لَآ أُقْسِمُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ ١
1. I swear by this city [i.e., Makkah] –
Memorize Surah Al-Balad
سورة البلد
Surah Al-Balad has 20 verses on one page of the Madinah mushaf (page 594), in juz 30. It is learned in a single portion: listen to it, repeat it, hide it bit by bit, then recite it from memory.
Memorization plan for Surah Al-Balad
A single portion. Tap a portion to practise it; its status stays in this browser.
One portion: a few sessions are enough, then spaced reviews.
Tajweed rules
- Hamzat al-wasl (silent)
- Silent letter
- Lam shamsiyyah (assimilated)
- Normal madd (2 counts)
- Permissible madd (2, 4 or 6 counts)
- Obligatory madd (4 or 5 counts)
- Necessary madd (6 counts)
- Ghunnah (nasalisation, 2 counts)
- Qalqalah (echo)
- Ikhfa (concealment)
- Ikhfa shafawi (meem)
- Idgham with ghunnah
- Idgham without ghunnah
- Idgham shafawi (meem)
- Idgham mutajanisayn
- Idgham mutaqaribayn
- Iqlab (noon becomes meem)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
وَأَنتَ حِلٌّۢ بِهَٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ ٢
2. And you, [O Muḥammad], are free of restriction in this city –
وَوَالِدٍ وَمَا وَلَدَ ٣
3. And [by] the father1924 and that which was born [of him],
Notes
[1924] Said to be Adam (upon him be peace) .
لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ فِى كَبَدٍ ٤
4. We have certainly created man into hardship.
أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌ ٥
5. Does he think that never will anyone overcome him?
يَقُولُ أَهْلَكْتُ مَالًا لُّبَدًا ٦
6. He says, "I have spent wealth in abundance."
أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّمْ يَرَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ ٧
7. Does he think that no one has seen him?
أَلَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُۥ عَيْنَيْنِ ٨
8. Have We not made for him two eyes?
وَلِسَانًا وَشَفَتَيْنِ ٩
9. And a tongue and two lips?
وَهَدَيْنَٰهُ ٱلنَّجْدَيْنِ ١٠
10. And have shown him the two ways?1925
Notes
[1925] Of good and evil.
فَلَا ٱقْتَحَمَ ٱلْعَقَبَةَ ١١
11. But he has not broken through the difficult pass.1926
Notes
[1926] i.e., the steep incline or obstacle. In other words, he has not spent in the cause of Allāh but only boasts of spending in front of others.
وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلْعَقَبَةُ ١٢
12. And what can make you know what is [breaking through] the difficult pass?
فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ ١٣
13. It is the freeing of a slave
أَوْ إِطْعَٰمٌ فِى يَوْمٍ ذِى مَسْغَبَةٍ ١٤
14. Or feeding on a day of severe hunger
يَتِيمًا ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍ ١٥
15. An orphan of near relationship
أَوْ مِسْكِينًا ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍ ١٦
16. Or a needy person in misery
ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلْمَرْحَمَةِ ١٧
17. And then being among those who believed and advised one another to patience and advised one another to compassion.
أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْمَيْمَنَةِ ١٨
18. Those are the companions of the right.1927
Notes
[1927] Or "the companions of good fortune," i.e., those who receive their records in their right hands and proceed to Paradise.
وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا هُمْ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْمَشْـَٔمَةِ ١٩
19. But they who disbelieved in Our signs - those are the companions of the left.1928
Notes
[1928] Or "the companions of ill fortune," i.e., those who receive their records in their left hands and proceed to Hell.
عَلَيْهِمْ نَارٌ مُّؤْصَدَةٌۢ ٢٠
20. Over them will be fire closed in.1929
Notes
[1929] The cover over Hell will be sealed and locked, containing its fire and its inhabitants.
Verses not to confuse
2 verses of Surah Al-Balad resemble other verses of the Quran: a classic trap when reciting from memory. The closest ones:
-
Al-Balad 90:4
لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ فِى كَبَدٍ
At-Tin 95:4لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ فِىٓ أَحْسَنِ تَقْوِيمٍ
-
Al-Balad 90:12
وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلْعَقَبَةُ
Al-Haqqah 69:3وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلْحَآقَّةُ
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The method in five steps
- Read and listen
Read the portion while following a reciter, verse by verse, until you can say it without hesitation.
- Repeat
Repeat each verse several times with a pause to say it after the reciter, then join the verses together.
- Hide
Hide one word in three, then two in three, then keep only the first letters, and finally the whole text.
- Recite
Recite from memory: get tested on what follows a random verse, record yourself or recite to someone.
- Review
Come back to each portion the next day, then at longer and longer intervals, and review before learning something new.