Surah Balad Word by Word English | ColorCoded Grammar, Translation & Transliteration

Internalize the deep spiritual truth that man was created for struggle and the definition of true charity with this specialized Surah Al-Balad English word by word study guide. Meticulously designed for practical guidance, this page features interactive Color-Coded Grammar Cards that allow readers to visually distinguish between nouns, verbs, and particles, simplifying the learning of Arabic sentence structures. To ensure precise reading for non-Arabic speakers, accurate Transliteration for Accurate Pronunciation is provided alongside every verse. This comprehensive tool empowers students to master Tajweed while internalizing the challenge of the “steep obstacle” (Al-Aqabah) and the reward for feeding the needy during hardship found in Surah Al-Balad.

In the name of God
Noun (Ism)
Verb (Fi'l)
Particle (Harf)
لَآ أُقْسِمُ بِهَـٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ
Lā uqsimu bi-hādhā l-balad
I swear by this city, [Makkah] -
90:1
Particle
لَآ
Nay
Verb
أُقْسِمُ
I swear
uq'simu
Noun
بِهَـٰذَا
by this
bihādhā
Noun
ٱلْبَلَدِ
city
l-baladi
وَأَنتَ حِلٌّۢ بِهَـٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ
Wa-anta ḥillun bi-hādhā l-balad
And you, [O Muhammad], are free of restriction in this city -
90:2
Pronoun
وَأَنتَ
And you
wa-anta
Noun
حِلٌّۢ
(are) free (to dwell)
ḥillun
Noun
بِهَـٰذَا
in this
bihādhā
Noun
ٱلْبَلَدِ
city
l-baladi
وَوَالِدٍۢ وَمَا وَلَدَ
Wa-wālidin wa-mā walad
And [by] the father and that which he begot -
90:3
Noun
وَوَالِدٍۢ
And the begetter
wawālidin
Noun
وَمَا
and what
wamā
Verb
وَلَدَ
he begot
walada
لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ فِى كَبَدٍ
Laqad khalaqnā l-insāna fī kabad
We have certainly created man into hardship.
90:4
Particle
لَقَدْ
Certainly
laqad
Verb
خَلَقْنَا
We have created
khalaqnā
Noun
ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ
man
l-insāna
Particle
فِى
(to be) in
Noun
كَبَدٍ
hardship
kabadin
أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌۭ
A-yaḥsabu an lan yaqdira ʿalayhi aḥad
Does he think that never will anyone have power over him?
90:5
Verb
أَيَحْسَبُ
Does he think
ayaḥsabu
Particle
أَن
that
an
Particle
لَّن
not
lan
Verb
يَقْدِرَ
has power
yaqdira
Particle
عَلَيْهِ
over him
ʿalayhi
Noun
أَحَدٌۭ
anyone
aḥadun
يَقُولُ أَهْلَكْتُ مَالًۭا لُّبَدًا
Yaqūlu ahlaktu mālan lubadā
He says, "I have spent wealth in abundance."
90:6
Verb
يَقُولُ
He will say
yaqūlu
Verb
أَهْلَكْتُ
I have squandered
ahlaktu
Noun
مَالًۭا
wealth
mālan
Adjective
لُّبَدًا
abundant
lubadan
أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّمْ يَرَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ
A-yaḥsabu an lam yarahu aḥad
Does he think that no one has seen him?
90:7
Verb
أَيَحْسَبُ
Does he think
ayaḥsabu
Particle
أَن
that
an
Particle
لَّمْ
not
lam
Verb
يَرَهُۥٓ
sees him
yarahu
Noun
أَحَدٌ
anyone
aḥadun
أَلَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُۥ عَيْنَيْنِ
Alam najʿal lahu ʿaynayn
Have We not made for him two eyes?
90:8
Particle
أَلَمْ
Have not
alam
Verb
نَجْعَل
We made
najʿal
Particle
لَّهُۥ
for him
lahu
Noun
عَيْنَيْنِ
two eyes
ʿaynayni
وَلِسَانًۭا وَشَفَتَيْنِ
Wa-lisānan wa-shafatayn
And a tongue and two lips?
90:9
Noun
وَلِسَانًۭا
And a tongue
walisānan
Noun
وَشَفَتَيْنِ
and two lips
washafatayni
وَهَدَيْنَـٰهُ ٱلنَّجْدَيْنِ
Wa-hadaynāhu l-najdayn
And shown him the two ways?
90:10
Verb
وَهَدَيْنَـٰهُ
And shown him
wahadaynāhu
Noun
ٱلنَّجْدَيْنِ
the two ways
l-najdayni
فَلَا ٱقْتَحَمَ ٱلْعَقَبَةَ
Fa-lā qtaḥama l-ʿaqabah
But he has not broken through the difficult pass.
90:11
Particle
فَلَا
But not
falā
Verb
ٱقْتَحَمَ
he has attempted
iq'taḥama
Noun
ٱلْعَقَبَةَ
the steep path
l-ʿaqabata
وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلْعَقَبَةُ
Wa-mā adrāka mā l-ʿaqabah
And what can make you know what is [breaking through] the difficult pass?
90:12
Particle
وَمَآ
And what
wamā
Verb
أَدْرَىٰكَ
can make you know
adrāka
Noun
مَا
what
Noun
ٱلْعَقَبَةُ
the steep path (is)
l-ʿaqabatu
فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ
Fakku raqabah
It is the freeing of a slave
90:13
Noun
فَكُّ
(It is) freeing
fakku
Noun
رَقَبَةٍ
a neck
raqabatin
أَوْ إِطْعَـٰمٌۭ فِى يَوْمٍۢ ذِى مَسْغَبَةٍۢ
Aw iṭʿāmun fī yawmin dhī masghabah
Or feeding on a day of severe hunger
90:14
Particle
أَوْ
Or
aw
Noun
إِطْعَـٰمٌۭ
feeding
iṭ'ʿāmun
Particle
فِى
in
Noun
يَوْمٍۢ
a day
yawmin
Noun
ذِى
of
dhī
Noun
مَسْغَبَةٍۢ
severe hunger
masghabatin
يَتِيمًۭا ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍ
Yatīman dhā maqrabah
An orphan of near relationship
90:15
Noun
يَتِيمًۭا
yatīman
Noun
ذَا
of
dhā
Noun
مَقْرَبَةٍ
near relationship
maqrabatin
أَوْ مِسْكِينًۭا ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍۢ
Aw miskīnan dhā matrabah
Or a needy person in misery
90:16
Particle
أَوْ
Or
aw
Noun
مِسْكِينًۭا
a needy person
mis'kīnan
Noun
ذَا
in
dhā
Noun
مَتْرَبَةٍۢ
misery
matrabatin
ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلْمَرْحَمَةِ
Thumma kāna mina alladhīna āmanū wa-tawāṣaw bi-ṣ-ṣabri wa-tawāṣaw bi-l-marḥamah
And then being among those who believed and advised one another to patience and advised one another to compassion.
90:17
Particle
ثُمَّ
Then
thumma
Verb
كَانَ
he is
kāna
Particle
مِنَ
of
mina
Noun
ٱلَّذِينَ
those who
alladhīna
Verb
ءَامَنُوا۟
believe
āmanū
Verb
وَتَوَاصَوْا۟
and enjoin (each other)
watawāṣaw
Noun
بِٱلصَّبْرِ
to patience
bil-ṣabri
Verb
وَتَوَاصَوْا۟
and enjoin (each other)
watawāṣaw
Noun
بِٱلْمَرْحَمَةِ
to compassion
bil-marḥamati
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْمَيْمَنَةِ
Ulā'ika aṣḥābu l-maymanah
Those are the companions of the right.
90:18
Pronoun
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ
Those
ulāika
Noun
أَصْحَـٰبُ
(are the) companions
aṣḥābu
Noun
ٱلْمَيْمَنَةِ
(of) the right (hand)
l-maymanati
وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا هُمْ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْمَشْـَٔمَةِ
Wa-l-ladhīna kafarū bi-āyātinā hum aṣḥābu l-mash'amah
But they who disbelieved in Our signs - those are the companions of the left.
90:19
Noun
وَٱلَّذِينَ
But those who
wa-alladhīna
Verb
كَفَرُوا۟
disbelieve
kafarū
Noun
بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا
in Our Verses
biāyātinā
Pronoun
هُمْ
they
hum
Noun
أَصْحَـٰبُ
(are the) companions
aṣḥābu
Noun
ٱلْمَشْـَٔمَةِ
(of) the left (hand)
l-mashamati
عَلَيْهِمْ نَارٌۭ مُّؤْصَدَةٌۢ
ʿAlayhim nārun muʾṣadah
Over them will be fire closed in.
90:20
Particle
عَلَيْهِمْ
Over them
ʿalayhim
Noun
نَارٌۭ
(will be the) Fire
nārun
Noun
مُّؤْصَدَةٌۢ
closed in
mu'ṣadatun

CLOSING PRAYER

Ya Allah (O Allah), we praise You, the Lord of this Sacred City (Mecca). We thank You for clarifying the path of struggle and reward through Surah Al-Balad word by word.

O Al-Mujeeb (The Answerer), we know we were created in hardship; grant us endurance and strength to face every struggle for Your sake. Grant us the ability to conquer the steep obstacle (Al-Aqabah) by feeding the orphan and the needy in times of hunger. Make us among the Companions of the Right Hand (Ashab al-Maimanah).

Do not let this knowledge remain only on our tongues; transform it into righteous action in our lives. Accept this humble effort from us, for truly, You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing. Ameen.

How the Word-by-Word Analysis of Surah Al-Balad Works

Unlike standard translations that give you the general meaning of a sentence, this page utilizes a unique “Full Context” Method”. We display the data in two distinct layers to ensure you never lose the flow of Surah Al-Balad:

  • Top Row (Context): Read the Complete Arabic Verse alongside the Full English Translation to grasp the overall message and narrative of the Surah.
  • Bottom Row (Analysis): Dive into the Word-by-Word breakdown to see the exact meaning, spelling, and root origin of every single word in sequence.

Understanding the ColorCoded Grammar Guide for Surah Al-Balad

Learn Quranic Arabic grammar (Nahw & Sarf) intuitively while you read. This resource replaces complex textbook rules with immediate visual cues. Every word in Surah Al-Balad is presented as an interactive “Grammar Card” featuring instant color-coding:

  • Noun (Ism): Marked in Blue (Names, places, objects).
  • Verb (Fi’l): Marked in Red (Actions, tenses).
  • Particle (Harf): Marked in Green (Prepositions, connecting words).

This visual aid helps you instantly recognize sentence structures and parts of speech within the verses, aiding in faster retention and comprehension.

Transliteration & Pronunciation of Surah Al-Balad

You do not need to be fluent in reading Arabic script to start reciting. Perfect your pronunciation with the Tajweed-friendly Transliteration included on every word card. This phonetic guide helps you pronounce challenging words in Surah Al-Balad correctly, connecting the sound directly to the meaning.

Quranic Statistics: Building Vocabulary through Surah Al-Balad

Many students feel overwhelmed by the vastness of the Quran, but the numbers prove it is achievable. The Quran is composed of approximately 77,797 total words, yet the vocabulary is highly repetitive.

  • Total Unique Words: Approximately 14,870.
  • Actual Root Words: Only ~2,000 words.

By reading Surah Al-Balad word-by-word, you are learning the essential root words found in this chapter. Since these roots repeat frequently throughout the Quran, mastering the vocabulary in these verses directly contributes to understanding the entire Holy Book.

Enhance Your Salah with Surah Al-Balad

During the five daily prayers, a Muslim recites and repeats an average of 200-250 Arabic words. If these words are not understood, the mind often wanders. Reading Surah Al-Balad word-by-word helps you recognize this vocabulary in real-time. When you stand for prayer and recite verses from this Surah, you will finally understand exactly what you are saying to your Creator, leading to:

  1. Khushu (Focus): A concentrated mind during Salah.
  2. Quality: A higher spiritual quality of worship.
  3. Connection: An immediate, emotional connection to the recitation.
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