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What is the interpretation of Surat Al-'Adiyat, and are the horses mentioned therein for Muslims or disbelievers?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Allah swore by the horses of Jihad to magnify their status, as Ibn al-Arabi said: "Allah swore by Muhammad (peace be upon him), by his life, and by his horses." So, "Al-Adiyat" are the horses that gallop for raids in the way of Allah, and "Dabh" is their sound. "Al-Mooriyat Qad-han" are those that strike fire with their hooves, and "Al-Mughirat Subhan" raid the enemy in the morning. "Atharna bihi Naq'an" means they stir up dust, and "Wasatna bihi Jam'an" means they penetrate the enemy's midst. "Indeed, mankind is ungrateful to his Lord" is the subject of the oath, meaning ingratitude. "And indeed, he is, thereupon, a witness" means man knows that. "Does he not know that when what is in the graves is overthrown?" means the dead are brought out for resurrection, and "what is in the chests is made apparent?" means what they concealed is revealed. "Indeed, their Lord is, concerning them, well-aware on that Day" means He is knowledgeable of their deeds and will recompense them for them.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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