Surah Details
ENGLISH NAME: The City.
CHAPTER NUMBER: 90
SURAH BALAD TOTAL VERSES: 20
SURAH BALAD TOTAL WORDS: 82
TOTAL UNIQUE WORDS WITHOUT REPETITION: 70
TOTAL LETTERS: 342
REVELATION PERIOD:
Meccan, Approx. 617 – 619 AD.

Summary Of Surah
1-5(God Swears By The City Where Muhammad Lives, And By Father And Its Progeny, We Created Man Into Hardship, Does he think that never will anyone overcome him?), 6-10 (God Created Man And Shown Him Two Ways),11-16(Man Avoid The Difficult Path I.E Freeing Of Slave, Feeding Poor And Helping The Needy), 17-20(Traits Of Companions Of Right Hand And Companions of Left Hand)

Explanation And Back Ground
This Surah has 20 verses. It takes its name from verse 1: “لَا أُقْسِمُ بِهَٰذَا الْبَلَدِ” ( I swear by this city) where the word “البلد” meaning “The City” appears. This Surah was revealed in Mecca most probably in a middle stage of Prophet Muhammad’s preaching in Mecca when persecution had already started.

The Surah begins with an Oath/swear of Two things: “The City” and “By the Begetter and that which he Begot”. It talks about the different stages of human life. This world is not the place of real rest and comfort. It is not a place where man will live forever and enjoy life, but here he has been created into labor and struggle. Here is the test of human beings to do good deeds, and then the final judgment will be in the Hereafter. Each person is granted with two different paths, one towards the right, the other towards the wrong, and each individual is able to exercise free will by choosing his own path.