Overview - Surah 90: al-Balad (The City )
The Surah begins with a reference to the city of Makkah where the Prophet was going through an experience of pain and suffering due to the denial of his people. It talks about the different stages of human life. This world is not the place of real comfort. Here is the test of human beings to do good deeds and then the final judgment will be in the Hereafter.
The Surah takes its name from the first Ayat, لَا أُقْسِمُ بِهَـٰذَا الْبَلَدِ "I swear by this city (Makkah)" [90:1].
There are 20 Ayat in this Surah.
Overview
| Total Ayat | 20 |
| Total Words * | 82 |
| Root Words * | 47 |
| Unique Root Words * | 4 |
| Makki / Madani | Makki |
| Chronological Order* | 35th (according to Ibn Abbas) |
| Year of Revelation* | 8th year of Prophethood |
| Events during/before this Surah*
Boycott of Banu Hashim Yr 2, Boycott of Banu Hashim Yr 1, 2nd Migration to Abyssinia, Physical beating and torture of some Muslims - 1st Migration of Muslims to Abyssinia, Public Invitation to Islam - Persecution of Muslims; antagonism - ridicule - derision - accusation - abuse and false propaganda., Revelation begins - Private Invitation to Islam , Revelation begins - Private Invitation to Islam , Revelation begins - Private Invitation to Islam
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| Events during/after still to occur*
Boycott of Banu Hashim Yr 3,Death of Abu Talib - Death of Khadijah - Stoning at Ta'if - al-Isra wal Mi'raj - Night Journey,1st Pledge of Aqabah,2nd Pledge of Aqabah,,Migration from Makkah to Madinah - Building of Masjid Nabi in Madinah - Treaty with Jews of Madinah - Marriage of Prophet to Aishah,Change of Qiblah from Jerusalem to Makkah - Battle of Badr,Battle of Uhud,,Battle of Ahzab - Expedition of Banu Quraydhah,Treaty of Hudaiybiyah - Letters to Kings and Rulers,,Conquest of Makkah - Battle of Hunain,Hajj led by Abu Bakr - Expedition of Tabuk,Farewell Hajj by Prophet - Death of Prophet - End of Divine Revelation
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| Names of Prophets Mentioned
No Prophets names are mentioned in this Surah
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| Surah Index
Adversity (patience during) , Charity, Commandments (general religious) , Hell
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In this Surah a vast subject has been compressed into a few brief sentences, it’s a miracle of the Qur’an that a complete ideology of life which could hardly be explained in a thick volume has been abridged most effectively in brief sentences of this short Surah. Its theme is to explain the true position of man in the world and of the world in relation to man and to tell that God has shown to man both the highways of good and evil, has also provided for him the means to judge and see and follow them, and now it rests upon man’s own effort and judgment whether he chooses the path of virtue and reaches felicity or adopts the path of vice and meets with doom.
First, the city of Makkah and the hardships being faced therein by the Prophet and the state of the children of Adam have been cited as a witness to the truth that this world is not a place of rest and ease for man, where he might have been born to enjoy life, but here he has been created into toil and struggle. If this theme is read with verse 39 of Surah 53: an-Najm (The Star) “there is nothing for man but what he has striven for”, it becomes plain that in this world the future of man depends on his toil and struggle, effort and striving.
After this, man’s misunderstanding that he is in this world and that there is no superior power to watch what he does and to call him to account, has been refuted. Then, taking one of the many moral concepts of ignorance held by man, as an example, it has been pointed out what wrong criteria of merit and greatness he has proposed for himself in the world. The person who for ostentation squanders wealth, not only himself prides upon his extravagances but the people also admire him for it enthusiastically, whereas the Being Who is watching over his deeds, sees by what methods he obtained the wealth and with what intention he spent it.
Then God says: We have given man the means of knowledge and the faculties of thinking and understanding and opened up before him both the highways of virtue and vice: one way leads down to moral depravity and it is an easy way pleasing for the self; the other way leads up to moral heights, which is steep like an uphill road, for scaling which man has to exercise self-restraint. It is man’s weakness that he prefers slipping down into the abyss to scaling the cliff. Then, God has explained what the steep road is, by following which man can ascend to the heights. It is that he should give up spending for ostentation, display and pride and should spend his wealth to help the orphans and the needy, should believe in God and His Religion and joining the company of believers, should participate in the construction of a society which should fulfill the demands of virtue and righteousness patiently and should be compassionate to the people. The end of those who follow this way is that they would become worthy of God’s mercies. On the contrary, the end of those who follow the wrong way, is the fire of Hell from which there is no escape.
Manuscripts / Inscriptions
17th Century
17th Century
16th Century
16th Century
1st Century Hijrah (7th Century CE)
1st Century Hijrah (7th Century CE)
Total Word Count per Ayat (shows how many words per Ayat) = 4* | ||
| # | Root Word | Frequency in Surah | Frequency in Qur'an |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | ب ل د | 2 | 19 |
| 2. | و ل د | 2 | 102 |
| 3. | ح س ب | 2 | 109 |
| 4. | أ ح د | 2 | 85 |
| 5. | ع ق ب | 2 | 80 |
| 6. | ٱلَّذِى | 2 | 1464 |
| 7. | و ص ي | 2 | 32 |
| 8. | ص ح ب | 2 | 97 |
| 9. | ق س م | 1 | 33 |
| 10. | ح ل ل | 1 | 51 |
| Root Word | Frequency in Surah |
Frequency in Qur'an |
|---|---|---|
| ب ل د | 2 | 19 |
| و ل د | 2 | 102 |
| ح س ب | 2 | 109 |
| أ ح د | 2 | 85 |
| ع ق ب | 2 | 80 |
| ٱلَّذِى | 2 | 1464 |
| و ص ي | 2 | 32 |
| ص ح ب | 2 | 97 |
| ق س م | 1 | 33 |
| ح ل ل | 1 | 51 |
Its subject matter resemble those of the earliest Surahs revealed at Makkah, but it contains a pointer which indicates that it was sent down in the period when the disbelievers of Makkah had resolved to oppose the Prophet, and made it lawful for themselves to commit tyranny against him.
- An admonition to the disbelievers.
- Allah has given you two eyes, one tongue and two lips to control your tongue.
- The qualities of a righteous person: Freeing a slave, feeding the hungry, being patient, advising others about piety and compassion.
Tafsir Zone
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Sayyid Qutb Overview (Verses 5 - 10) Great Blessings Having established this fact concerning human nature and human life, the surah goes on to discuss some of the claims that man makes and some of the concepts underlying his behaviour. “Does he think that no one has power over him? He says: ‘I have spent abundant wealth.’ Does he think that none observes him?” (Verses 5-7) This creature, man, whose suffering and struggling never come to an end, forgets his real nature and becomes so conceited with what God has given him of power, ability, skill and prosperity that he behaves as if he is not accountable for what he does. He indulges in oppression, tyranny, victimization and exploitation, trying to acquire enormous wealth. He corrupts himself and others in total disregard of anything of value. Such is the character of a man whose heart is stripped of faith. When he is called upon to spend for good causes, he says, “I have spent abundant wealth,” and given more than enough. “Does he think that none observes him?” (Verse 7) Has he forgotten that God is watching over him? He sees what he has spent and for what purposes. But man still ignores this, thinking that God is unaware of what he has done. In view of man’s arrogance, which makes him believe that he is invincible, and in view of his meanness and claims of having spent abundantly, the Qur’an puts before him the bounties God has bestowed on him which are manifested in his inherent abilities, although he has depreciated them: “Have We not given him two eyes, a tongue and two lips, and shown him the two paths?” (Verses 8-10) Man is conceited because he feels himself powerful, but he is granted his power by God. He is mean with his wealth while God is the One who provided him with it. He neither follows right guidance nor shows gratitude, although God has given him the means to do so. He has given him eyes which are marvellous, precise and powerful. He has also granted him speech and the means of expression, “a tongue, and two lips.” He has equipped him with the ability to distinguish good from evil, and right from wrong: and shown him the two paths,” so that he can choose between them. Inherent in his make-up is the ability to take either way. It is God’s will that man should be given such ability and such freedom of choice, to perfect His scheme of creation which assigns to every creature its role in life and equips it with the means necessary for its fulfilment. This verse explains the essence of human nature. In fact, the basis of the Islamic viewpoint of human psychology is contained in this verse and four verses in the next surah, The Sun: “By the soul and its moulding and inspiration with knowledge of wickedness and righteousness. Successful is the one who keeps it pure, and ruined is the one who corrupts it.” (91: 7-10) Scaling the Ascent These are the favours bestowed on man to help him follow right guidance: his eyes with which he recognizes the evidence of God’s might and the signs throughout the universe which should prompt him to adopt the faith, and his tongue and lips which are his means of speech and expression. One word sometimes does the job of a sword or a shotgun and can be even more effective than either. It may, on the other hand, plunge a man into the fire of hell. Mu ‘adh ibn Jabal said: “I was with the Prophet on a journey. One day I was walking beside him when I said, ‘Messenger of God! Point out to me something I may do to take me to paradise and keep me away from hell.’ He said, ‘You have indeed asked about something great, yet it is quite attainable by those for whom God has made it easy. Worship God alone, assigning to Him no partner, offer your prayers regularly, pay out your zakat [i.e. what is due to the poor of one’s money], fast in the month of Ramadan and offer the pilgrimage.’ The Prophet then said, ‘Shall I point out to you the gates of goodness?’ I said, ‘Yes, Messenger of God, please do.’ He said, ‘Fasting is a safeguard and a means of protecting yourself; charity erases your errors just as water extinguishes a burning fire; and your praying in the late hours of the night is the sign of piety.’ He then recited the verse, “[those] who forsake their beds as they call on their Lord in fear and in hope; and who give in charity of what We have bestowed on them. No soul knows what bliss and comfort is in store for these as reward for their labours.” (32: 16-17) The Prophet then added: ‘Shall I tell you what the heart of the matter is, its backbone and its highest grade?’ I said, ‘Yes, Messenger of God, please do.’ He said, ‘The heart is Islam, i.e. submission to God, the backbone is prayers, and the highest grade is jihad, i.e. struggle for the cause of God.’ He then said, ‘Shall I tell you what commands all these?’ I said, ‘Yes, Messenger of God, please do.’ He said, ‘Control this,’ pointing to his tongue. I said, ‘Are we, Prophet of God, really accountable for what we say?’ He said ‘Watch what you are saying. For what else are people dragged on their faces in hell apart from what their tongues produce?’“ [Related by Ahmad, al-Tirmidhi, al-Nasa’i and Ibn Majah.]” |
Ibn Kathir (English)
Sayyid Qutb
Sha'rawi
Al Jalalain
Mawdudi
الطبري - جامع البيان
ابن كثير - تفسير القرآن العظيم
القرطبي - الجامع لأحكام
البغوي - معالم التنزيل
ابن أبي حاتم الرازي - تفسير القرآن
ابن عاشور - التحرير والتنوير
ابن القيم - تفسير ابن قيّم
السيوطي - الدر المنثور
الشنقيطي - أضواء البيان
ابن الجوزي - زاد المسير
الآلوسي - روح المعاني
ابن عطية - المحرر الوجيز
الرازي - مفاتيح الغيب
أبو السعود - إرشاد العقل السليم
الزمخشري - الكشاف
البقاعي - نظم الدرر
الهداية إلى بلوغ النهاية — مكي ابن أبي طالب
القاسمي - محاسن التأويل
الماوردي - النكت والعيون
السعدي - تيسير الكريم الرحمن
عبد الرحمن الثعالبي - الجواهر الحسان
السمرقندي - بحر العلوم
أبو إسحاق الثعلبي - الكشف والبيان
الشوكاني - فتح القدير
النيسابوري - التفسير البسيط
أبو حيان - البحر المحيط
البيضاوي - أنوار التنزيل
النسفي - مدارك التنزيل
ابن جُزَيّ - التسهيل لعلوم التنزيل
علي الواحدي النيسابوري - الوجيز
السيوطي - تفسير الجلالين
المختصر في التفسير — مركز تفسير
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- Surah 90. Al-Balad - Saad al Ghamidi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbvNth9YfYU&index=90&list=PLhM2xiAUdw2cAqW_o3zZkbhJNw0bnaBZN
- Surah 90. Al-Balad Mahmoud Khalil Al Hussary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEfA6kdh2f8&list=PLxpAkjlGauHfMFWX22VZWOKpzjr-vH_BM&index=90
- Surah 90. Al-Balad Muhammad Al Luhaydan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDnhr39kmU0&index=90&list=PLxpAkjlGauHfKAYuQLRNAZomoezhfhRZe
- Surah 90. Al-Balad Idris Akbar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s1pd6fGELI
- Surah 90. Al-Balad Muhammad Minshawi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OAfdB6ox5w&list=PLxpAkjlGauHdUcO_uc-8F8J2NUQRDZjPG&index=90
