CHAPTER 100: AL-'ADIYAT (THE COURSERS / THE CHARGERS)

It was revealed in the Mecca period. It consists of 11 verses. It takes its name from the word Adiyat, with which it begins. Adiyat means "the horses that pant while running and strike sparks with their hooves." (H. T. FEYIZLI 1/599)

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

100/1-11 MAN IS INDEED UNGRATEFUL TO HIS LORD

Translation

1- 5- By the [steeds] that run panting [in Jihad]! 2- And those that strike sparks [with their hooves]! 3- 5- And those that make raids in the morning, stirring up dust [where they pass] and plunging into the center of a [enemy] community!

6- 8- Indeed, the [disbelieving] man is very ungrateful [rebellious] to his Lord, and indeed, he [himself] is a witness to that. 8- And indeed, he [man] is truly intense [and stingy] in the love of wealth [and worldly ambition].

9- 11- Does he not know [what it will be like] when the contents of the graves are scattered [brought out] and that which is in the hearts is gathered [and made manifest]? 11- Indeed, their Lord, on that Day, is surely fully Aware of them [and their every state].

Commentary

(1) ‘By the (steeds) that run panting (in Jihad)!’

War horses held a special value for the Arabs. They were among their precious possessions. Here, an oath is taken by horses, which were the most important means of warfare in those times. The purpose of the oath is to point out that it is Allah the Almighty who bestowed these horses—which are so useful and among the goods people love dearly—upon them. Thus, as stated in the verses that follow as the response to the oath, the aim is to draw attention to the "disease of ingratitude" in man and to direct him toward the diagnosis and treatment of this illness. (O. CELIK, 5/562)

(2-5) ‘And those that strike sparks (with their hooves)!’ ‘And those that make raids in the morning, stirring up dust (where they pass) and plunging into the center of a (enemy) community!’

From Razi: "The words in the first five verses of the relevant surah refer to horses. This is because the sound 'dabhan' in the first verse is not used for anything other than horses. Additionally, striking sparks when hooves hit stones is unique only to horses. At the same time, the usage of raiding at dawn and plunging into the center of groups also applies to them." Therefore, all of this shows us that the expression "fa'l-muriyati qadhan" refers to war horses. (M. DEMIRCI, 3/616, 617)

(6, 7) ‘Indeed, the (disbelieving) man is very ungrateful (rebellious) to his Lord,’

Ibn Kathir says: "This is the response to the oath and it means: Indeed, he is very ungrateful for the blessings of his Lord and is a great denier." (S. HAWWA 16/335)

‘And indeed, he himself is a witness to that.’

That is, his conscience and his deeds are witnesses that many disbelievers openly show ingratitude to Allah. Because they do not accept the existence of Allah despite knowing it. Therefore, it is out of the question for them to confess these blessings and thank Allah. (MAWDUDI 7/205)

(8) ‘And indeed, he is truly intense in the love of wealth.’

The word "al-khayr" in this verse means "wealth/property," just as in the expression "in taraka khayran" (if he leaves wealth) in the 180th verse of Surah Al-Baqara. It means "preferring and seeking the world." (I. H. BURSEVI 23/560)

That is, he is stingy and tight because he loves property and wealth, assuming them to be "absolute good." For the sake of Allah, he does not want to give the due right of that property, spend it on good, or serve general interests; he is jealous. Or, he is very strong in loving wealth and worldly benefits. He is powerful and greedy in acquiring, obtaining, and accumulating it. But when it comes to paying its due, showing gratitude, and serving for the sake of Allah, he puts forward his weakness and does not want to give a penny; he avoids and evades, showing ingratitude. (ELMALILI, 9/381)

In the verse, it is expressed that the person who is ungrateful for blessings is very fond of property and possessions, and loves accumulating wealth. As long as it is legitimate and halal, it is not a bad thing to benefit from the blessings of Almighty Allah and to own property and wealth. The person criticized in the verse is the disbeliever who is ungrateful to Allah and is stingy, not giving the rights of the poor. (I. KARAGOZ,8/601)

(9-11) ‘Does he not know then?’

This is a warning and a threat by reminding of the outcome. That is, does he think that he will not understand, confess, or suffer the punishments later, if he does not witness today how badly he acted and how he went against his own true interests by being stingy, miserly, and ungrateful out of greed for wealth and love for worldly benefit?

‘When the contents of the graves are scattered.’

"When" that result is obtained—on that Day of Judgment, that earthquake when the earth brings out its burdens and "those buried in graves are dug up and thrown out" and "that which is in the chests is gathered." That is, when all the hidden secrets, intentions, and goals stored in the hearts are reaped and gathered like a ripe harvest and presented with all their results, then undoubtedly those ungrateful people will understand what they did in the world. (ELMALILI, 9/381, 382)

"When those in the graves are brought out"—this sentence means when the dead are resurrected. The Meccan pagans, who were the first addressees of the Prophet (pbuh), did not believe that people would be resurrected after death (50/3). In hundreds of verses in the Qur'an, Almighty Allah informed of the existence of the hereafter and that the dead would be resurrected when the Hour strikes. As reported in the 68th verse of Surah Az-Zumar, when Israfil blows the Trumpet for the second time, the dead are resurrected and brought out of their graves: "The Trumpet will be blown [a second time]; then at once they will be standing, looking on [towards their Lord]" (36/51, cf. 54/7, 79/13-14, 70/43, 69/13, 39/68, 27/87; I. KARAGOZ,8/602)

That is, He will reveal all the wills, intentions, purposes, thoughts, and ideas in their hearts that set their outward deeds in motion, and they will be evaluated, and good will be separated from evil. In other words, a decision will not be made solely on outward deeds. A decision will be made by taking into account the intentions and wills that remained hidden in their hearts while they were in this world. If a person thinks, they are compelled to accept that true justice will only take place in the presence of Allah on the Day of Judgment. (MAWDUDI, 7/206)

‘Indeed, their Lord, on that Day, is surely fully Aware of them.’

The Lord of the worlds, to whose blessings they were ungrateful, is "surely fully Aware" of those people, with their entire existence and all they have done. He is not heedless of a single atom; He knows their insides, their outsides, all of it; He knew it before, and He knows it after. But on that Day, He will inform them of all of it. Even if they have forgotten, He knows. "Allah has kept account of it, while they have forgotten it" (Mujadila, 58/6). He will bring out that wealth whose rights were not paid, those treasures and hoards accumulated and buried with greed on that Day.

According to the evidence of the verse: "The Day when it will be heated in the fire of Hell and seared therewith will be their foreheads, their flanks, and their backs, [it will be said], 'This is what you hoarded for yourselves'" (Tawbah 9/35), their foreheads, flanks, and backs will be branded with them, having been heated in the fire of Hell. (ELMALILI 9/382)