Meccan·Surah 90

البلد

Surah Al-Balad — Ayah 12

The City

20 Ayahs·Verse 90:12
90:12

وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلْعَقَبَةُ

And what can make you know what is [breaking through] the difficult pass?

Context in Surah Al-Balad

Nearby ayahs help place verse 90:12 in sequence and meaning.

وَهَدَيْنَـٰهُ ٱلنَّجْدَيْنِ

And have shown him the two ways?

فَلَا ٱقْتَحَمَ ٱلْعَقَبَةَ

But he has not broken through the difficult pass.

فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ

It is the freeing of a slave

أَوْ إِطْعَـٰمٌ فِى يَوْمٍ ذِى مَسْغَبَةٍ

Or feeding on a day of severe hunger