Who was Allah talking to in surah balad? | Quran oasis

Who was Allah addressing in Surah Al-Balad?

In the introduction to Surah Al-Balad (Arabic: سورة البلد), we begin by discussing its meaning and message.

Here, Allah speaks to our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and swears by the sacred city of Mecca, where the Prophet lived, settled, and would later conquer.

When Allah swears by a place, it signifies that He honors and عظifies it. Mecca is the holy land to which our beloved Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was sent as a mercy to all humanity, calling them to believe in Allah and to worship none but Him.

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Why is it called Surah Al-Balad?

Surah Al-Balad begins with an oath. When Allah swears by something or a place, it indicates its عظيمة status, importance, and honor.

“Al-Balad” refers to the sacred land—the holy city of Mecca.

It is the place where our beloved Prophet was born and lived. It is the land of revelation and the home of the Sacred House.

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Meaning of Surah Al-Balad

Surah Al-Balad is the 90th chapter of the Qur’an, found in Juz’ 30.

It consists of 20 verses.

Allah revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) that life is not meant for comfort alone. Every human being is created to strive and struggle in this world in preparation for the Hereafter.

Allah created us and granted us hearing and sight, and He is fully aware of how we use them. By His will, He is capable of destroying a person and everything they possess, returning them to dust as they were in the beginning.

A person must choose how to spend their life, time, and wealth—and they will face the consequences of their choices.

The final destination of the believers is Paradise, while the disbelievers will abide in the eternal Fire.

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Surah Al-Balad – Read Online

surah balad read online

Where was surah Balad revealed?

The most accurate opinion is that surat balad was revealed in Mecca,

as it has the same characteristics as the Meccan chapters, and they are:

• The shortness of the verses.
• Allah talked about the nature of the creation of the human and what he was created for.
• The power of Allah in the world-life and in the life after.
• The greatness of the creator, and the ignorance and weakness of the creature.
• The reward of the obedience, and the torture of the disbelievers.

When was surah al Balad revealed?

It was narrated that Balad surah was revealed early in Mecca before migration, and there are narrations that it was revealed after the surah of” Qaf” and before the surah of “al Tarek”.

Why was surah al Balad revealed?

There is no narration about the main reason for the revelation of all verses, but there are narrations about some verses and they are:

• The verse 6 of al Balad surah Allah said” he says I am spending a great wealth” there was a narration that verse was revealed about a man called Aba Al Ashad who has spread rumors in Quraish that he spend his great wealth in his enmity to Muhammad PBUH and he was prideful.
• Allah said in verse 7” he thought that no one saw him”  then in verse 8 Allah challenged him by his creation” Aren’t we who create his eyes, tongue, and two lips” 

That means that’s you, a weak creature! who was made by Allah you weren’t anything and he gave you all that you are and all that you have, Allah is the witness to you and has the full power to turn you into dust as you were in the beginning.

surah balad mishary

What is the main theme of surah balad?

Now you almost knew what is the major theme of al Balad,

In the beginning, Allah swore by Makkah and Adam as the beginning of human beings and all his offspring as an indication of the greatness and importance of both, and the greatness of the responsibilities that mankind has to do.

Allah said that life is a place of tiredness, and then he talked about the ignorance of pride that man could be in,  that he forgot that Allah is the creator and witness, he thought that there is no power that can defeat him and no one can judge.

Allah created us and gave us all that we have, and he showed us both ways, the way of heaven and the way of the hill, and then taught us how Allah will be pleased with us.

Finally, Allah showed us the destination of choosing the wrong way in life after being immortal in the endless fire with no way to escape.

Surah Balad benefits

There are many lessons we will learn from al Balad surah and they are:

• The prestige and honor of the sacred city, Mecca, and of the father of mankind Adam PBUH.
• We weren’t created in this life to rest, Allah created us to be His vicegerent on the earth, to work hard in life to achieve the aimed success in the world, and to obey the commands of our lord to reach heaven in the life after.
• Allah is the creator and the witness, he created us from the dust and gave us hearing and sight, and will ask us about the ways that we used them in.
• All the success in your life is granted by Allah and under his will, it’s not by your own power.
• We have to struggle to overcome the hardness of the resurrection, and Allah in surat Balad taught us how to do.
• Spending money in order to obedience to the commands of Allah is the way to reach heaven.
• Free slaves, feeding people in severe famine, and taking care of relative orphans are ways of spending money to have deeds and to overcome the suffering of the resurrection.
• Being obedient to the commands of our Lord will make you one of the winners in the doomsday and be rewarded by heaven.
• The disbelievers of the verses of Allah will be tortured in the life after, they will deserve endless burning fire with no way to escape.

Surah al balad tafseer

Al Balad surah contains 20 verses and we will begin to explain as  follows:

Verse 1, Allah swore with the word, Al Balad,  which means the sacred country, Makkah. 

Verse 2, Allah talked to Muhammad PBUH, you who are settled in the holy city.

Verse 3, Allah swore again with the father of mankind, Adam PBUH,  and his offspring.

Verse 4, Allah created us in restlessness and suffering to reach success in life and to deserve heaven in life after.

In verse 5, the man who thought that no one will have power over him.

In verse 6, he said I spent a great wealth.

In verse 7, he thought that no one saw him, which means there are no witnesses to what he said and did.

In verses 8 and 9, Allah asked” didn’t I who gave him his eyes, tongue, and lip”. Here Allah showed us the greatness of his creation and the weakness that we are in.

Verse 10, Allah showed him both ways, the way of heaven and the way of the hill and he will have to choose.

Verse 11, why man doesn’t overcome the obstacle, which means horrors of the day of resurrection.

Verse 12, and everyone knows what is the obstacle.

Verse 13, the way to overcome the hardness of life after is by spending your money to free a slave.

Verse 14, or by feeding people in a day of severe dearth.

Verse 15, or to feed an orphan from his relatives.

Verse 16, or to feed very poor people.

Verse 17, and he was one of those believers of Allah, who advised each other to be patient in the way of Allah and in what they will face from the disbelievers, and to be merciful to each other.

Verse 18, the people who will do all those deeds will deserve to be the owners of heaven.

Verse 19, and those who disbelieve of our verses will deserve the torture of the life after.

Verse 20, they deserve the burning fire with no way to escape.

Hadith on surah balad

Our prophet PBUH said that” between your hand an obstacle, which is hopeless to be climbed unless by the light-footed”

Here the obstacle is the horrors of the resurrection day, and the light-footed people are those who get rid of their guilt by doing good deeds in their world life.

That is the only Hadith that was proved to be narrated from Muhammad PBUH, there are many other statements that were claimed to be narrated from our prophet but there are no proofs about that.

surah balad English

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

1. I do call to witness this City;

2. And thou art a freeman of this City;

3. And (the mystic ties of) parent and child;

4. Verily We have created man into toil and struggle.

5. Thinketh he, that none hath power over him?

6. He may say (boastfully); Wealth have I squandered in abundance!

7. Thinketh he that none beholdeth him?

8. Have We not made for him a pair of eyes?

9. And a tongue, and a pair of lips?

10. And shown him the two highways?

11. But he hath made no haste on the path that is steep.

12. And what will explain to thee the path that is steep?

13. (It is:) freeing the bondman;

14. Or the giving of food on a day of privation

15. To the orphan with claims of relationship,

16. Or to the indigent (down) in the dust.

17. Then will he be of those who believe, and enjoin patience, (constancy, and self-restraint), and enjoin deeds of kindness and compassion.

18. Such are the Companions of the Right Hand.

19. But those who reject Our Signs, are the (unhappy) Companions of the Left Hand.

20. On them will be Fire vaulted over (all round).

surah al balad in roman english

Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem

1. Laaa uqsimu bihaazal balad

2. Wa anta hillum bihaazal balad

3. Wa waalidinw wa maa walad

4. Laqad khalaqnal insaana fee kabad

5. Ayahsabu al-lai yaqdira ‘alaihi ahad

6. Yaqoolu ahlaktu maalal lubadaa

7. Ayahsabu al lam yarahooo ahad

8. Alam naj’al lahoo ‘aynayn

9. Wa lisaananw wa shafatayn

10. Wa hadaynaahun najdayn

11. Falaq tahamal-‘aqabah

12. Wa maaa adraaka mal’aqabah

13. Fakku raqabah

14. Aw it’aamun fee yawmin zee masghabah

15. Yateeman zaa maqrabah

16. Aw miskeenan zaa matrabah

17. Summa kaana minal lazeena aamanoo wa tawaasaw bissabri wa tawaasaw bilmarhamah

18. Ulaaa’ika As-haabul maimanah

19. Wallazeena kafaroo bi aayaatinaa hum as-haabul Mash’amah

20. Alaihim naarum mu’sadah

surah al balad in arabic

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

1.  لَا أُقْسِمُ بِهَٰذَا الْبَلَدِ

2. وَأَنْتَ حِلٌّ بِهَٰذَا الْبَلَدِ

3. وَوَالِدٍ وَمَا وَلَدَ

4. لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ فِي كَبَدٍ

5. أَيَحْسَبُ أَنْ لَنْ يَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌ

6. يَقُولُ أَهْلَكْتُ مَالًا لُبَدًا

7. أَيَحْسَبُ أَنْ لَمْ يَرَهُ أَحَدٌ

8. أَلَمْ نَجْعَلْ لَهُ عَيْنَيْنِ

9. وَلِسَانًا وَشَفَتَيْنِ

10. وَهَدَيْنَاهُ النَّجْدَيْنِ

11. فَلَا اقْتَحَمَ الْعَقَبَةَ

12. وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْعَقَبَةُ

13. فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ

14. أَوْ إِطْعَامٌ فِي يَوْمٍ ذِي مَسْغَبَةٍ

15. يَتِيمًا ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍ

16. أَوْ مِسْكِينًا ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍ

17. ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْمَرْحَمَةِ

18. أُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْمَيْمَنَةِ

19. وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِآيَاتِنَا هُمْ أَصْحَابُ الْمَشْأَمَةِ

20. عَلَيْهِمْ نَارٌ مُؤْصَدَةٌ

Summary of Surah Al-Balad

In this article, we journey together through the verses of Allah.

We have learned valuable lessons and realized the importance of Makkah and the عظيمة responsibilities placed upon الإنسان.

In Surah Al-Balad, we witness the greatness of the Creator in our weakness and the power that belongs solely to Him.

Hearing, sight, and all your senses are gifts from Allah. Even if you were to spend all the wealth on earth, you would not be able to create even a single fly—this is beyond human ability.

Obeying the commands of your Lord leads you to Paradise in the Hereafter, while disbelief becomes a cause of eternal punishment in the Fire.

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