Sūrat al-ʿĀdiyāt
سورۃ العادیات
Sūrat al-ʿĀdiyāt, Makkī — revealed in Makkah. It has eleven (11) āyāt.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
Bismillāhi l-Raḥmāni l-Raḥīm.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
وَالْعَادِيَاتِ ضَبْحًا
wa-l-ʿādiyāti ḍabḥā.
"By the racing (mares), panting." (al-ʿĀdiyāt 100:1)
Wa-l-ʿādiyāt — by the oath of the galloping ones — the horses who gallop — and it will bear witness to this matter. Ḍabḥā — the sound of gasping, the sound from the chest when running.
Translation: "By the galloping and panting (horses) — they give witness to this matter."
فَالْمُورِيَاتِ قَدْحًا
fa-l-mūriyāti qadḥā.
"Then those that strike sparks of fire." (al-ʿĀdiyāt 100:2)
Fa-l-mūriyāt — then those that set fire alight, those that set sparks flying — ūrī, yūrī — to kindle, to ignite fire. Qadḥā — chipping, striking, the way one makes sparks from a flint, striking a stone to make sparks fly — the sparks that come from hooves striking against stone.
Translation: "(Those horses running at high speed, because their hooves strike flints) produce sparks and scatter them."
فَالْمُغِيرَاتِ صُبْحًا
fa-l-mughīrāti ṣubḥā.
"Then those that make raids at dawn." (al-ʿĀdiyāt 100:3)
Fa-l-mughīrāt — then those that make raids, those that attack the enemy — raiding, looting, attacking and plundering. Ṣubḥā — in the morning, at the time of dawn — when at dawn the enemy is still half asleep and resting.
Translation: "Then in the morning (at dawn) those that raid and plunder (the enemy's crown and throne)."
فَأَثَرْنَ بِهِ نَقْعًا
fa-athharna bihi naqʿā.
"So they raise thereby a cloud of dust." (al-ʿĀdiyāt 100:4)
Fa-atharna — then they scattered. Bihi — with it, with this, in that moment. Naqʿā — dust and dirt, cloud of dust.
Translation: "So they (at full gallop) raise clouds of dust and dirt."
فَوَسَطْنَ بِهِ جَمْعًا
fa-wasaṭna bihi jamʿā.
"And penetrate thereby into the midst of a host." (al-ʿĀdiyāt 100:5)
Fa-wasaṭna — then they penetrate through, enter the middle, the interior. Bihi — with it, in this moment. Jamʿā — the assembly, the gathering — the congregation, the army.
Translation: "Then at that time (these horses of the enemy) penetrate deep into the army."
The horses obey their masters — but what does the ungrateful human being do?
إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لِرَبِّهِ لَكَنُودٌ
inna l-insāna li-rabbihi la-kanūd.
"Indeed, the human being is ungrateful to his Lord." (al-ʿĀdiyāt 100:6)
Inn — indeed. Al-insān — the human being. Li-rabbih — to his Lord, to his provider. Lā — certainly, surely. Kanūd — ungrateful, unthankful, refusing to recognise kindness.
Translation: "Indeed, the human being is greatly ungrateful to his Lord."
وَإِنَّهُ عَلَىٰ ذَٰلِكَ لَشَهِيدٌ
wa-innahu ʿalā dhālika la-shahīd.
"And indeed, he is a witness to that." (al-ʿĀdiyāt 100:7)
Wa — and. Inna — indeed. Huwa — he. ʿAlā dhālika — on this matter. La — certainly. Shahīd — a witness, who knows, who sees and is aware.
Translation: "And indeed he (of his own ingratitude) is also aware."
وَإِنَّهُ لِحُبِّ الْخَيْرِ لَشَدِيدٌ
wa-innahu li-ḥubbi l-khayri la-shadīd.
"And indeed, in his love of wealth he is intense." (al-ʿĀdiyāt 100:8)
Wa-innahu — and indeed he. Li — for, due to. Ḥubb — love, desire, passion. Al-khayr — wealth and property — la-shadīd — intense, very great — in his love of wealth, he is firmly entrenched in worldly attachment.
Translation: "And indeed he is very great in his desire (for worldly wealth), intensely fond of it."
أَفَلَا يَعْلَمُ إِذَا بُعْثِرَ مَا فِي الْقُبُورِ
a-fa-lā yaʿlamu idhā buʿthira mā fī l-qubūr.
"Does he not know that when what is in the graves is scattered." (al-ʿĀdiyāt 100:9)
A — so. Fa — therefore. A-fa-lā yaʿlam — does he not know, is he unaware? Idhā — when. Buʿthira — something is scattered — bā — ba — qabr — qubūr — in the graves — what is in the graves — the dead.
Translation: "Does he (the human being) not know that when (those people) who are in the graves are raised to life."
وَحُصِّلَ مَا فِي الصُّدُورِ
wa-ḥuṣṣila mā fī l-ṣudūr.
"And what is within the breasts is obtained." (al-ʿĀdiyāt 100:10)
Wa — and. Ḥuṣṣila — revealed, made manifest. Mā — what. Fī — in. Al-ṣudūr — the breasts, the chests — al-ṣadr — singular, the chest, the breast.
Translation: "And (at that time) the secrets of the breasts will be made manifest (the hidden state of things will become apparent)."
إِنَّ رَبَّهُم بِهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ لَّخَبِيرٌ
inna rabbahum bihim yawmaʾidhin la-khabīr.
"Indeed, their Lord is, on that Day, All-Aware of them." (al-ʿĀdiyāt 100:11)
Inn — indeed. Rabbahum — their Lord. Bihim — about them, their affairs, their actions. Yawmaʾidh — on that Day, the Day of Resurrection. La — certainly. Khabīr — All-Aware, all-knowing, fully apprised of their state.
Translation: "Indeed their Lord on the Day of Resurrection will be perfectly and fully aware of all their affairs."
Esteemed readers! Animals like horses obey their master — they are ridden and obey their commands — they run at high speed and the hooves strike flints and sparks fly. Early in the morning when there is still the lassitude of sleep resting upon the enemy — these horses raid and plunder and the sparks fly up and they penetrate deep into the enemy's army. The horses truly fulfil their master's obedience — but the ungrateful human being does what? He accumulates wealth and refuses to give to others, and does not look to God — saying: "I collected this wealth myself — I worked myself." But — who gave the strength to work? Who gave the wealth to the body? Who opened the intelligence? For the wealth the human being goes to the frontier of his greed — in the love of wealth he is greatly entrapped. He does not know that death is near, that one must appear before God — thus his outcome will be evil — he will be miserable and captured. This is his outcome. His companion is stupidity and ignorance.