Surah Al-Adiyat: Meaning, Translation and Transliteration

Surah Al-Adiyat opens with one of the most vivid scenes in the Quran: horses charging at dawn, panting, striking sparks from the rocks with their hooves, raising clouds of dust as they burst into the middle of the enemy. Then it turns from the horses to their riders, and to every human being: man is ungrateful to his Lord.

This article gives the full surah in Arabic, a transliteration and the English translation, then explains it verse by verse.

The full surah

وَٱلۡعَٰدِيَٰتِ ضَبۡحٗا فَٱلۡمُورِيَٰتِ قَدۡحٗا فَٱلۡمُغِيرَٰتِ صُبۡحٗا فَأَثَرۡنَ بِهِۦ نَقۡعٗا فَوَسَطۡنَ بِهِۦ جَمۡعًا إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ لِرَبِّهِۦ لَكَنُودٞ وَإِنَّهُۥ عَلَىٰ ذَٰلِكَ لَشَهِيدٞ وَإِنَّهُۥ لِحُبِّ ٱلۡخَيۡرِ لَشَدِيدٌ ۞ أَفَلَا يَعۡلَمُ إِذَا بُعۡثِرَ مَا فِي ٱلۡقُبُورِ وَحُصِّلَ مَا فِي ٱلصُّدُورِ إِنَّ رَبَّهُم بِهِمۡ يَوۡمَئِذٖ لَّخَبِيرُۢ

Transliteration

1. Wal-ʿādiyāti ḍabḥā
2. Fal-mūriyāti qadḥā
3. Fal-mughīrāti ṣubḥā
4. Fa-atharna bihī naqʿā
5. Fa-wasaṭna bihī jamʿā
6. Innal-insāna li-rabbihī la-kanūd
7. Wa innahū ʿalā dhālika la-shahīd
8. Wa innahū li-ḥubbil-khayri la-shadīd
9. Afalā yaʿlamu idhā buʿthira mā fil-qubūr
10. Wa ḥuṣṣila mā fiṣ-ṣudūr
11. Inna rabbahum bihim yawmaʾidhil la-khabīr

English translation (Saheeh International)

By the racers, panting, and the producers of sparks [when] striking and the chargers at dawn, stirring up thereby [clouds of] dust, arriving thereby in the center collectively, indeed mankind, to his Lord, is ungrateful. And indeed, he is to that a witness. And indeed he is, in love of wealth, intense. But does he not know that when the contents of the graves are scattered and that within the breasts is obtained, Indeed, their Lord with them, that Day, is [fully] Aware. (100:1-11)

If you learned to read the Quran in the IndoPak script, here is the same surah as it appears in a South Asian mushaf:

وَالۡعٰدِيٰتِ ضَبۡحًا ۙ فَالۡمُوۡرِيٰتِ قَدۡحًا ۙ فَالۡمُغِيۡرٰتِ صُبۡحًا ۙ فَاَثَرۡنَ بِهٖ نَقۡعًا ۙ فَوَسَطۡنَ بِهٖ جَمۡعًا ۙ اِنَّ الۡاِنۡسَانَ لِرَبِّهٖ لَـكَنُوۡدٌ ۚ وَاِنَّهٗ عَلٰى ذٰلِكَ لَشَهِيۡدٌ ۚ وَاِنَّهٗ لِحُبِّ الۡخَيۡرِ لَشَدِيۡدٌ ؕ اَفَلَا يَعۡلَمُ اِذَا بُعۡثِرَ مَا فِى الۡقُبُوۡرِۙ وَحُصِّلَ مَا فِى الصُّدُوۡرِۙ اِنَّ رَبَّهُمۡ بِهِمۡ يَوۡمَٮِٕذٍ لَّخَبِيۡرٌ

You can read and listen to Surah Al-Adiyat with its translation, or read it with the Urdu translation.

About the surah

Al-Adiyat is the 100th surah of the Quran, with 11 verses, in the 30th juz. Its name is its first word, al-ʿādiyāt, "those that run", the chargers. Most scholars count it as Meccan; some, including Ibn ʿAbbas in one report, counted it Medinan, because of the mention of cavalry raids.

Verses 1-5: By the chargers

وَٱلۡعَٰدِيَٰتِ ضَبۡحٗا فَٱلۡمُورِيَٰتِ قَدۡحٗا فَٱلۡمُغِيرَٰتِ صُبۡحٗا فَأَثَرۡنَ بِهِۦ نَقۡعٗا فَوَسَطۡنَ بِهِۦ جَمۡعًا

By the racers, panting, and the producers of sparks [when] striking and the chargers at dawn, stirring up thereby [clouds of] dust, arriving thereby in the center collectively, (100:1-5)

Five quick oaths, one movement:

• Ḍabḥ is the sound of a horse's hard breathing as it gallops.
• Qadḥ is striking fire, as from flint: the sparks from hooves on stone.
• Ṣubḥ is dawn: Arab raids were made at first light, when the enemy was asleep.
• Naqʿ is the dust thrown up.
• Jamʿ is the gathered enemy, whose centre they burst into.

Most commentators, including Ibn ʿAbbas, said these are war horses. ʿAli ibn Abi Talib is reported to have said they are the camels of the pilgrims running between ʿArafah, Muzdalifah and Mina. Either way, the image is of an animal giving everything, at full effort, for its master.

Verses 6-8: Man is ungrateful

إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ لِرَبِّهِۦ لَكَنُودٞ وَإِنَّهُۥ عَلَىٰ ذَٰلِكَ لَشَهِيدٞ وَإِنَّهُۥ لِحُبِّ ٱلۡخَيۡرِ لَشَدِيدٌ

Indeed mankind, to his Lord, is ungrateful. And indeed, he is to that a witness. And indeed he is, in love of wealth, intense. (100:6-8)

That is the contrast. A horse, which its owner merely feeds, will run into danger for him. Man, whom Allah created and feeds and keeps alive, is kanūd to his Lord. Al-Hasan al-Basri explained kanūd as the one who counts his misfortunes and forgets his blessings. Others said it is the one who eats alone, holds back his help and strikes his servant.

"And indeed he is to that a witness": either Allah is witness to it, or man himself, whose own actions testify against him, even if he would never admit it in words.

Al-khayr, "good", here means wealth, and shadīd means intense: his love of it is fierce. The Prophet ﷺ said: "If the son of Adam had a valley full of gold, he would want a second. Nothing will fill his mouth but dust. And Allah forgives whoever repents" (Sahih al-Bukhari 6439).

Verses 9-11: When the graves are emptied

۞ أَفَلَا يَعۡلَمُ إِذَا بُعۡثِرَ مَا فِي ٱلۡقُبُورِ وَحُصِّلَ مَا فِي ٱلصُّدُورِ إِنَّ رَبَّهُم بِهِمۡ يَوۡمَئِذٖ لَّخَبِيرُۢ

But does he not know that when the contents of the graves are scattered and that within the breasts is obtained, Indeed, their Lord with them, that Day, is [fully] Aware. (100:9-11)

Two things will be brought out: what is in the graves, the bodies raised, and what is in the hearts, the intentions laid bare. The wealth that was loved so intensely stays behind; what goes forward is what was inside. And on that Day, the Lord is fully aware of them, down to the last secret.

Word by word

Arabic	Transliteration	Meaning
وَٱلۡعَٰدِيَٰتِ	wal-ʿādiyāti	By the racers
ضَبۡحٗا	ḍabḥan	panting
فَٱلۡمُورِيَٰتِ	fal-mūriyāti	And the producers of sparks
قَدۡحٗا	qadḥan	striking
فَٱلۡمُغِيرَٰتِ	fal-mughīrāti	And the chargers
صُبۡحٗا	ṣub'ḥan	(at) dawn
فَأَثَرۡنَ	fa-atharna	Then raise
بِهِۦ	bihi	thereby
نَقۡعٗا	naqʿan	dust
فَوَسَطۡنَ	fawasaṭna	Then penetrate (in the) center
بِهِۦ	bihi	thereby
جَمۡعًا	jamʿan	collectively
إِنَّ	inna	Indeed
ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ	l-insāna	mankind
لِرَبِّهِۦ	lirabbihi	to his Lord
لَكَنُودٞ	lakanūdun	(is) surely ungrateful
وَإِنَّهُۥ	wa-innahu	And indeed, he
عَلَىٰ	ʿalā	on
ذَٰلِكَ	dhālika	that
لَشَهِيدٞ	lashahīdun	surely (is) a witness
وَإِنَّهُۥ	wa-innahu	And indeed he
لِحُبِّ	liḥubbi	in (the) love
ٱلۡخَيۡرِ	l-khayri	(of) wealth
لَشَدِيدٌ	lashadīdun	(is) surely intense
أَفَلَا	afalā	But does not
يَعۡلَمُ	yaʿlamu	he know
إِذَا	idhā	when
بُعۡثِرَ	buʿ'thira	will be scattered
مَا	mā	what
فِي	fī	(is) in
ٱلۡقُبُورِ	l-qubūri	the graves
وَحُصِّلَ	waḥuṣṣila	And is made apparent
مَا	mā	what
فِي	fī	(is) in
ٱلصُّدُورِ	l-ṣudūri	the breasts
إِنَّ	inna	Indeed
رَبَّهُم	rabbahum	their Lord
بِهِمۡ	bihim	about them
يَوۡمَئِذٖ	yawma-idhin	that Day
لَّخَبِيرُۢ	lakhabīrun	(is) surely All-Aware

Living by Surah Al-Adiyat

• Count your blessings, not just your troubles. That is the cure for being kanūd.
• Give with full effort. If a horse gives everything for its owner, what do we give for our Lord?
• Watch your love of wealth. It is natural, the surah admits, but it must not become fierce.
• Purify your heart now. What is in the breasts will be brought out on that Day.
• Remember the graves will be emptied. Read Surah Az-Zalzalah, just before this one, for the same Day.

Open Surah Al-Adiyat to read and listen to it with its translation.