In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

1. I swear by this city [Makkah],

2. You [Oh Prophet] are a resident of this city.

3. By the begetter and the begotten,

4. Truly, We created humanity to toil in hardship.

5. Does he think that none will ever have power over him (to take him to task)?

6. He says, “I have wasted much wealth,”

7. Does he think that no one sees him?

8. Did we not endow him with two eyes,

9. A tongue, and two lips?

10. And guide him to the two highways [grateful (shukr) vs. ungrateful and defiant (kufr); debauchery (fujur) vs God-awareness (taqwa)]?

11. Yet he has not attempted the steep path (‘aqabah) (and difficult ascent).

12. And what will make you understand what the steep path is?

13. (It is) to free a slave,

14. Or to feed (the destitute) on a day of hunger,

15. An orphaned relative,

16. Or a poor person in dire need.

17. Then one will be of those who keep the faith and exhort one another to patience and perseverance and exhort one another to compassion.

18. They are the companions of the right.

19. And as for those who disbelieve in Our signs, they are the companions of the left,

20. (And) upon them is a fire enclosed.

This chapter, similar to other short chapters, begins with God asserting a solemn oath:

[90:1] I swear by this city [Makkah],
Some scholars opine that the prefix lā to the oath configuration, lā uqsimu (لا أُقْسِمُ) is positioned for emphasis and is not the lā of negation. Lā uqsimu is repeated eight times in the Qur’an, and every time it is invoked in the name of a magnificent phenomenon. For example, in 75:1 God swears by the Day of Resurrection and in 75:2 by the self-reproaching self (an-nafs-ul-lawwāmah). In general, it appears that He resorts to this mode of oath taking when addressing concealed and imperceptible subject matters that are difficult for us to discern and understand.
“This city” refers to Makkah. Thus this oath could be interpreted as “I do not (i.e., the lā of negation) want to assert an oath to this city” (although it is worthy of such, given its sanctity) or “Indeed, I do (lā of emphasis) swear by this city.” Either way, it shows the high regard in which Makkah is held.

[90:2] You [Oh Prophet] are a resident of this city.
The first solemn oath is taken in the name of Makkah, Muhammad’s hometown, and its status.

[90:3] By the begetter and the begotten,
The second oath is vowed in the name of every parent or child, regardless of gender, and to whatever else is born.
The upshot and conclusion of the two oaths are:

[90:4] Truly, We created humanity to toil in hardship.
The word kabad (misery, distress; كبد) denotes that a person is afflicted with suffering and hardship. One may wonder what relationship there is between these oaths and “the creation of humanity into distress and hardship”?
In order to answer this question, we need to review Makkah’s history and geography. Those who have been fortunate enough to make pilgrimage may have observed that not only is the city situated in a harsh land covered with volcanic rocks, which is devoid of vegetation, trees, and orchards, but that it is also incredibly hot and subject to extreme weather conditions. As history would have it, when Abraham, Hagar, and Ishmael emigrated from the lush landscape of Babel and the Mediterranean to this barren desert, the difference was so stark that 14:37 states that he noted its harshness. He eventually settled his family in a barren valley where nothing could be cultivated or grown.
Most cities are founded near a river, a sea, or at least a spring where the lush arable land can be cultivated and agriculture can thrive. This creates business opportunities, professions, and commerce that, in turn, bring prosperity. Makkah’s barren landscape rendered cultivation impossible and offered almost no financial or professional prospects for its inhabitants. Commerce existed only for the Qurayshi elite and a few local tribesmen. Due to the lack of safety and security, the city’s merchants had to pay protection money to the surrounding nomadic tribes for safe passage and the guarantee that goods purchased in Yemen or Syria would actually reach Makkah. Thus, trade caravans were not plentiful.
Ali aptly describes these severe conditions in the following (summarized) terms: God established His “House” in the stoniest part of the world, in a barren land of boulders, and in one of the world’s narrowest valleys. Makkah is walled in by two mountains, Safā and Marwah, which are about 1,000 feet apart. The terrain, surrounded by a desert with enormous sand dunes, is nearly impossible to traverse. The few hamlets, far away from each other, are located along trickling streams that can hardly quench a camel’s thirst, let alone that of other beasts of burden.
Ali continues to narrate that if the Glorious Lord had willed, He could have established His honored “House” among gardens and springs, on a flat land surrounded by orchards, thriving villages, fields of wheat, roads, green pastures, and plantations. Or He could have at least located it in the peninsula’s fertile areas. He could have instructed Abraham to build it using such precious gems as amethysts, emeralds, or even gold to make it so luminous and brilliant that it would have mesmerized people and drawn them to itself from near and far. However, doing so would have resolved their inner doubts and hesitations. But as Ali notes, God tests His devotees via trials and tribulations co-joined with suffering and distress.
Historically, conflicts and disputes between different religious belief systems and schools of thought were centralized in Makkah. Ever since Abraham had constructed (or more accurately, rebuilt) God’s “House,” and perhaps even before him, the battle between truth (monotheism) and falsehood (polytheism) was a normal affair in the city. At this time, most people in the rest of the world lived in ideologically homogenous societies and followed the same tradition. This continuous tumult was still raging when Muhammad’s prophetic mission commenced.
Muhammad was a native son who came from the same lineage as Abraham, who had immigrated to Makkah with his second wife Hagar and their son Ishmael; his other son Isaac remained in their ancestral land with his mother Sara, Abraham’s first wife. Ishmael’s successors inhabited Arabia, and Muhammad was destined to be the final bearer of God’s message to humanity. As the last member of this lineage, he became known as the “seal of the prophets.” Given this reality, it is completely befitting for God to take an oath in the name of both Makkah and the Prophet.
History testifies that Muhammad had a very difficult childhood. His father died before he was born and his mother passed away eight years after his birth on a return journey after visiting his father’s grave near Madinah. His grandfather Abd-ul-Muttalib then raised him until his own death two years later, after which his uncle Abū Tālib became his guardian. This orphaned Qurayshi child, the product of a long history of pain and suffering, was commissioned to start his prophetic ministry in a place inundated with poverty, backwardness, and spiritual ignorance – a reality that only exacerbated his own pain and misery.
Although during the era of Jāhiliyyah the Arabs engaged in the repugnant practice of female infanticide, they did possess a positive trait: a homogenous lifestyle and tradition. The advent of Islam disturbed the status quo and engendered conflict, a conflict so intense that during the twenty-three years of his mission, on average one battle was imposed upon the Prophet every forty days. Muslims had no choice but to put all that they had on the line to defend their faith from annihilation.
During the mission’s early years, many Muslims were tortured and murdered. This situation eventually became so intolerable that the Prophet sent some of his Companions to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) around 615 and others to Madinah in 622 to request asylum. Even the Prophet himself, after thirteen years, was forced to flee to Madinah under the cover of darkness. During that night, a group of plotters entered his house in order to murder him; however, they found Ali sleeping in his bed. His unflinching loyalty to and sacrifice for the Prophet enabled the latter to reach a safe area by making the conspirators think that he was still asleep. This persecution persisted even after the Prophet’s emigration for the Makkan enemies continued to conspire relentlessly to uproot Islam. The Muslims had to endure extremely difficult conditions for twenty-three years. As a result, God’s taking oaths on Mak-kah’s history and geography, and the Prophet’s turbulent life there, carry a special significance.
In the third verse, God takes an oath on any birth by a woman or a female animal, as birth is generally associated with extreme pain and suffering. The more evolved the species is, the more painful the process. For example, certain plant species disperse their seeds to germinate and thus play no role in nurturing them. More evolved species, such as animals, play a more active role in rearing their offspring. Women, who comprise half of the most advanced species, not only experience the most painful childbirths but also have to carry the child for nine months, after which they breastfeed him or her for up to two years.
Most animals lick their offspring to cleanse them. Their newborns do not require much attention, for as soon as they are born they stand up and begin to walk. In contrast, human parents, especially mothers, remain concerned about their children’s wellbeing, watch over them sometimes until they are married, and often sacrifice their own comfort and wellbeing for them. Therefore, humans are created in hardship and women experience the most difficulty in terms of giving birth. Our children are entrusted to us by God, Who breathes His spirit into them and entrusts them to their parents. The married couple then decides how much toil and suffering they are prepared to endure, along with how much they will sacrifice, as part of their investment in their children.
In short, the first two oaths point to the pain and suffering of life, childbirth, and, in general, anything that is born, grows, and develops in this world. It is appropriate here to use dialectics, a form of examining and reasoning based upon a thesis and an antithesis, to explain this from another perspective. Nature thrives on contrarieties, meaning that every force has an opposite force. The outcome of their interaction is a synthesis. Hardship and suffering made Muhammad the person that he turned out to be, and it was these two forces that spread Islam. The resulting synthesis was its rapid spread, within a span of thirty to forty years. Thus, one can conclude from these examples that humans are created in hardship.
It is important to remember that insān (human being; انْسَان) has many synonyms in the Qur’an, among them bashar (بشر), bariyyah (بريّة), and nās (ناس), each of which expresses a different aspect of our humanness. For example, bashar usually refers to a person’s physical body, whereas insān, derived from the same root as nās (people) and ins (humanity; إِنس), denotes character. Verse 4 uses insān in reference to human beings when it states: “Truly, We created humanity (insān) to toil in hardship,” for it is addressing a person’s character by inferring that this is the result of life’s difficulties and hardships.
Similarly, those who long to grow in humanity and nurture their inner self and character must strive hard. This is true no matter what kind of goal is being pursued, for striving is integral as there are no short-cuts to success. For example, a person who is determined to acquire knowledge has to work hard, even to the extent of sacrificing many of life’s pleasures and studying far into the night. This same principle applies to building up one’s muscles, losing weight, and other common undertakings.
The preposition fī (in; فِي) in this partial verse, al-insān fī kabad (human being in distress and hardship; الْإِنْسَان فِي كَبَد), also connotes this view of human life and character formation. There is ample evidence of this truth in human history, especially in the lives of the prophets, all of whom were shepherds who endured very hard lives, as well as other notable figures who faced great hardships. For example, Moses led his people into the desolate land of Sinai and then had to wander around it for forty years because they had disobeyed God. Even though some of the most eminent humanitarians and scientists come from advantaged backgrounds, their lives were far from easy. What propels people to rise to the occasion are the challenges they face in life.
The next verse addresses those who mistakenly imagine they will somehow be spared from such things.

[90:5] Does he think that none will ever have power over him (to take him to task)?
Do people think that they are independent and self-sufficient, that their limited power is more compelling and mightier than His? Do they think that they can attain everything by resorting to their knowledge base and powerful intellects? Have they ever wondered who originally endowed them with this power?
The particle lan (لَنْ) is prefixed to a future-tense verb to denote an impossibility: Such people will never believe that an Omnipotent Power has full control over them. Do they imagine that they will never be held responsible for their words and deeds?

[90:6] He says, “I have wasted much wealth,”
They want to show their might by throwing away their wealth on frivolous things. In fact, they take delight in boasting about doing so, for “How I spend my money is nobody’s business.”

[90:7] Does he think that no one sees him?
Do they imagine that the universe has no manager or watcher? Do they surmise that they can do as they wish because they have free will and will never be called to account because the whole universe revolves around them? This is the mentality of those who have no use for logic, principles, law, religion, or conscience. Such people’s “logic” is: “We are free to do as we please, so whatever lifestyle we choose is nobody’s business.”
The following verses reiterate and elaborate upon a few reminders.

[90:8] Did we not endow him with two eyes,

[90:9] A tongue, and two lips?
The Qur’an usually cites the three parts of the body that raise humans’ understanding and awareness: one’s eyes, ears, and heart. This verse, however, replaces “ears” with “lips and tongue,” perhaps because hearing only functions when there is a sound that can be heard and understood. Hearts are also affected by what transpires in the outside world. On the other hand, a person’s eyes and tongue are always actively engaged and discovering the surrounding world. Who makes this possible if not God? Is your claim that you, on your own, amassed all of your wealth and power even tenable? What force enabled these bodily parts to seek, discover, and understand?
Sight is a complex faculty that exists even in the womb’s abject darkness, although a fetus has no use for it and cannot imagine how it might be utilized. It is by God’s grand design that the eyes start functioning at that time so that a new-born child, when he is born into this world, can actually see it.
Briefly speaking, specific autonomic functions control those movements of the muscle that enables the eyes to focus on objects both near and far. The muscles of the iris control how much light enters the eyes, and the secretions from the lacrimal gland keep their corneas moist. Yet the eyes perform many other functions as well, such as the light reflex. Eyes are made of many complex parts, among them the amniotic membrane, iris, and crystalline lens. Eyelashes protect them from the sun’s rays and divert sweat from one’s eyebrows and forehead. The forehead’s brow protects them when the person falls. Far more research needs to be done to complete our understanding of the eyes’ functions.
Eyes work in tandem with the brain in an amazing display of God’s creative power. The information they collect (e.g., color, luminosity, and shape) is converted into a series of electrical impulses that are transferred to the brain by neurons. After being processed and interpreted at an incredible speed, the brain determines the object’s identity. In the next stage, the information is recorded for future retrieval. The design of digital cameras, which store pictures in their memory chips, is based on the eye’s structure. However, technology has yet to duplicate its complexity, for no camera can store billions of pictures and retrieve them instantly upon demand. So then, verse 8 poses the question: “Who has granted you this gift of two symmetrical eyes if not Us?” How would we perceive objects if we had only one eye, for if that were the case we could not perceive depth or discern distance, perspective, and dimension.
Verse 9 reminds us that God has also blessed us with a tongue so that we can express ourselves verbally. Moreover, it has a totally unrelated second function: to enable us to differentiate at least four, if not more, tastes. It mixes food with saliva and then moves it around the mouth to shape it into balls or small pieces so that it can be swallowed. And, in concert with one’s lips, lungs, and larynx, it enables us to make sounds and communicate through language. If our lips, chin, and tongue were immobile, we would be unable to speak. We might feel relaxed, happy, and sentimental when we hear the voice of our favorite singer. But have we ever wondered who endowed him or her with such a wondrous voice? Who gifted humanity with such blessings and aptitude? Truly, what could we achieve in the absence of sight, hearing, and speech?

[90:10] And guide him to the two highways [grateful (shukr) vs. ungrateful and defiant (kufr); debauchery (fujūr) vs God-awareness (taqwā)]?
Najdayn (نجديْن) means two conspicuous high plains (highways), namely, the domains of virtue and vice. God has not abandoned humanity to its own devices, but has, in fact, provided a criterion by which its members can distinguish between good and evil, beauty and ugliness, and halāl and harām. The Qur’an details these conflicting and divergent poles.
In 76:1–3, God makes an analogous argument to highlight the same point: “Was there not a time when man was not even worth a mention?” (76:1), that is, humanity was too insignificant and miniscule to be noticed? “We created man from a mingled fluid in order to test him; giving him hearing and sight” (76:2), namely, the One who created humanity bestowed various aptitudes upon its members and then tested them. We simultaneously equipped people with hearing and sight and then “showed him the way” (76:3). This guidance ranges from informing the body’s organs of how to perform their duties to directing people to the right path by sending prophets to relay His religious principles and precepts (shari‘ah). And yet He allows each person to select either the path of gratitude or ingratitude (76:3), deny His existence, or claim that he or she is the result of nature’s blind and purposeless forces.

[90:11] Yet he has not attempted the steep path (‘aqabah) (and difficult ascent).
‘Aqabah (عقبة) means a steep, narrow, and difficult ascent like the road in the upper part of a mountain. Iqtahama (اقْتَحَمَ), a verb form VIII, carries the general meaning of accepting difficult tasks. The verse conveys the point that people are unwilling to undertake life’s challenges.

[90:12] And what will make you understand what the steep path is?
The Qur’an uses metaphorical language to explain that just as as-cending a mountain is demanding, many of life’s tasks are also onerous and require great exertion. However, many people do not want to deal with discomfort and therefore prefer to ignore such facts.
The next few verses enumerate some of these challenges.

[90:13] (It is) to free a slave,
Not many could afford to free a slave in ancient times, because doing so required a lot of economic resources. Moreover, slavery was not a common practice globally at the time this verse was revealed. As such, does fakkun raqabah here mean “to free a slave”? If so, how can we carry out this task today, when slavery has, at least officially and outwardly, been abolished? The answer is that we should not get stuck with this verse’s apparent meaning; rather, we should delve deeper into it by examining it from a higher perspective. The verse is made up of two words: fakk (فكّ), “to separate or split,” and raqabah (رقبة), “neck.” But what is “separating [the] neck” supposed to mean?
Humans are under the false pretense that they are free, whereas the invisible rope, namely, our whims and caprices, wrapped around our necks keeps us in bondage. Abraham was willing to cut this rope, which, in his case, was represented by his love for Ishmael. Through introspection we may discern the forces that have made us prisoners of our own caprice. Qur’an 7:157–58 proclaims that God sent Muhammad to liberate those who had gone astray, due to the weight of cultural servitude, and to remove the shackles from their necks and feet.
An anecdote customarily attributed to Moqaddas Ardebili (d. 1585) states that he saw Satan in a dream and noted that he held chains, ropes, and similar items in his hand. When somebody asked, “What are these for?” he replied, “This chain is earmarked for so and so. At the right moment, I will place it around his neck in order to pull him toward me. Chains are meant for those who resist my call and fail to surrender to me with ease.” The person, his curiosity aroused, then asked, “So where is my rope or chain?” Satan replied, “You have no need for one, because you hearken to my call effortlessly and move toward me voluntarily.”
The truth is that we are all prisoners of that which consumes our attention and energy and compels us to seek it incessantly, be it wealth, power, position, lust, or something else – all shackles that prevent us from attaining spiritual growth and perfection. The metaphor of “freeing the neck” is also used to impress upon us that we can become free only by liberating ourselves from that which has enslaved us.
Qur’an 36:8 highlights this same truth. These “chains” have gripped the enslaved people’s chins and pulled their heads so high that they cannot even see their own feet. Those in a more pathetic situation cannot even turn their heads – they are blind to the times, their community’s condition, the people’s poverty and suffering, and to all of the miseries afflicting their society. They spend their life like a horse tied to a mill that just keeps trudging around in circles.
Our shackles prevent us from growing spiritually. The first and most important step is freeing oneself from worldly attachments, all of which pin us to the ground and stop us from embarking upon our journey to the “summit.” Qur’an 9:38 addresses humanity: “Why do you continue to cling to this earthly life? Why are you content with it?”

[90:14] Or to feed (the destitute) on a day of hunger,
If one cannot emancipate a slave, consider liberating yourself from greed and possessiveness by feeding the poor and indigent so that they can move forward and be spared the self-humiliation of living the subsistence-level life of a beggar.
This verse encourages people to lend a helping hand to the less fortunate during tough economic times. Truly, in today’s world of dhī masghabah (ذِي مسغبة), a time full of socioeconomic injustice, there is no excuse for anyone who can contribute something to remain apathetic and blind. Those who can help are obliged to sacrifice for the have-nots, for this is what iqtaham-al-‘aqabah (to ascend the uphill roadاقْتَحَمَ الْعَقَبَة ;), found in verse 11, denotes. Even if they are living in a poverty-free society, they should seek out other opportunities to aid the community.

[90:15] An orphaned relative,
If emancipating a slave or feeding the indigent are not options, then consider searching within your extended family for orphans whom you can help. Orphans are not necessarily those whose parents have died, for in truth all of those who must fend for themselves are orphans. Regretfully, our modern world is plagued with this major social problem.

[90:16] Or a poor person in dire need.
Miskīn (poor, indigent; مسكين) denotes any person who has come to a standstill (sukūn, سكون) and can no longer move forward due to a physical or mental handicap or disability, low economic status, and so on. One can start by helping out those who are unable to meet their most basic needs and, as a result, cannot pursue an ordinary life and make progress.
If you were to help such people, how would this experience affect you? Would you experience any change and/or alteration in your worldview? The next verse answers this question and underlines the transformation of those who “free their necks” by helping others.

[90:17] Then one will be of those who keep the faith and exhort one another to patience and perseverance and exhort one another to compassion.
This verse begins with thumma (then, gradually; ثُمَّ ) and kāna (bring into existence; كَانَ) to signify that character building and societal advancement are the result of passing through trials and tribulations. Those who have “freed their necks” ascend and join others who hold a lofty perspective, those who behold further horizons and magnificent mountain sceneries, and who inhale pure air. This is why one should surround oneself with virtuous people, as God tells us to do in 12:101 and 26:83. Qur’an 4:69 also points out the blessing of having companions who are truthful, righteous, and testify to the truth. How blissful will be the existence of such people.
This process consists of three steps: entering into a state of safety and security (amān), enjoining mutual patience (sabr), and, finally, mutual compassion (marhamah).Interestingly, this combination of patience andcompassion occurs only in this verse. The late Ayatollah Tāleghānī writes that this unique occurrence should be understood as follows: The first part of the phrase indicates the process of self-liberation from the bondage of one’s ego, whereas the second part involves that person’s attempts to free society from its chains. While it is true that the inhumane custom of slavery has been outlawed and there are no slaves in the traditional sense of the word, freedom in its totality remains unachieved. This sacred human right includes the freedom of expression, religion, and conscience, as well as of political assembly and the right to express political dissent. In the greater scheme of things, it means the ability to free everyone from their internal and external chains.
Unlike the previous verses, which were addressed to the individual, this verse brings a teamwork-related problem to our attention. All people involved on a project eventually get on each other’s nerves. Disagreements cause disputes and stress leads to conflict, for this is the nature of teamwork. This verse points out several virtues that should be manifested during such projects: patience and compassion, affection and forgiveness. Clearly, the project’s success requires that we restrain our egos and encourage mutual forgiveness, affection, and compassion.
The imperative tawāsaw (mutual counseling and encouragement; تَوَاصَوْا) is derived from verbal form III and therefore denotes ongoing mutual advising and encouragement so that all involved can imbibe virtues. A person struggling toward the “summit” requires this perpetual and reciprocal encouragement to prevent slipping back into despair or exhaustion.
The phrase “exhort one another to patience and compassion” reminds us of the need to invoke perseverance, affection, and forgiveness so that we will not find ourselves on the verge of losing patience or feeling unappreciated. However, becoming disheartened and then withdrawing and sulking only move us away from our stations of selflessness, spirituality, and liberation and toward self-centeredness, along with losing our focus on noble objectives. These are some of the hazards of engaging in teamwork.
This verse warns us that overpowering the ego and helping the indigent does not mean that we have freed ourselves from Satan’s machinations, but only that the form, approach, and tactics of his whisperings and seductions have changed. Regardless of our level of spiritual development, his ultimate objective remains the same: to ensnare us in his traps and deceptions. As such, the righteous must advise one another to be patient, kind, and forgiving so that they may bring their benevolent social project to a successful conclusion.

[90:18] They are the companions of the right.
Such people always grow in spiritual perfection and flourish, just like flowers that are always fresh, growing, and blooming. When they associate with others, their qualities become imbued in them because it is their nature to bloom and flourish. Indeed, this is the path of maymanah (flourishing), falāh (successful), and fawz (victorious).

[90:19] And as for those who disbelieve in Our signs, they are the companions of the left,
In contrast, those who deny Our signs are destined to come to an evil end. Kafarū (deny; كَفَرُوا) literally means “to cover,” as in “They cover Our signs” by not utilizing, for example, their ears and eyes for their intended purpose and ignore His command to climb the “uphill road of ascendance.” They expect their path to be one of ease and comfort at all times. This is similar to a student who desires to become educated without engaging in any serious prolonged studying. What a tragedy for those who spend their lives in ignorance, idleness, and inattentiveness, for they are making no provision for their final journey. They have cursed their existence and lost themselves in evil.

[90:20] (And) upon them is a fire enclosed.
They will be burned by the fire that originates within their own selves and overwhelms them.

Translator: Mohammad Fani
Editor: Hamid Mavani