Overview - Surah 90: al-Balad (The City )

Overview (Verses 11 - 20)

All these bounties have not motivated man to attempt the Ascent that stands between him and heaven. God explains the nature of the Ascent in the following verses: “Yet he would not scale the Ascent. Would that you knew what the Ascent is. It is the freeing of a slave, or the feeding, on a day of famine, of an orphaned near of kin, or a needy man in distress, and to be of those who believe and enjoin on one another to be patient in adversity, and enjoin mercy on one another. Those who do this shall be on the right hand.” (Verses 11-18)

This is the ascent which man, except those who equip themselves with faith, refrains from attempting, and which separates him from paradise. If he crosses it he will arrive! Putting it in such a way serves as a powerful incentive and stimulus to take up the challenge. For the ascent has been clearly marked as the obstacle depriving man of such an enormous fortune. The importance of scaling the ascent in God’s sight is then emphasized to encourage man to scale it no matter what the effort. For struggle he must, in any case. But if he attempts it, his struggle will not be wasted but will bring him favourable results.

Then follows an explanation of this ascent and its nature by means of, first, pointing out some actions which were totally lacking in the particular surroundings that the message of Islam was facing at the time: the freeing of slaves and the feeding of the poor who were subjected to the cruelty of an ungracious and greedy society. It then adds what is applicable to all ages and societies and needed by all who wish to attempt the ascent: “To be of those who Believe and enjoin on one another to be patient in adversity, and enjoin mercy on one another.” (Verse 17) There are reports which comment on the particular usage of freeing slafes in this suraH, explaining that it includes eVen sharing in an effort to free?? a slave, not meBely bearing all the expense involved. Even then?? the outcome is the same.

Setting Practical Examples

This surah sas revealed in Iakkah when IslaM was surrounded powerful enemies and the state that would implement its laws s non-existent. Slavery was widespread in Arabia and the world large. The treatment meted out to slaves was brutal. When some the slaves or former slaves, like `Ammar ibn Yasir and his family, Bilal ibn Rabah, and others, accepted Islam their plight became worse, and their cruel masters subjected them to unbearable torture. then became clear that the only way to save them was to buy them from their masters. Abu Bakr, the Prophet’s Companion, was, as usual, the first to rise to the occasion, with all the boldness and gallantry it required.

Ibn Ishaq relates:

Bilal, Abu Bakr’s servant, was owned by some individual of the clan of Jumah as he was born a slave. He was, however, a genuine Muslim and cleanhearted. Umayyah ibn Khalaf, the Jumah master, used to take Bilal out when it became unbearably hot and order him to be laid down on his back on the hot sand of Makkah and cause a massive rock to be placed on his chest. Then, he would say to Bilal that he was to stay like that until he died or renounced Muhammad and accepted as deities the idols called al-Lat and al-‘Uzza, the goddesses of the pagan Arabs. Under all such pressure, Bilal would simply say, ‘One, One,’ meaning that there is only one God.

One day, Abu Bakr passed by and saw Bilal in that condition. He said to Umayyah: ‘Do you not fear God as you torture this helpless soul? How long can you go on doing this?’ Umayyah replied, ‘You spoiled him, so you save him.’ Abu Bakr said, ‘I will. I have a black boy who follows your religion but he is stronger and more vigorous than Bilal. What do you say to an exchange deal?’ Umayyah said, ‘I accept.’ Abu Bakr said, ‘Then he is yours.’ Then Abu Bakr took Bilal and set him free.

While in Makkah, before the migration to Madinah, Abu Bakr freed a total of seven people: `Amir ibn Fahirah, who fought in the Battle of Badr and was killed in the Battle of Bi’r Ma`unah, was the only other man freed by Abu Bakr. The other five were women. The first two were Umm `Ubays and Zanirah, who lost her eyesight when she was freed. Some of the Quraysh claimed that the two idols al-Lat and al-‘Uzza caused the loss of her eyesight. Zanirah said, ‘What rubbish! Al-Lat and al-‘Uzza are absolutely powerless.’ God then willed that she should recover her sight.

Abu Bakr also freed a woman called al-Nahdiyyah and her daughter, who belonged to a woman of the clan of `Abd al-Dar. One day he passed by the two women as their mistress was sending them on an errand to prepare some flour. As she gave them her instructions, she declared: ‘By God, I will never set you free.’ Abu Bakr said to her, ‘Release yourself of your oath.’ She rejoined, ‘It was you who spoilt them. Why don’t you set them free?’ He said, ‘How much do you want for them?’ She named her price. He said, ‘It is a deal, and they are free.’ He turned to the two women and told them to give the woman her flour back. They suggested that they should finish preparing it for her first and he agreed.

The fifth woman was a Muslim slave of the clan of Mu`ammal. She was being tortured by `Umar ibn al-Khattab, who was then still an unbeliever. He beat her until he was tired and said to her, ‘I apologize to you. I have only stopped beating you because I am bored,’ to which she replied, And so God shall thwart you.’ Abu Bakr bought her and set her free.

Abu Quhafah, Abu Bakr’s father, said to him, ‘I see you, son, freeing some weak slaves. Why don’t you free some strong men who can defend and protect you?’ Abu Bakr replied, ‘I am only doing this for the sake of God, father.’ Thus Abu Bakr scaled the ascent by freeing those helpless souls, for the sake of God. The attendant circumstances in that particular society make such an action one of the most important steps towards scaling the ascent.

“Or the feeding, on a day of famine, of an orphaned near of kin, or a needy man in distress.” (Verses 14-16) A time of famine and hunger, when food becomes scarce, is a time when the reality of faith is tested. For orphans in that greedy, miserly and ungracious society were oppressed and mistreated even by their relatives. The Qur’an is full of verses which urge people to treat orphans well. This, in itself, is a measure of the cruelty of the orphans’ surroundings. Good treatment for orphans is also urged in the surahs revealed in Madinah, as they outline the rules of inheritance, custody and marriage, especially in Surahs 2, The Cow, and 4, Women. The same can be said of feeding the needy on a day of famine, which is portrayed here as another step for scaling the ascent. For this is again a test which reveals the characteristics of the believer, such as mercy, sympathy, co-operation and lack of selfishness. It also reveals the extent of one’s fear of God.

These two steps, freeing slaves and feeding the needy, are mentioned in the surah as necessary in the existing situation at the time of revelation. However, their implication is general, which accounts for their being mentioned first. They are followed by the widest and most important step of all: “And to be of those who believe and enjoin on one another to be patient in adversity, and enjoin mercy on one another.” (Verse 17) The conjunction in the Arabic text is ‘then’, but it does not signify here any time ordering; it is used simply as an introduction to the statement about the most important and valuable step of all towards scaling the ascent. For what would be the value of freeing slaves or feeding the hungry without faith? It is faith which gives such actions their value and their weight in God’s sight, because it relates them to a profound and consistent system. Thus good deeds are no longer the result of a momentary impulse. Their aim is not any social reputation or self-interest.

Patience in adversity is an important element in the general context of faith as well as in the particular context of attempting the ascent. That people should counsel each other to be patient in adversity is to attain a highest level than that of having such a quality themselves. It is a practical demonstration of the solidarity of the believers as they co-operate closely to carry out their duties as believers in God. The society formed by the believers is an integrated structure whose elements share the same feelings and the same awareness about the need to exert themselves in establishing the divine system on earth and to carry out its duties fully. Hence, they counsel each other to persevere as they shoulder their common responsibilities. They rally to support one another in order to achieve their common objective. This is something more than perseverance by individuals, although it builds on it. For it indicates the individual’s role in the believers’ society, namely, that he must be an element of strength and a source of hope and comfort to the whole society.

The same applies to enjoining each other to be merciful, which is a grade higher than simply being merciful themselves. Thus the spirit of mercy spreads among the believers as they consider such mutual counselling an individual and communal duty in the fulfilment of which all co-operate. Hence, the idea of ‘community’ is evident in this injunction, as it is emphasized elsewhere in the Qur’an and in the traditions of the Prophet. This idea is central to the concept of Islam which is a religion and a way of life. Nevertheless, the responsibility and accountability of the individual are clearly defined and strongly emphasized. Those who scale the ascent, as defined here in the Qur’an, shall have their dwelling place on the right hand, which indicates that they will enjoy a happy recompense for what they do in this life. “And those who deny Our revelations shall be on the left hand, with fire closing in upon them.” (Verses 19-20) There is no need here to identify this group with more than ‘those who deny Our revelations,’ as this is enough to settle the issue. Nothing can be good if coupled with unbelief. All evil is contained and encompassed by the denial of God. There is no point in saying that this group do not free slaves or give food to the needy, and, moreover, they deny Our revelations. For such a denial renders worthless any action they may do. They dwell on the left hand, which indicates their degradation and disgrace. These people cannot scale the ascent.

“With fire closing in upon them.” (Verse 20) That is, they are encircled by it either in the sense that they are locked within it, or in the sense that it is their eternal abode. Its being close above them gives them no chance of breaking away from it. The two meanings are quite interesting.

These are then the fundamental facts concerning human life laid down from the point of view of faith, in a limited space but with great power and clarity. This remains the distinctive characteristic of Qur’anic style.