Surah 100. Al-'Adiyat

---

Verses [Section]: 1-11[1]

---

Quran Text of Verse 1-11100. Al-'Adiyatبِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِوَ الْعٰدِیٰتِBy the racersضَبْحًاۙpanting فَالْمُوْرِیٰتِAnd the producers of sparksقَدْحًاۙstriking فَالْمُغِیْرٰتِAnd the chargersصُبْحًاۙ(at) dawn فَاَثَرْنَThen raiseبِهٖtherebyنَقْعًاۙdust فَوَسَطْنَThen penetrate (in the) centerبِهٖtherebyجَمْعًاۙ(of) troops اِنَّIndeedالْاِنْسَانَmankindلِرَبِّهٖto his Lordلَكَنُوْدٌۚ(is) surely ungrateful وَ اِنَّهٗAnd indeed heعَلٰیtoذٰلِكَthatلَشَهِیْدٌۚsurely (is) a witness وَ اِنَّهٗAnd indeed he (is)لِحُبِّin (the) loveالْخَیْرِ(of) wealthلَشَدِیْدٌؕ(is) surely intense اَفَلَاBut does notیَعْلَمُhe knowاِذَاwhenبُعْثِرَwill be scatteredمَاwhatفِی(is) inالْقُبُوْرِۙthe graves 100. Al-'Adiyat Page 600وَ حُصِّلَAnd is made apparentمَاwhatفِی(is) inالصُّدُوْرِۙthe breasts اِنَّIndeedرَبَّهُمْtheir Lordبِهِمْabout themیَوْمَىِٕذٍthat Dayلَّخَبِیْرٌ۠(is) surely All-Aware

---

Translation of Verse 1-11In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

(100:1) By (the horses) that charge snorting,¹

(100:2) then raise sparks of fire (by their hoofs),²

(100:3) then raid by the dawn,³

(100:4) and blaze a trail of dust,

(100:5) and penetrate deep into a host.

(100:6) Verily man is most ungrateful to his Lord;⁴

(100:7) and he himself is a witness to that,⁵

(100:8) and surely he loves riches with a passionate loving.⁶

(100:9) Is he not aware that when whatever lies (buried) in the graves is overthrown;⁷

(100:10) and the secrets of the hearts are laid bare (and examined)?⁸

(100:11) Surely on that Day will their Lord be fully informed about them.⁹

---

Commentary

1. The verse speaks of only the charges, without specifying them as charging horses. Accordingly, there is some difference of opinion as to the meaning of this word. Some Companions and Successors take it as an allusion to horses, while others identify camels on this count. Most scholars, however, prefer the former interpretation, for what the following verses describe about these charges — their snorting, their raising sparks of fire from their hooves, and their blazing a trail of dust while raiding, all of which is more applicable to horses. Ibn Jarir contends: “Of the two views, the one specifying horses is preferable. For only horses, not camels snort, and Allah mentions in particular their snorting in the verse.” Imam Razi affirms: “The import of the verse is loud and clear: only horses snort, and raise sparks of fire from their hooves and it is easier and more practical to employ horses for raids.”

2. This indicates their charging at night. For the sparks of fire raised by their hooves are visible only at night.

3. Raiding by night was a fairly common practice among Arabs in order to catch. victims unaware. They mounted their attacks ' - however at early dawn, as things became visible, knowing too that this was a good time to avoid detection and retaliation by their victims.

4. That man is ungrateful to his Lord is brought home with the help of the oath to the horses “that charge snorting, raise - sparks of fire (from their hooves), raid by the dawn and blaze a trail of dust and penetrate deep into the host,” (Verses 1-5). Surprisingly enough, most Qur’anic scholars relate the above account to the horses of Muslim warriors, that penetrate deep into the unbelievers’ army. However, the main truth adduced in this passage is man’s ingratitude to his Lord. The charging horses of Muslim warriors and their attacks on the unbelievers’ army has nothing to do with this truth. Nor does the thrust of the following verses about man’s love of wealth fit in with the reference to Muslim warriors. Therefore, it must be realized that Verses 1-5 of this Surah underscore the rampant lawlessness and bloodshed in the then Arabia. In the Jahiliyah period, people dreaded night in that they apprehended raids. Only by morning did they feel relieved. Not only were Arab tribes engaged in internecine feuds, they used: to conduct raids for robbing one another of their wealth and cattle and for enslaving their women and children. As horses were used in these raids, Allah cites the same as the manifestation of man’s ingratitude to Him. He did not grant man powers, faculties and resources for waging war and for shedding blood. This abuse of power betrays man’s ingratitude. He abuses divine bounties for causing corruption on earth, which is loathed by Allah.

5. Man’s own conscience, his misdeeds and the unbelievers’ utterances testify to their ungratefulness. They openly deny Allah’s existence, what to speak of acknowledging His favors to them and expressing gratitude for these.

6. The verse speaks of man’s passionate love of riches. It is worth clarifying: that the word khayr does not-mean goodness only; rather, it connotes wealth as well. In the latter sense, it is also employed in Verse 180 of al-Baqarah. The context determines its meaning as goodness or wealth. In the present verse, it evidently refers to riches. The whole account is about the ungrateful man whose misconduct betrays his ingratitude: he has no inclination towards good.

7. The dead will be brought back to life from their burial places.

8. Even the secrets of the heart and man’s innermost motives, considerations and concerns behind his actions will be laid bare on the Day of Judgement in order to distinguish good from evil. In other words, divine Judgement will not be based on appearances; it will take into account man’s innermost secrets and motives for his actions. On reflection, one recognizes that full and real justice will be dispensed only in the Hereafter. The atheistic laws operating in this world recognize, in principle, the importance of one’s intention underlying an act, but not the act itself. However, no court in this world has the means to ascertain man’s true intention. Only Allah can assess man’s motives and recompense him accordingly. It also emerges from the verse that divine Judgement will not be on the basis of the knowledge that Allah already has about man’s intentions and motives. Rather, the secrets of man’s heart will be divulged and his good and evil will be established in the open and in a transparent manner. That is why the verse makes a pointed reference to the laying bare of the secrets of the heart. Tahsil signifies discerning and classifying. Thus, man’s actions will be laid bare and assessed in terms of their goodness and evil. This point occurs elsewhere in the Qur’an thus: “On that Day when man’s deepest secrets shall be put to the test,” (al-Tariq 86: 9).

9. Allah knows well everyone’s standing in terms of the rewards and punishment due to him.