Surah Al Adiyat is one of the Qur’anic surahs that talks about the sky sent by rain and the earth flooded with plants and animals, and uses these natural phenomena as a sign of our faith in Allah and His great power, and Surah Al Adiyat carries a strong message about God’s ability to create and revive, and invites us to reflect on His greatness – Almighty – and thank Him for His great blessings.
In this article, we explain the most prominent connotations of the surah with its interpretation and explanation of the reasons for its revelation.
Date and Reasons for the Revelation of Surah Al-Adiyat
Surah Al Adiyat is a Meccan surah named after its mention of “Al-Adiyat” (the swift horses) in its opening verses. The surah consists of 11 verses and is located in the thirtieth part of the Quran, with a placement of 100 in the order. It is mentioned that the reason behind its revelation is that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had sent a secret mission to a tribe called Kinanah.
The companion Al-Mundhir ibn ‘Amr Al-Ansari was appointed as the leader of the mission. However, their return was delayed, and the hypocrites spread rumors that they had been killed. Allah revealed this surah to inform Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) about the mission’s success and the well-being of its members.
In another interpretation, it is mentioned that the Prophet (peace be upon him) sent a secret mission to some people from the Kinanah tribe. Al-Mundhir ibn ‘Amr Al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) was appointed as their leader. They set out for the expedition, and their news was cut off from the Prophet (peace be upon him) for a period of time.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) became concerned about them, and some hypocrites planted doubts among the believers regarding the mission’s outcome. Then, the angel Gabriel (peace be upon him) came to reassure the Prophet (peace be upon him) about the progress of the mission, informing him that the mission had been successful and its members were in good condition.
Meanings of Surah Al-Adiyat
Surah Al Adiyat addresses several important themes, including:
- Emphasizing the greatness of Allah and His sovereignty, as well as His watchfulness over people.
- Describing human characteristics, particularly the qualities of stinginess and injustice.
- Warning about the horrors of the Day of Judgment and Allah’s retribution for people’s actions.
1- Emphasizing the Greatness of Allah
The surah begins by swearing an oath by “Al-Adiyat,” which refers to the swift horses that run and pant, indicating the swiftness of Allah’s accountability and the inevitability of punishment. The surah also mentions the Day of Resurrection, revealing the horrors of that day and Allah’s retribution for people’s actions. All of this signifies the greatness of Allah, His sovereignty, and His watchfulness over people.
2- Describing Human Characteristics
Surah Al Adiyat highlights certain human characteristics, including stinginess and injustice. In verse 6, Allah says, “Indeed, mankind, to his Lord, is ungrateful,” meaning that humans are unjust and accumulate wealth without spending it. This description applies to many people who are eager to accumulate wealth but are stingy towards themselves and others in need.
3- Warning about the Horrors of the Day of Judgment
Surah Al Adiyat discusses the horrors of the Day of Judgment and Allah’s retribution for people’s actions. In verse 9, Allah says, “Does man not know that when the contents of the graves are scattered,” indicating that people should realize that Allah will expose everything on the Day of Judgment and will reward individuals according to their deeds.
Tafsir of Surah Al Adiyat
وَٱلۡعَٰدِيَٰتِ ضَبۡحٗا (1) فَٱلۡمُورِيَٰتِ قَدۡحٗا (2) فَٱلۡمُغِيرَٰتِ صُبۡحٗا (3) فَأَثَرۡنَ بِهِۦ نَقۡعٗا (4) فَوَسَطۡنَ بِهِۦ جَمۡعًا (5) إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ لِرَبِّهِۦ لَكَنُودٞ (6) وَإِنَّهُۥ عَلَىٰ ذَٰلِكَ لَشَهِيدٞ (7) وَإِنَّهُۥ لِحُبِّ ٱلۡخَيۡرِ لَشَدِيدٌ (8) ۞أَفَلَا يَعۡلَمُ إِذَا بُعۡثِرَ مَا فِي ٱلۡقُبُورِ (9) وَحُصِّلَ مَا فِي ٱلصُّدُورِ (10) إِنَّ رَبَّهُم بِهِمۡ يَوۡمَئِذٖ لَّخَبِيرُۢ (11)
By the racers, breathing heavily,
Striking sparks by their hooves,
Raiding at dawn,
Stirring up dust in their swift advance,
Penetrating deep into the enemy ranks,
Indeed, mankind is ungrateful to his Lord,
And indeed, he is a witness to that,
And indeed, he is passionate in his love for good,
Does he not know that when the contents of the graves are scattered,
And that within the chests will be brought out,
Indeed, their Lord with them, that Day, is fully Aware.
“By the racers, breathing heavily.” It refers to the swift camels that run in a race, panting and raising dust as they run.
“Striking sparks by their hooves.” It refers to the swift camels that move quickly, causing sparks to fly from their hooves.
“Raiding at dawn.” It refers to the swift camels that travel early in the morning.
“Stirring up dust in their swift advance.” It means they raise dust as they move swiftly.
“Penetrating deep into the enemy ranks.” It means they surround the enemy.
“Indeed, mankind is ungrateful to his Lord.” It means that humans are unjust, stingy, and love wealth while being reluctant to spend it.
“And indeed, he is a witness to that.” It means that Allah is a witness to all their actions, their truthfulness, lies, belief, and disbelief.
“And indeed, he is passionate in his love for good.” It means that Allah loves goodness and desires people to do good while disliking evil.
“Does he not know that when the contents of the graves are scattered.” It means that humans should know that Allah will expose everything in the graves on the Day of Resurrection.
“And that within the chests will be brought out.” It means that Allah will reveal the secrets of people’s hearts, their good and evil deeds.
“Indeed, their Lord with them, that Day, is fully Aware.” It means that on that Day, their Lord is fully aware of their actions, what they concealed, and what they revealed.
In short, Surah Al-Adiyat gives us a deep insight into God’s ability to create and revive, reminds us of the great graces that Allah has given us, invites us to reflect on the greatness of God and thank Him for these blessings, and encourages us to use these graces to obey Allah and serve humanity.
The power of faith and piety stems from acknowledging Allah’s greatness and thanking Him for His grace. Based on this, Wahion Youha Academy seeks to intensify its courses to urge its students to prepare with certainty for this day, and students are also qualified by a group of teachers and specialists in Quranic sciences and Islamic studies, and the Academy provides free trial classes that you can now enroll.