Man by nature is drawn towards fiction, parables and metaphors for these help them to remain absorbed in the lessons behind these parables and metaphors better than plain fictional text. In theology, such parables are necessary for many find difficult to understand the Divine wisdom contained in the holy scriptures.
In Arabic, the Qur'an often uses the term mathal (plural: amthāl), usually translated as "parable," "example," or "likeness." A parable, therefore, is a short comparison, analogy, story, or illustrative example used to convey a deeper truth. Rather than stating an idea directly, a parable helps people understand something abstract through something familiar.
We have already shared a number of parables and metaphors mentioned in AL Qur'an, which can be accessed from our exclusive reference page: Most profound Metaphors and Parables in Al Qur'an. Today we share a very important and mind boggling parable which is mentioned in Surah 100. Al Adiyat (The battle charging horses) - rather this parable is the backbone of a very important lesson for the believers to understand.
Why Horse has been chosen as a parable
In this 11 verses Surah, Allah has taken a charging battle horse as a parable and taken their oath to show how an animal shows utter faithfulness to his master, while a man who has been gifted so much by his Creator, yet he remains unfaithful to his Creator. The parable of horses is for a reason for Arabs are avid horse riders and the Arabian horses are known for their strength, speed and extreme faithfulness. Therefore God swears an oath by the charging steeds that pant, while producing sparks by striking their heels to overawe the opposing enemy and instill fear in their hearts. They make raids in the early morning when their enemies are unaware and stir up clouds of dust when they dash into the middle of the enemy troops.
The Display of Faithfulness by the Steeds
The "charging horses" imagery appears at the beginning of Surah Al-'Adiyat. Those who are avid horse riders would know why horse is a symbol of faithfulness. Even the onlookers would notice a horse which is running at his top speed, panting heavily with his whole body sweating beyond perhaps his physical limits - but he never stops so long his master doesn't want him to. In fact the parable using a charging horse is not the merely his speed but a fine display of faithfulness.
That is why Al Qur'an opens the surah with a series of oaths describing powerful warhorses rushing into battle. In fact the surah opens up portraying a high high pitched battle scene where amid the howling and shouting of war slogans, the heavy thumping of the horses, and the spark due to striking of their metal shoes under their hooves, making the battle scene eerie. In fact the scene depicts a fine display of faithfulness by an animal rather than a man,
"By the charging steeds, panting, striking sparks of fire, raiding at dawn..." (100:1–3)
Classical and modern commentators have understood these verses in slightly different ways, but the main question is: What are these horses pointing to? The horses are portrayed as:
- Extreme loyalty to their riders.
- Committed to their task.
- Willing to expend all their strength.
- Fearless in carrying out their duty.
Let us go deeper in each of the verse mentioned in the opening of the surah:
( 1 ) وَالْعَادِيَاتِ ضَبْحًا By the racers, panting,
- Here Allah is taking is the oath of the horses, who when charge, pant heavily as if they are using all their energies to run at a pace desired the riders.
- Meaning of ضَبْحًا
- The root is ض ب ح (ḍ-b-ḥ). Classical Arabic dictionaries describe ḍabḥ as the sound of heavy breathing, panting, or snorting produced by a horse (or similar animal) when running at full speed and has crossed his physical endurance.
- It is not merely "running"; it specifically evokes: (1) Forceful breathing after intense exertion. (2) The audible snorting or panting of a galloping horse. (3) A vivid sensory image of speed, power, and effort.
- The word is in the accusative form (ḍabḥan), functioning as a verbal noun (maṣdar) that intensifies the action of the preceding participle العاديات ("those that charge/run swiftly").
- Why is it used in the opening verse? The opening verses of Surah Al-'Adiyat form a sequence of dramatic images:
- Charging animals.
- Panting/snorting as they run.
- Striking sparks with their hooves.
- Raiding at dawn.
- Raising clouds of dust.
- Penetrating into the midst of a group.
- The use of ضَبْحًا contributes several effects:
- 1. Creates an auditory image Rather than simply saying "the runners" or "the horses," the verse lets the listener almost hear the animals breathing heavily. This makes the scene vivid and immediate.
- 2. Emphasizes effort and determination Panting indicates that the animals are exerting themselves completely. Classical commentators often saw this as highlighting loyalty and obedience: the animals push themselves to exhaustion for their riders.
- 3. Builds dramatic momentum The surah begins with intense movement and energy. The panting sound is the first detail in a rapid sequence that culminates in a charge through dust into the enemy ranks.
- 4. Supports the surah's argument Many classical exegetes, including Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir, understood the oath as drawing attention to creatures that display remarkable dedication and faithfulness. The surah then contrasts that with the human tendency toward ingratitude toward God. The loyal, hard-driving animals become part of the rhetorical setup for that contrast.
- This word thus display the Loyalty Protocol of a beast for his master. He knows his utmost will bring victory to his master - while not caring for his own fate when confronting sharp spears and arrows.
( 2 ) فَالْمُورِيَاتِ قَدْحًا And the producers of sparks [when] striking
The second verses further intensifies the capabilities of the charging horse and adds the sparks that come out when the metal shoes of the horses strike the stones and pebbles. In modern scientific interpretation, these sparks are due to the combination of kinetic and thermal energy. More the speed, more the friction and more the sparks. This combination of speed, panting and sparks is a scene to demoralize the enemy in defence and breaks their will to resist. This also adds to the first verse and shows that loyalty to the master is not only in simple worship, but worship from the core of the heart - that is the ultimate loyalty.
( 3 ) فَالْمُغِيرَاتِ صُبْحًا And the chargers at dawn,
The third verse is about the dawn attack - a time when the opposing forces are generally at rest and least expect an enemy to attack. Like men of the attacking forces, the horses too have had a restless day by closing up to the enemy and waiting to be unleashed at their full capacity and speed. It is a time, when men and animal need rest from a restful day and night before. But when forces get ready to attack and men prepare their horses for the battle charge, the horses display an unmatchable obedience beyond the comfort zone. He gets ready in minutes, ready to take his rider to the enemy with a speed that frightens the enemy.
( 4 ) فَأَثَرْنَ بِهِ نَقْعًا Stirring up thereby [clouds of] dust,
And here comes the last act which creates the smoke screen effect as it is called in modern day warfare where in the movement is obscured by firing smoke shells to create a smoke screen between the defender and the charging / attacking side. The horses by their high speed and thumping fly dust which creates the same effect as of the modern day smoke screen.
( 5 ) فَوَسَطْنَ بِهِ جَمْعًا Arriving thereby in the center collectively
And thus the combination of speed, thumping, sparking and creating dust clouds, the horses overrun the first layer of defence and take the attacking forces right behind them to create the immediate imbalance. - generally enough to destabilize the enemy defences and being overawed. At this stage the horse and his rider are surrounded by the enemy, yet they do not turn back - they fight to win or face their doom. Yet, horses never gives up charging, attacking so long he knows his master is with him and his loyalty demands to remain with him even if injured or fatigued.
The central point of the parable
Many commentators see the oath as highlighting a contrast:
- The horse faithfully serves its master.
- Human beings frequently neglect their duty to Allah.
In this reading, the horse becomes a symbol of steadfast service, exposing human ingratitude.
Change in Theme After discussing the faithfulness and loyalty of the horse, on which Allah has taken an oath, the theme of the surah abruptly changes in the last six verses from loyalty of the horse to the selfishness and unfaithfulness of the man and his intentions. Let us take these two themes briefly with the parable of the horse at the back of our mind.
The Ultimate lesson from the Parable
The first five verses are not merely a parable, these have a far greater lesson for the man. That is why the surah abruptly turns to human beings:
"إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لِرَبِّهِ لَكَنُودٌ Indeed, mankind is ungrateful to his Lord." (100:6)
The contrast is striking. The horses display remarkable loyalty and dedication, while humans often fail to show gratitude and devotion to the One who created them.
- Literal meaning of كَنُود (kanūd) The word كَنُود comes from the root ك ن د (k-n-d). In classical Arabic, it refers to someone who:
- Is ungrateful for blessings.
- Remembers hardships but forgets favors.
- Withholds appreciation despite receiving good.
- Fails to acknowledge benefits received.
- Classical lexicographers often describe a kanūd person as one who counts misfortunes and ignores blessings.
- Why not just use the common word for "ungrateful"?
- Arabic has more common words for gratitude and ingratitude, such as: شَكُور (shakūr) – grateful and كَفُور (kafūr) – ungrateful.
- But kanūd is more vivid and psychologically specific. It doesn't merely mean "ungrateful"; it suggests a person who habitually focuses on what is lacking while overlooking what has been given.
- A concise literal gloss If translated very literally, كَنُود might be rendered as: "one who ignores favors and dwells on grievances" or "one who is persistently ungrateful despite receiving good." That nuance is stronger and more specific than the simpler translation "ungrateful," which is why many scholars regard kanūd as a particularly powerful choice in verse 100:6.
- This is the lesson: A horse just for a pail of water and grass can render his utmost faithfulness and loyalty to his master - but man always a kanūd is always unfaithful to his Creator and is always lamenting for more, rather than being thankful for what he has been blessed with.
Theme of the remaining part of the Surah
- Theme-1 (Verses 6 – 8 ) People are ungrateful God says that there is no doubt that the human being is disloyal to his master (God). Most people are ungrateful for all the bounties and blessings He bestows upon them. They deny God’s favors and this ingratitude is shown through their actions and verbal statements. There are many who do not even believe that God exists let alone acknowledge the blessings He has bestowed. On the Day of Judgment, each person will testify against him or herself because they will be unable to speak anything but the truth. Let us briefly discuss the remaining verses:
- ( 7 ) وَإِنَّهُ عَلَىٰ ذَٰلِكَ لَشَهِيدٌ And indeed, he is to that a witness That is his own conscience and his own deeds are a witness to it; then there are many disbelievers also who by their own tongue express their ingratitude openly, for they do not even believe that God exists to say nothing of acknowledging His blessings for which they may have to render gratitude to Him.
- ( 8 ) وَإِنَّهُ لِحُبِّ الْخَيْرِ لَشَدِيدٌ And indeed he is, in love of wealth, intense Literally He is most ardent in the love of khair خَيْرِ. But the word khair is not only used for goodness and virtue in Arabic but also for worldly wealth. In ( Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayat 180), khair has been used in the meaning of worldly wealth. The context itself shows where khair has been used in the sense of goodness and where in that of worldly goods. The context of this verse clearly shows that here khair means worldly wealth and not virtue and goodness. For about the man who is ungrateful to his Lord and who by his conduct is himself testifying to his ingratitude it cannot be said that he is very ardent in the love of goodness and virtue.
- Theme-2 (Verses 9 – 11) Intentions and actions have consequences Pondering the final three verses provides a cure for ingratitude. It describes a scene from the Day of Resurrection that makes any right-minded person shudder with fear. We are shocked by a violent and frightening scene; the graves burst open scattering their contents. People will exit their graves by being wrenched out and thrown around forcefully. It leaves no doubt that the intense longing for wealth and multitudes of world possessions will provide no protection whatsoever. Let us unpack the remaining three verses of the surah:
- ( 9 ) أَفَلَا يَعْلَمُ إِذَا بُعْثِرَ مَا فِي الْقُبُورِ But does he not know that when the contents of the graves are scattered Man is so drowned in the lust of wealth and worldly gains that he does not know how every day he is inching towards his grave where he will be buried empty handed. Even if his coffin is made of gold, studded with diamonds and rubies, these will not save him from the torment he awaits in the Hereafter.
- ( 10 ) وَحُصِّلَ مَا فِي الصُّدُورِ And that within the breasts is obtained That is all the intentions, aims and objects, ideas and thoughts and the motives behind acts and deeds that lie hidden in the hearts will be exposed and examined in order to sort out the good from the evil. In other words judgment will not be passed only on the apparent and superficial as to what a man practically did but the secrets hidden in the hearts will also be brought out to see what were the intentions and motives under which a man did what he did. If man only considers this, he cannot help admitting that real and complete justice cannot be done anywhere except in the court of God. Secular laws of the world also admit in principle that a person should not be punished merely on the basis of his apparent act but his motive for so acting also should be seen and examined. But no court of the world has the means by which it may accurately ascertain the motive and intention. This can be done only by God: He alone can examine the underlying motives behind every apparent act of man as well as take the decision as to what reward or punishment he deserves. Then, as is evident from the words of the verse, this judgment will not be passed merely on the basis of the knowledge which Allah already has about the intentions and motives of the hearts, but on Resurrection Day these secrets will be exposed and brought out openly before the people and after a thorough scrutiny in the court it will be shown what was the good in it and what was the evil. That is why the words hussila ma fissudur حُصِّلَ مَا فِي الصُّدُورِ have been used. Tahsil means to bring out something in the open, and to sort out different things from one another. Thus, the use of tahsil concerning hidden secrets of the hearts contains both the meanings: to expose them and to sort out the good from the evil. This same theme has been expressed in Surah At-Tariq, thus: The Day the hidden secrets are held to scrutiny. (verse 9).
- ( 11 ) إِنَّ رَبَّهُم بِهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ لَّخَبِيرٌ Indeed, their Lord with them, that Day, is [fully] Acquainted. That is, Allah's knowledge is full and vigilant at all times. But on that day it will reveal to men secrets which they had long forgotten, for the Book of their Deeds will be made manifest at Judgment.
Spiritual reflection
The surah can be read as asking:
If an animal can show such commitment to a temporary earthly mission, why does a human being often fail to show commitment to their eternal purpose?
The "charging horses" are therefore not merely a scene of battle. They serve as a vivid sign that leads to the surah's real subject: human gratitude, devotion, attachment to wealth, and accountability before Allah. The surah ends by reminding that on the Day of Judgment, what is hidden in hearts will be brought forth and fully known by Allah.
One scholar sums up the Surah by saying that if a beast can put his life in danger by extracting the last of strength and power from his muscles, then why cannot the man leave his ego and lust for wealth and become a God obedient? That is cannot we show the least of the loyalty displayed by a beast to our Creator? Man is running and panting like a horse, not in loyalty to God, but in pursuit of wealth and worldly gains. The question here is why - if all our purists are for wealth, then we are nothing but kanūd. And if all our purists are for our Creator then we fall in loyalty to Him as do the horses for their masters. Therefore, we must learn from horses and recognize our Creator and run towards Him the same way a panting horse takes his rider to his objective. Please ponder over it!!
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
You may refer to our exclusive reference pages:
- Surah Al ‘Adiyat - The Chargers: Exegesis / Tafsir 100th Chapter of Qur'an
- Selected verses from selected Surahs of Al-Qurʾān for compiled verses from other surahs.
- Selected Verses from Al Qur'an about a Specific Subject (Reference Page) to know more about what Qur'an says about specific subjects
- Selected Verses from the Qur'an.
You may also refer to our Reference Pages and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs and selected verses of Al-Qurʾān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.
In addition, other sources which have been explored and views of other scholars have been incorporated while explaining meaning of a verse. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites. For expansion of meaning and themes / contextual background help from ChatGPT is also taken.
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