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سورة الْبَلَد
Surah Al-Balad — Key Word Definitions
Session 07 · Tadabur Guide · Saturday, May 10, 2026
الْبَلَد Al-Balad Ayah 1 — "No! I swear by this city."
Light Definition
المكان المتحيّز الذي يجتمع فيه الناس ويقيمون A defined place where people gather and reside; here referring to Makkah
Al-Raghib — Arabic
[بلد]
البَلَدُ والبَلْدَةُ: المكان المحدود المتحيّز. قال تعالى: لا أُقْسِمُ بِهذَا الْبَلَدِ [البلد/ ١]، يعني مكّة المكرّمة. وقال: رَبِّ اجْعَلْ هذَا الْبَلَدَ آمِناً [إبراهيم/ ٣٥]. وخصّ الله مكّة بالقسم بها تعظيمًا لها ولحرمتها.
Al-Raghib — English
[Root: b-l-d]

Al-balad and al-baldah refer to a defined, bounded place. Allah says: "No! I swear by this balad (city)" [Al-Balad/1], meaning Makkah the Honoured. He also says: "My Lord, make this balad secure" [Ibrahim/35]. Allah singled out Makkah by swearing by it to magnify its status and sanctity.
كَبَد Kabad Ayah 4 — "We have certainly created man in distress."
Light Definition
المشقّة والمعاناة والتعب Hardship, toil, and struggle
Al-Raghib — Arabic
[كبد]
الكَبَدُ: المشقّة. قال تعالى: لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنْسانَ فِي كَبَدٍ [البلد/ ٤]، أي: في مكابدة ومشقّة من أوّل خلقه إلى آخر عمره. يكابد مصائب الدنيا وشدائدها.

والكَبِدُ: العضو المعروف، سُمّي بذلك لما فيه من المشقّة عند اعتلاله. وتكبّد الأمرَ: تحمّل مشقّته.
Al-Raghib — English
[Root: k-b-d]

Al-kabad means hardship and toil. Allah says: "We have certainly created man in kabad (distress)" [Al-Balad/4], meaning in struggle and hardship from the moment of his creation until the end of his life. He endures the calamities and difficulties of this world.

Al-kabid (the liver) is named so because of the distress experienced when it is afflicted. Takabbada al-amr means to bear its hardship.
📝This ayah establishes a fundamental truth about human existence: life is inherently difficult. The question is not whether we will face hardship, but how we respond to it.
لُّبَدًا Lubada Ayah 6 — "I have consumed stacks of wealth."
Light Definition
مالاً كثيرًا متراكمًا بعضه فوق بعض Heaps of wealth stacked upon each other
Al-Raghib — Arabic
[لبد]
اللُّبَدُ: ما تراكم بعضه على بعض. قال تعالى: يَقُولُ أَهْلَكْتُ مالاً لُبَداً [البلد/ ٦]، أي: أنفقتُ مالاً كثيرًا متراكمًا. وأصله من اللِّبْد: ما تلبّد من الصوف. والتلبّد: التراكم والتجمّع.
Al-Raghib — English
[Root: l-b-d]

Al-lubad refers to what is stacked and heaped upon each other. Allah says: "He says, 'I have consumed malan lubada (stacks of wealth)'" [Al-Balad/6], meaning: I have spent enormous amounts of piled-up wealth. The root comes from al-libd: compacted wool. Al-talabbud means accumulation and gathering together.
النَّجْدَيْنِ Al-Najdayn Ayah 10 — "And showed him the two courses."
Light Definition
طريقَي الخير والشرّ The two paths: good and evil
Al-Raghib — Arabic
[نجد]
النَّجْدُ: المكان المرتفع. والنَّجْدَان: الطريقان المرتفعان الواضحان. قال تعالى: وَهَدَيْناهُ النَّجْدَيْنِ [البلد/ ١٠]، أي: بيّنّا له طريق الخير وطريق الشرّ. وقال: إِنَّا هَدَيْناهُ السَّبِيلَ إِمَّا شاكِراً وَإِمَّا كَفُوراً [الإنسان/ ٣].
Al-Raghib — English
[Root: n-j-d]

Al-najd is an elevated place. Al-najdayn are two elevated, clear paths. Allah says: "And We showed him al-najdayn (the two courses)" [Al-Balad/10], meaning: We made clear to him the path of good and the path of evil. He also says: "Indeed, We guided him to the way, be he grateful or ungrateful" [Al-Insan/3].
الْعَقَبَة Al-'Aqabah Ayah 11 — "But he did not brave the difficult route."
Light Definition
الطريق الصعب الشاقّ في الجبل A steep, difficult mountain pass; the hard road of righteousness
Al-Raghib — Arabic
[عقب]
العَقَبَةُ: الطريق الوعر في الجبل. قال تعالى: فَلَا اقْتَحَمَ الْعَقَبَةَ [البلد/ ١١]. والاقتحام: الدخول في الأمر الشاقّ بشدّة وجرأة.

ثمّ فسّر الله العقبة بقوله: فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ. أَوْ إِطْعامٌ فِي يَوْمٍ ذِي مَسْغَبَةٍ [البلد/ ١٣-١٤]. فالعقبة كناية عن الأعمال الصالحة الشاقّة على النفس.
Al-Raghib — English
[Root: '-q-b]

Al-'aqabah is a rugged mountain pass. Allah says: "But he did not iqtahama (brave) the 'aqabah (steep route)" [Al-Balad/11]. Iqtiham means to plunge into a difficult matter with courage and resolve.

Allah then defines the 'aqabah: "the freeing of a neck, or feeding on a day of starvation" [Al-Balad/13-14]. The 'aqabah is a metaphor for righteous deeds that are difficult for the self.
📝The imagery is powerful: doing good is like climbing a steep mountain pass. It is hard, but the view from the top is worth it. Allah is telling us that goodness requires effort and sacrifice.
رَقَبَة Raqabah Ayah 13 — "The freeing of a neck."
Light Definition
العنق، كناية عن تحرير الإنسان من العبودية A neck; a metonym for freeing a person from bondage
Al-Raghib — Arabic
[رقب]
الرَّقَبَةُ: العنق. وعُبّر بها عن الإنسان كلّه تسمية للكلّ باسم الجزء. قال تعالى: فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ [البلد/ ١٣]، أي: تحرير إنسان من الرقّ. وقال: فَتَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ مُؤْمِنَةٍ [النساء/ ٩٢].
Al-Raghib — English
[Root: r-q-b]

Al-raqabah is the neck. It is used to refer to the entire person, naming the whole by a part. Allah says: "Fakku raqabah (the freeing of a neck)" [Al-Balad/13], meaning: liberating a person from slavery. He also says: "then the freeing of a believing neck (slave)" [Al-Nisa'/92].
مَسْغَبَة Masghabah Ayah 14 — "Or the feeding on a day of starvation."
Light Definition
المجاعة الشديدة Severe hunger and famine
Al-Raghib — Arabic
[سغب]
السَّغَبُ: الجوع الشديد. والمَسْغَبَة: المجاعة. قال تعالى: أَوْ إِطْعامٌ فِي يَوْمٍ ذِي مَسْغَبَةٍ [البلد/ ١٤]، أي: الإطعام في وقت المجاعة والشدّة، وهو أعظم أجرًا لأنّ الحاجة فيه أشدّ.
Al-Raghib — English
[Root: s-gh-b]

Al-saghab is severe hunger. Al-masghabah is famine. Allah says: "Or feeding on a day of masghabah (starvation)" [Al-Balad/14], meaning: feeding others during a time of famine and hardship. This is greater in reward because the need is more desperate.
تَوَاصَوْا Tawasaw Ayah 17 — "And enjoined upon one another patience and compassion."
Light Definition
أوصى بعضهم بعضًا، تبادلوا النصيحة To mutually advise and enjoin upon one another
Al-Raghib — Arabic
[وصي]
التَّوَاصِي: أن يوصي بعضهم بعضًا. وهو على وزن تفاعل الذي يدلّ على المشاركة. قال تعالى: وَتَواصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ وَتَواصَوْا بِالْمَرْحَمَةِ [البلد/ ١٧]، وقال: وَتَواصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَواصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ [العصر/ ٣].

والتواصي بالصبر والمرحمة يعني أنّ كلّ فرد في المجتمع المؤمن يذكّر الآخر ويشجّعه.
Al-Raghib — English
[Root: w-s-y]

Al-tawasi means to mutually advise one another. It follows the tafa'ul pattern indicating reciprocity and participation. Allah says: "And they tawasaw (enjoined upon one another) patience and tawasaw (enjoined upon one another) compassion" [Al-Balad/17], and: "And enjoined upon one another truth and enjoined upon one another patience" [Al-'Asr/3].

The mutual enjoining of patience and compassion means every individual in the believing community reminds and encourages the other.
الْمَيْمَنَة Al-Maymanah Ayah 18 — "Those are the fellows of the rightness."
Light Definition
اليُمْن والبركة، أو جهة اليمين Blessedness; or the right side (of honour)
Al-Raghib — Arabic
[يمن]
المَيْمَنَةُ: من اليُمْن وهو البركة. وأصحاب الميمنة: أصحاب البركة والسعادة. وقيل: هم الذين يُؤتَون كتبهم بأيمانهم. قال تعالى: أُولئِكَ أَصْحابُ الْمَيْمَنَةِ [البلد/ ١٨]، وقال: فَأَصْحابُ الْمَيْمَنَةِ ما أَصْحابُ الْمَيْمَنَةِ [الواقعة/ ٨].
Al-Raghib — English
[Root: y-m-n]

Al-maymanah comes from al-yumn meaning blessedness and good fortune. Ashab al-maymanah are the people of blessing and felicity. It is also said: they are those who receive their records in their right hands. Allah says: "Those are ashab al-maymanah (the fellows of the rightness)" [Al-Balad/18], and: "The companions of the right, what are the companions of the right?" [Al-Waqi'ah/8].
مُّؤْصَدَة Mu'sadah Ayah 20 — "Over them is a fire with no exit."
Light Definition
مُطبَقة مُغلَقة لا منفذ منها Sealed shut, closed over them with no escape
Al-Raghib — Arabic
[أصد]
الإيصادُ: الإطباق والإغلاق. قال تعالى: عَلَيْهِمْ نارٌ مُؤْصَدَةٌ [البلد/ ٢٠]، أي: مُطبَقة عليهم مُغلَقة لا يُفتح لهم فيها باب ولا يخرجون منها أبدًا. وقال: إِنَّها عَلَيْهِمْ مُؤْصَدَةٌ. فِي عَمَدٍ مُمَدَّدَةٍ [الهمزة/ ٨-٩].
Al-Raghib — English
[Root: '-s-d]

Al-isad means to seal shut and close completely. Allah says: "Over them is a fire mu'sadah (sealed shut)" [Al-Balad/20], meaning: it is sealed over them, closed, with no door opened for them and they will never exit. He also says: "Indeed, it will be sealed over them, in extended columns" [Al-Humazah/8-9].