Virtues and benefits of Surah Al-Balad
No hadith attributes a specific virtue to Surah Al-Balad: its merit is that it belongs to the Mufassal, by which the Prophet ﷺ was favoured over the other prophets. It opens with an oath by Mecca, reminds man of Allah’s blessings, of the toil he endures in this world and of the ways to his salvation.
Its virtues at a glance
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A surah of the Mufassal
It belongs to the Mufassal, given to the Prophet ﷺ as an extra grace by which he was favoured over the other prophets, according to the hadith of Wathilah ibn al-Asqa’: “I was given in place of the Torah the seven long ones… and I was favoured with the Mufassal.”
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An oath by the sacred City
The surah opens with an oath by Mecca, to highlight its honour, its sanctity and the presence of the revered House. According to careful exegetes, the “la” in “La uqsimu” is for emphasis: the meaning is “I swear by this City”.
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Reminding man of Allah’s blessings and the ways of salvation
It lists Allah’s blessings upon man, so that he turns away from disobedience and arrogance and devotes his worship to his Creator alone, and it shows the good end of the righteous and the bad end of the wicked.
What the surah is about
- Praise of Mecca
- The toil and hardship to which man is subjected in this world
- Condemnation of those deluded by their strength and boasting
- A list of Allah’s blessings upon man
- Encouragement to persist in good deeds and reform oneself
- The good end of the believers and the bad end of the disbelievers
Main purpose: To show man’s neediness, the toil he endures and the ways of his salvation.
About Surah Al-Balad
Al-Balad (“the City”), also called “La uqsimu”, is an entirely Meccan surah according to the most careful exegetes. It is the 90th surah in the order of the Qur’an and the 35th in the order of revelation, revealed after Qaf and before At-Tariq. It opens with an oath by Mecca, to highlight its honour, its sanctity and the presence of the revered House.
Tafsir of Surah Al-Balad Listen to Al-Balad by other reciters
Detailed study in Arabic
The full Arabic text: introduction, virtues, themes, and a study of the chain and authenticity of each hadith.
- التعريف بسورة البلد
- فضائل سورة البلد
- موضوعات سورة البلد
- مقاصد سورة البلد
- الأحاديث الواردة في الفضل ودرجتها
Virtues of other surahs
All 114 surahs- Virtues of Surah Al-Kahf A light between two Fridays and protection from the Dajjal
- Virtues of Surah Al-Mulk Intercedes for its reciter and protects from the grave’s punishment
- Virtues of Surah Ya-Sin Whoever recites it at night seeking Allah’s Face is forgiven
- Virtues of Surah Al-Baqarah Satan flees the house where it is recited; it is the peak of the Qur’an
- Virtues of Surah Al-Fatihah The greatest surah of the Qur’an, without which there is no prayer
- Virtues of Surah Al-Ikhlas It equals a third of the Qur’an; loving it earns Allah’s love
- Virtues of Surah Al-Waqi’ah One of the surahs that greyed the Prophet ﷺ; he recited it at Fajr
- Virtues of Surah Ar-Rahman Recited by the Prophet ﷺ to the jinn, who responded better than people
- Ayat al-Kursi The greatest verse in the Book of Allah, a guard against Satan