees him?

أَلَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُۥ عَيْنَيْنِ (8)

Have We not given him two eyes,

وَلِسَانًۭا وَشَفَتَيْنِ (9)

and a tongue, and a pair of lips,

وَهَدَيْنَٰهُ ٱلنَّجْدَيْنِ (10)

and shown him the two highways [of good and evil]?

فَلَا ٱقْتَحَمَ ٱلْعَقَبَةَ (11)

But he would not try to ascend the steep uphill road...

وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلْعَقَبَةُ (12)

And what could make thee conceive what it is, that steep uphill road?

فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ (13)

[It is] the freeing of one's neck [from the burden of sin],

أَوْ إِطْعَٰمٌۭ فِى يَوْمٍۢ ذِى مَسْغَبَةٍۢ (14)

or the feeding, upon a day of [one's own] hunger,

يَتِيمًۭا ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍ (15)

of an orphan near of kin,

أَوْ مِسْكِينًۭا ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍۢ (16)

or of a needy [stranger] lying in the dust –

ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلْمَرْحَمَةِ (17)

and being, withal, of those who have attained to faith, and who enjoin upon one another patience in adversity, and enjoin upon one another compassion.

أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْمَيْمَنَةِ (18)

Such are they that have attained to righteousness;

وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا هُمْ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْمَشْـَٔمَةِ (19)

whereas those who are bent on denying the truth of Our messages – they are such as have lost themselves in evil,

عَلَيْهِمْ نَارٌۭ مُّؤْصَدَةٌۢ (20)

[with] fire closing in upon them.