Surah Al-Adiyat (Quran Chapter 100) – SS1 Islamic Studies Lesson Note (Third Term)

Surah Al-Adiyat is the 100th chapter of the Holy Quran, with 11 verses, and its name means “The Chargers” or “The War Horses”.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. State the meaning of “Al-Adiyat”, the number of verses and where the surah was revealed.
2. Explain the meaning of each group of verses (1 to 5, 6 to 8 and 9 to 11).
3. List the main themes and lessons of the surah.
4. Describe how to apply the lessons of the surah in daily life.
5. Name the surahs that come before and after Surah Al-Adiyat.

What are the key facts about Surah Al-Adiyat?

Surah Al-Adiyat is a short Makki surah of 11 verses, found in the 30th Juz’ of the Quran.

• Name: “Al-Adiyat” means “The Chargers” or “The War Horses”, horses that run fast in battle.
• Number of verses: 11 verses (ayat).
• Position: the 100th chapter in the order of the Quran.
• Place of revelation: it is a Makki surah, revealed in Makkah in the early days of Islam.
• Surah before it: Surah Az-Zilzal.
• Surah after it: Surah Al-Qariah.
• Juz’: it is part of the 30th Juz’ (section) of the Quran.
• Opening: Allah swears by war horses that run fast and strike sparks with their hooves.
• Main message: humans can be ungrateful and love wealth too much, but they will answer for their deeds.

What are the key terms in this lesson?

What are the main themes of Surah Al-Adiyat?

The surah has five main themes.

1. War horses: their power and loyalty are an example of Allah’s creation.
2. Ungratefulness: humans are often ungrateful to Allah.
3. Love of wealth: people love wealth and material things too much.
4. The Day of Judgment: all secrets will be revealed.
5. Allah’s knowledge: Allah knows everything we do.

What does each verse of Surah Al-Adiyat mean?

The 11 verses fall into three groups: oaths by war horses (1 to 5), human ungratefulness (6 to 8) and the Day of Judgment (9 to 11).

What do verses 1 to 5 mean? (Allah’s oaths by war horses)

In verses 1 to 5, Allah swears by war horses to describe their speed, power and courage.

• Verse 1: “By the horses that run, with panting breath.” The horses breathe heavily because they run with great effort. In the past, horses were very important in battle.
• Verse 2: “And strike sparks of fire (with their hooves).” On rocky ground, their hooves hit the stones and make sparks. This shows their power and speed.
• Verse 3: “And push forward at dawn.” The horses charge early in the morning, a common time to start battles in ancient times. This shows how ready they are to serve.
• Verse 4: “And raise the dust in clouds the while.” The running horses kick up clouds of dust. This is a picture of many horses rushing into battle together.
• Verse 5: “And penetrate into the midst (of the enemy) all together.” The horses run bravely into the middle of the enemy forces. This shows their courage and loyalty to their riders.

These verses paint a picture of strong, loyal animals. Allah swears by them to draw attention to what comes next.

What do verses 6 to 8 mean? (Human ungratefulness)

In verses 6 to 8, Allah says that man is ungrateful to his Lord and loves wealth too much.

• Verse 6: “Verily, man (the disbeliever) is ungrateful to his Lord.” After describing the loyal horses, Allah tells us that humans often forget to thank Him for His many blessings.
• Verse 7: “And to that fact he bears witness (by his deeds).” A person’s actions show his ungratefulness. Not worshipping Allah or not following His commands is a sign of it.
• Verse 8: “And verily, he is violent in the love of wealth.” Humans often love money and possessions too much. This can make people forget what is truly important and do wrong things to get more.

What do verses 9 to 11 mean? (The Day of Judgment)

In verses 9 to 11, Allah reminds us that everyone will be raised after death and judged, and that He knows all our deeds.

• Verse 9: “Does he not know that when the contents of the graves are poured forth (all mankind is resurrected).” On the Day of Judgment, the dead will be brought back to life. The graves will open and people will come out for judgment.
• Verse 10: “And that which is in the breasts (of men) shall be made known.” The secrets hidden in people’s hearts will be shown. Our thoughts, intentions and secrets will be revealed.
• Verse 11: “Verily, that Day their Lord will be Well-Acquainted with them (as to their deeds).” Allah knows everything about us. On that Day, He will show that He knew all we did, said, thought and intended.

How are the war horses different from the human being in the surah?

The war horses in verses 1 to 5 serve their riders with courage and effort.

The human being in verses 6 to 8 forgets Allah’s blessings and loves wealth too much.

What are the important lessons from Surah Al-Adiyat?

Surah Al-Adiyat teaches five main lessons.

1. The power of Allah’s creation: the war horses remind us of Allah’s power. We should reflect on His creation and how it shows His greatness.
2. Gratitude: the loyal horses and ungrateful humans teach us to be thankful. We should show gratitude through worship and good deeds.
3. Dangers of materialism: loving wealth too much makes us forget what is important. We should not let money and things take over our hearts.
4. Accountability for our deeds: we will answer for everything we do. This should make us careful about our actions.
5. Allah’s complete knowledge: nothing is hidden from Him, not even our deepest thoughts and intentions.

What are the virtues of reciting Surah Al-Adiyat?

Reciting Surah Al-Adiyat brings the blessings and rewards of reciting the Quran and reminds us of its lessons.

• Gratitude: it reminds us to be grateful to Allah.
• Detachment: it reminds us not to be too attached to worldly possessions.
• Judgment: it reminds us that we will be judged for all our deeds.
• Quran recitation: the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) encouraged the recitation of the Quran, including this surah.
• Specific hadith: this note does not rely on any particular hadith about the virtue of this surah alone.
• Reflection: when reciting, think about the meaning and try to apply it in daily life.

How can we apply Surah Al-Adiyat in our lives?

We apply the surah by showing gratitude, controlling our love of wealth and living with the Day of Judgment in mind.

1. Practise gratitude: thank Allah for His blessings every day and count your blessings regularly.
2. Be mindful of materialism: before buying something new, ask if you really need it.
3. Remember accountability: before an action, ask if you would be proud or ashamed of it on the Day of Judgment.
4. Watch your intentions: Allah knows your inner thoughts, so purify your intentions in all you do.
5. Learn from Allah’s creation: observe animals and nature and see how they fulfil their purpose without complaint.

How can students memorise Surah Al-Adiyat?

Surah Al-Adiyat is short, with 11 verses, so it can be memorised in a few days with steady effort.

1. Break it down: learn 2 to 3 verses each day.
2. Understand the meaning: knowing what the verses mean makes them easier to remember.
3. Notice the flow: the surah moves from horses to humans to the Day of Judgment.
4. Listen to recitations: hearing skilled reciters helps with pronunciation.
5. Recite in prayers: use the verses you have memorised in your daily prayers.

How does Surah Al-Adiyat connect to other surahs?

Surah Al-Adiyat shares themes with the surahs near it in the last part of the Quran.

• Surah Az-Zilzal (before it): like Al-Adiyat, it mentions the Day of Judgment.
• Surah Al-Qariah (after it): like Al-Adiyat, it uses powerful images to convey its message.
• Surah At-Takathur: it shares the theme of too much love of wealth.

Evaluation

1. What does the name “Al-Adiyat” mean?
2. How many verses does Surah Al-Adiyat have, and where was it revealed?
3. Name the surah that comes before it and the surah that comes after it.
4. Explain verse 8 in your own words.
5. State two lessons we learn from Surah Al-Adiyat.

Assignment

Write a short note on how the war horses in verses 1 to 5 differ from the human being in verses 6 to 8. End it with three ways you can show gratitude to Allah and avoid loving wealth too much.