Noor Garden

Surah Al-Balad for Kids

سورة البلد

The City · 20 ayat · Juz 30 · Makki

What is Surah Al-Balad about?

Allah gave us two eyes, a tongue and lips. The best but harder path is helping others: freeing people, and feeding a hungry orphan or someone in need. Surah Al-Balad (The City) is surah number 90 of the Quran, a Makki surah of 20 ayat in Juz 30. It is number 26 in the Noor Garden memorization path for kids.

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Surah Al-Balad full text with English translation

Uthmani Arabic text with the Sahih International English translation under each ayah.

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

  1. 1

    لَآ أُقْسِمُ بِهَـٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ

    I swear by this city [i.e., Makkah]

  2. 2

    وَأَنتَ حِلٌّۢ بِهَـٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ

    And you, [O Muḥammad], are free of restriction in this city

  3. 3

    وَوَالِدٍۢ وَمَا وَلَدَ

    And [by] the father and that which was born [of him],

  4. 4

    لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ فِى كَبَدٍ

    We have certainly created man into hardship.

  5. 5

    أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌۭ

    Does he think that never will anyone overcome him?

  6. 6

    يَقُولُ أَهْلَكْتُ مَالًۭا لُّبَدًا

    He says, "I have spent wealth in abundance."

  7. 7

    أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّمْ يَرَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ

    Does he think that no one has seen him?

  8. 8

    أَلَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُۥ عَيْنَيْنِ

    Have We not made for him two eyes?

  9. 9

    وَلِسَانًۭا وَشَفَتَيْنِ

    And a tongue and two lips?

  10. 10

    وَهَدَيْنَـٰهُ ٱلنَّجْدَيْنِ

    And have shown him the two ways?

  11. 11

    فَلَا ٱقْتَحَمَ ٱلْعَقَبَةَ

    But he has not broken through the difficult pass.

  12. 12

    وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلْعَقَبَةُ

    And what can make you know what is [breaking through] the difficult pass?

  13. 13

    فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ

    It is the freeing of a slave

  14. 14

    أَوْ إِطْعَـٰمٌۭ فِى يَوْمٍۢ ذِى مَسْغَبَةٍۢ

    Or feeding on a day of severe hunger

  15. 15

    يَتِيمًۭا ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍ

    An orphan of near relationship

  16. 16

    أَوْ مِسْكِينًۭا ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍۢ

    Or a needy person in misery

  17. 17

    ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلْمَرْحَمَةِ

    And then being among those who believed and advised one another to patience and advised one another to compassion.

  18. 18

    أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْمَيْمَنَةِ

    Those are the companions of the right.

  19. 19

    وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا هُمْ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْمَشْـَٔمَةِ

    But they who disbelieved in Our signs - those are the companions of the left.

  20. 20

    عَلَيْهِمْ نَارٌۭ مُّؤْصَدَةٌۢ

    Over them will be fire closed in.

Surah Al-Balad word by word

Every word of the surah with its pronunciation and English meaning, in reading order.

ArabicTransliterationMeaning
لَآlāNay
أُقْسِمُuq'simuI swear
بِهَـٰذَاbihādhāby this
ٱلْبَلَدِl-baladicity
وَأَنتَwa-antaAnd you
حِلٌّۢḥillun(are) free (to dwell)
بِهَـٰذَاbihādhāin this
ٱلْبَلَدِl-baladicity
وَوَالِدٍۢwawālidinAnd the begetter
وَمَاwamāand what
وَلَدَwaladahe begot
لَقَدْlaqadCertainly
خَلَقْنَاkhalaqnāWe have created
ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَl-insānaman
فِىfī(to be) in
كَبَدٍkabadinhardship
أَيَحْسَبُayaḥsabuDoes he think
أَنanthat
لَّنlannot
يَقْدِرَyaqdirahas power
عَلَيْهِʿalayhiover him
أَحَدٌۭaḥadunanyone
يَقُولُyaqūluHe will say
أَهْلَكْتُahlaktuI have squandered
مَالًۭاmālanwealth
لُّبَدًاlubadanabundant
أَيَحْسَبُayaḥsabuDoes he think
أَنanthat
لَّمْlamnot
يَرَهُۥٓyarahusees him
أَحَدٌaḥadunanyone
أَلَمْalamHave not
نَجْعَلnajʿalWe made
لَّهُۥlahufor him
عَيْنَيْنِʿaynaynitwo eyes
وَلِسَانًۭاwalisānanAnd a tongue
وَشَفَتَيْنِwashafatayniand two lips
وَهَدَيْنَـٰهُwahadaynāhuAnd shown him
ٱلنَّجْدَيْنِl-najdaynithe two ways
فَلَاfalāBut not
ٱقْتَحَمَiq'taḥamahe has attempted
ٱلْعَقَبَةَl-ʿaqabatathe steep path
وَمَآwamāAnd what
أَدْرَىٰكَadrākacan make you know
مَاmāwhat
ٱلْعَقَبَةُl-ʿaqabatuthe steep path (is)
فَكُّfakku(It is) freeing
رَقَبَةٍraqabatina neck
أَوْawOr
إِطْعَـٰمٌۭiṭ'ʿāmunfeeding
فِىfīin
يَوْمٍۢyawmina day
ذِىdhīof
مَسْغَبَةٍۢmasghabatinsevere hunger
يَتِيمًۭاyatīmanAn orphan
ذَاdhāof
مَقْرَبَةٍmaqrabatinnear relationship
أَوْawOr
مِسْكِينًۭاmis'kīnana needy person
ذَاdhāin
مَتْرَبَةٍۢmatrabatinmisery
ثُمَّthummaThen
كَانَkānahe is
مِنَminaof
ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnathose who
ءَامَنُوا۟āmanūbelieve
وَتَوَاصَوْا۟watawāṣawand enjoin (each other)
بِٱلصَّبْرِbil-ṣabrito patience
وَتَوَاصَوْا۟watawāṣawand enjoin (each other)
بِٱلْمَرْحَمَةِbil-marḥamatito compassion
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَulāikaThose
أَصْحَـٰبُaṣḥābu(are the) companions
ٱلْمَيْمَنَةِl-maymanati(of) the right (hand)
وَٱلَّذِينَwa-alladhīnaBut those who
كَفَرُوا۟kafarūdisbelieve
بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَاbiāyātināin Our Verses
هُمْhumthey
أَصْحَـٰبُaṣḥābu(are the) companions
ٱلْمَشْـَٔمَةِl-mashamati(of) the left (hand)
عَلَيْهِمْʿalayhimOver them
نَارٌۭnārun(will be the) Fire
مُّؤْصَدَةٌۢmu'ṣadatunclosed in

How to memorize Surah Al-Balad

  1. Listen: press “Start learning” and listen to Mishary Alafasy recite Surah Al-Balad three times while following the Arabic text.
  2. Practice each ayah: in Practice mode every ayah repeats ×3, ×5 or ×7 with an echo pause, so your child says it back out loud.
  3. Learn it in parts: with 20 ayat, split it into 4 parts of 5 ayat and only move on when the current part is solid.
  4. Memorize levels: each level hides more words until your child can recite the whole surah from memory.
  5. Puzzles: put the words of each ayah back in order to check the memorization, then review it tomorrow before starting the next surah.

Surah Al-Balad facts

Surah number
90
Ayat
20
Revelation
Makki (Makkah)
Juz
30
In the Mushaf
Page 594
Position in Noor Garden path
26 of 49
Reciter
Mishary Rashid Alafasy

Questions parents ask

What is the lesson of Surah Al-Balad for kids?

Allah gave us two eyes, a tongue and lips. The best but harder path is helping others: freeing people, and feeding a hungry orphan or someone in need. Read the meaning of each ayah above, then talk with your child about one way to live this lesson today.

How long does it take a child to memorize Surah Al-Balad?

Surah Al-Balad has 20 ayat. Many children need one to two weeks of short daily practice, adding a few ayat each day and reviewing the ones already learned.

Is Surah Al-Balad Makki or Madani?

Surah Al-Balad is a Makki surah, which means it was revealed in Makkah, before the Hijrah. It is surah number 90 in the order of the Mushaf and is found in Juz 30.

Keep learning

Last reviewed: · Sources & Method

Arabic text and word meanings via Quran.com · Translation: Sahih International · Recitation: Mishary Rashid Alafasy.