90- Surat Albalad/Tafseer
20 Verses Meccan (revealed in Mecca)
A'auzu Bellahi mena alshaiytani alrajeem
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan
Besmi Ellahi Alrhmani Alraheem
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
La auqsemu be-haza albalad (1).
No! I swear by this city.
Wa anta hellum be-haza albalad (2).
And You are residing in this city.
Wa waledin wa-ma walad (3).
And by the father, and that which he begot.
Laqad khalaqna alinsana fee kabad (4).
Indeed, We have created man into hardship.
A-yahsabu an lan yaqdera alayhi ahad (5).
Does he think that no one will overcome him?.
Yaqulu ahlaktu malan lubada (6).
He says I have spent wealth in abundance.
A-yahsabu an lam yarahu ahad (7).
Does he think that no one has seen him?.
Alam naj'al lahu aynayn (8).
Did We not make for him two eyes?.
Wa lesanan wa shafatayn (9).
And a tongue, and two lips.
Wa hadaynahu alnajdayn (10).
And showed him the two ways.
Fa-la qtahama al-aqabah (11).
Yet, he did not break into the obstacle.
Wa ma adraka ma alaqabah (12).
And what can make You know what is the obstacle?.
Fakku raqabah (13).
It is a freeing of a neck.
Aww it-amun fee yawmin zee masghabah (14).
Or feeding on a day of severe hunger.
Yateeman za maqrabah (15).
An orphan of near kin.
Aww miskeenan za matrabah (16).
Or a needy person in misery.
Thumma kana mena allazina amanu wa tawasaww bel-sabri wa tawasaww bel-marhamah (17).
Then he is of those who believed, and advised one another to patience, and advised one another to compassion.
Aulaeka as-habu almaymanah (18).
Those are the companions of the right.
Wa allazina kafaru be-ayatina hum as-habu almash-amah (19).
And those who disbelieved in Our signs, those are the companions of the left.
Alayhim narun mu'sadah (20).
Upon them will be a well-closed fire.
Simplified interpretation:
Surat Albalad begins with "No", and it did not come in vain, rather it came followed by two oaths to refute the false belief of the infidels. Thereupon, it is a response to man's belief in the fifth verse, as Allah says {Does he think that no one will overcome him?}, and this is similar to Surat Alqiyamah, and these are the only two Surahs in the Holy Quran that begin with No. Surat Alqiyamah also begins with ''No'' followed by two oaths to refute the false belief of the infidels, as Allah says in the third verse of Surat Alqiyamah {Does man think that We will not assemble his bones?}.
Allah Almighty says in the first two verses (1,2) "No! I swear by this city, and You are residing in this city", that is, Allah swears by Mecca, which is the best place on the earth where the sacred House (Ka'bah) is located, and Allah described it in Surat Altin saying "This secure city". There was much debate about its beginning with {No! I swear by this city}, some said that No was extraneous to the verse, some said that it came to emphasize the oath, some said that it is a negate the oath, some said it was a connection to what preceded it, and some said it came as a response to the infidels in the same Surah, and this is the most correct opinion as it came to refute the false belief of the infidels; in response to man's belief in the fifth verse {Does he think that no one will overcome him?}. Then Allah says to His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) and you are residing in this city, as if Allah says to Him, the importance of Mecca also comes through your residence on its land.
Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (3,4) "And by the father, and that which he begot, indeed, We have created man into hardship", that is, Allah swears by the father, and what he begot, and it was said that the father here refers to man in general and his offspring, but there are some commentators who said that it refers to the father of all humankind Adam. peace be upon Him, and His offspring, whereas others said that it refers to the prophet Muhammad (PBUH) because He was mentioned in the previous verse. Then Allah sets a fact about His creation of man saying that He has created man in hardship, so every man suffers from hardships and difficulties, and each soul has its own suffering in this worldly life, so man is always in need of his Lord as Allah says in Aya (15) of Surat Fatir {O mankind! You are in need of Allah, while Allah is Free of need, the Praiseworthy}.
Allah Almighty says in the next three verses (5-7) "Does he think that no one will overcome him?, he says I have spent wealth in abundance, Does he think that no one has seen him?", that is, Instead of acknowledging of his need to his Creator, man becomes arrogant and thinks that no one will overcome him, so he thinks that Allah will not punish him, and he claimed that I has spent abundant wealth in the way of Allah, thereupon, Allah says Does he think that no one has seen him?, so He lies when he says I have spent a lot of money in the way of Allah, although Allah sees him, and knows whether he has spent his wealth for the sake of Allah or for the worldly pleasures and for showing off before the people. This person will be among the first people against whom judgment will be pronounced on the day of resurrection as it was mentioned in Alhadith Alqudsi in narration of Abu Hurayrah, where Our Prophet said: "Will be brought a man whom Allah had made rich and to whom He had given all kind of wealth, he will be brought and Allah will make known to him his favors and He will recognize them, Allah will say What have you done about them?, he will say: I left no path in which you like money to be spent without spending in it for Your sake, Allah will say you have lied, you did so, that it might be said (of you) he is generous, and so it was said, then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hellfire (Sahih Muslim 1905).
Allah Almighty says in the next three verses (8-10) "Did We not make for him two eyes?, and a tongue, and two lips, and showed him the two ways", that is, Allah enumerates his favors upon man, assuring that He has blessed him with the favor of sight and the favor of speech, as well as He inspired to him the path of good and righteousness and the path of evil and misguidance. This is similar to Ayat (2,3) of Surat Alinsan when Allah mentioned His favors upon man along with His guidance of man to the way saying {Indeed, We have created man from a sperm-drop, a mixture, that We test him and We made him hearing and seeing, indeed, We guided him to the way, be he grateful or be he ungrateful}.
Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (11,12) "Yet, he did not break into the obstacle, and what can make You know what is the obstacle?", that is, Allah assures that man did not break into the obstacle, so he did not obey Allah, and did not follow the path of good and righteousness, then Allah says and what can make You know what is the obstacle? to glorify and to appreciate its bounty and its great reward.
Allah Almighty says in the next four verses (13-16) "It is a freeing of a neck, or feeding on a day of severe hunger, an orphan of near kin, or a needy person in misery", that is, Allah assures that the obstacle is freeing of a neck, or feeding on a day of severe hunger, an orphan of near kin, or a needy person in misery. Freeing a neck is freeing a slave from slavery whether freeing the slave by paying money to his master or helping a slave who wrote a contract for his master to pay him money in order to free himself as Allah has described in Aya (33) of Surat Alnoor, and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Abu Hurayrah: "If somebody manumits a Muslim slave, Allah will save every part of him for every part of the slave from the fire, even his private for the private parts of the salve" (Sahih Albukhari 6715), and as narrated by Abu Dhar: "I asked the Prophet What is the best deed?, He replied to belief in Allah, and striving in His way, I then asked What is the best kind of manumission?, He said the most expensive slave and the most beloved by his master, I said if I cannot afford to do that?, He said Help the weak or Do good for a person who cannot work for himself, I said if I cannot do that?, He said Refrain from harming others for this will be regarded as a charity by which you give charity for yourself" (Sahih Albukhari 2518).
And as for feeding the food, Allah says feeding on a day of severe hunger, and the best kind of feeding is to feed the orphan of near kin, and the orphans are those who have no means of earning a living and whose fathers have died while they are weak and young, before reaching puberty and being able to earn a living, as Ali bin Abi Talib reported: "I memorized from Allah's Messenger (PBUH) that there is no orphanhood after puberty, and there is no silence for the whole day till the night" (Sunan Abi Dawood 2873), and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Salman Bin Amer: "Charity given to the needy is charity, and if it is given to relatives, it is two charity and ties of kinship" (Sunan Ibn Majah 1844), and to feed a needy person in intense need, and the needy are those who do not find enough food, clothing, or a shelter, but they do not ask the people anything despite their intense need, so they are given what will meet their needs, and Allah's Messenger said in narration of Abu Hurayrah: "The needy is not the one who asks a morsel or two from the others, but the needy is the one who has nothing and is shamed to beg from people" (Sahih Albukhari 1476). And as narrated by Abdullah bin Amr: "A man asked the Prophet (PBUH) Which aspect of Islam is the best?, He said to offer food (to the needy), and to greet with Salam those whom you know, and those whom you do not know" (Sahih Albukhari 12).
Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (17,18) "Then he is of those who believed, and advised one another to patience, and advised one another to compassion, those are the companions of the right", that is, the one who breaks into the obstacle by feeding the orphan, or a needy in misery, and he is of those who have believed in Allah and he does what He commanded him to do, and avoids what he forbids him to do, and he is also of those who exhort one another to the patience by advising each other to be patient to acquire the good deeds, and by helping each other to be patient with the calamities of this world, as each person has his own affliction as mentioned above, and Allah has promised the patient a great reward as Allah says in Aya (10) of Surat Alzumar {Certainly, those who are patient will be given their reward in full without account}, and he is also among those who exhort one another to the compassion to people, through dealing kindly with them, giving to the needy, and helping them as much as possible, and the one who deals kindly with others will have a great reward, as Aisha reported that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "Aisha! Allah is kind, and He loves kindness, and He confers upon kindness which He does not confer upon severity, and does not confer upon anything else besides it" (Sahih Muslim 2593). Then assures that those who do such good deeds will be the companions of the right, so they will take their book in their right hand, and they will enter Paradise.
Allah Almighty says in the last two verses (19,20) "And those who disbelieved in Our signs, those are the companions of the left, upon them will be a well-closed fire", that is, Allah assures that those who deny the signs of Allah, and refuse to do these righteous deeds will be the companions of the left, so they will take their book in the left hand, and they will enter Hellfire, which will be closed so well upon them so they can not escape from it.