Surah 90. Al-Balad

I do swear by this city 'of Mecca'-

  - Mustafa Khattab

I do call to witness this City ⁶¹³⁰

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The appeal to the close ties between the holy Prophet and his parent City of Makkah has been explained in the Introduction to this Sura. It is a symbol of man's own history. Man is born for toil and struggle, and this is the substantive proposition in verse 4 below, which this appeal leads up to.

even though you 'O Prophet' are subject to abuse in this city-

  - Mustafa Khattab

And thou art a freeman of this City ⁶¹³¹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Hillun: an inhabitant, a man with lawful rights, a man freed from such obligations as would attach to a stranger to the city, a freeman in a wider sense than the technical sense to which the word is restricted in modern usage. The Prophet should have been honoured in his native city. He was actually being persecuted. He should have been loved, as a parent loves a child. Actually his life was being sought, and those who believed in him were under a ban. But time was to show that he was to come triumphant to his native city after having made Madinah sacred by his life and work.

and by every parent and 'their' child!

  - Mustafa Khattab

And (the mystic ties of) Parent and Child ⁶¹³²

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

A parent loves a child: ordinarily the father is proud and the mother, in spite of her birth-pains, experiences supreme joy when the child is born. But in abnormal circumstances there may be misunderstanding, even hatred between parent and child. So Makkah cast out her most glorious son, but it was only for a time. Makkah was sound at heart; only her power had been usurped by an ignorant autocracy which passed away, and Makkah was to receive back her glory at the hands of the son whom she had rejected but whom she welcomed back later. And Makkah retains for all time her sacred character as the centre of Islam.

Indeed, We have created humankind in 'constant' struggle.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Verily We have created Man into toil and struggle. ⁶¹³³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. "Man is born unto troubles as the sparks fly upward" (Job, v. 7); "For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief" (Ecclesiastes, ii. 23). Man's life is full of sorrow and vexation; but our text has a different shade of meaning: man is born to strive and struggle; and if he suffers from hardships, he must exercise patience, for Allah will make his way smooth for him (lxv. 7; xciv. 5-6). On the other hand no man should boast of worldly goods or worldly prosperity (see verses 5-7 below).

Do they think that no one has power over them,

  - Mustafa Khattab

Thinketh he that none hath power over him? ⁶¹³⁴

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

See the end of last note. If a man has wealth, influence, or power, he should not behave as if it is to last for ever, or as if he has no responsibility for his acts and can do what he likes. All his gifts and advantages are given to him for trial. Allah, Who bestowed them on him, can take them away, and will do so if man fails in his trial.