Surah Al-Balad (90) — Ayah 1

( Ayah 1 to 4 ) {لَاۤ اُقْسِمُ بِهٰذَا الْبَلَدِ …:} Before the oath, by saying {’’ لَا ‘‘} (No), the statement of those people has been negated who deny the statement that comes after the oath. After several oaths, Allah Almighty said, Surely We have created man in hardship. If he thinks that he has come into the world for luxury and comfort, then his thought is wrong. To instill certainty in this reality, the first oath is by the city of Makkah, which is also evidence for this claim, because the beginning of the population of this city, the life of Ismail (peace be upon him) and his mother, the subsequent history, especially the life of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) while residing in this city, his orphanhood and helplessness, after the responsibility of prophethood his own people becoming intent on taking his life, all these things bear witness that man is certainly created in hardship. After this, there is the oath by the begetter parents and the child they beget. The hardships that parents have to endure from the desire to have children to their upbringing, and the hardships that the child they beget goes through from being a drop of fluid to birth, then from birth to childhood, youth, and old age, all of this proves this reality. Throughout this entire period, from beginning to end, he continues to endure hardships and difficulties, sometimes afflicted with illness, sometimes in grief, sometimes in poverty and hunger, sometimes in some other worry. Even if a moment of happiness or comfort ever comes, it is always accompanied by some hardship; if nothing else, the worry of its loss is enough to spoil it.