Surat al-Aadiyaat

Surat al-Aadiyaat (The Racers) 

  In the Name of Allah, the Most Kind, the Most Merciful.    1 . By the charging horses panting hard,   

2. Striking sparks of fire (by their flashing hooves), 

 

3. Raiding at full gallop in the early dawn; 

 

4. Raising a trail of dust behind them, 

 

5. And plunging into the middle of the enemy! 

 

6. Man is indeed ungrateful to his Lord, 

 

7. And indeed he bears witness to that fact; 

 

8. Truly, he is passionate in his love for wealth. 

 

9. Does he not know that when the contents of the graves are poured out, 

 

10. And the secrets of the breasts are made known? 

  1 1 . Indeed, their Lord will know everything about them on that day!    Surat al-Aadiyaat was revealed in Makkah. It consists of eleven verses. he surah can be divided into three sections for the purpose of study.    1 . The first is a series of oaths by horses in a state of war, engaging in intense activity .    These verses describe horses in battle in a vivid style. Horses are noble. They are brave and faithful animals. If trained, they can patiently perform many useful tasks for man. They can travel under dangerous conditions, carry their masters through the raging battles, cross rivers and climb mountains.   

2. The second section consists of three verses. These three verses state that man is ungrateful to Allah and loves wealth with passion .

  The truth is that in our time we need the energy to guard ourselves against the condition mentioned in these verses. A man can collect a lot of wealth; the fact is he cannot take any of it with him when he dies. It will not help him in the least when he has to stand before Allah to be judged.   

3. The third section is a reminder to such people of the Day of Resurrection when what they hide (even from themselves) will be open to all, and particularly to Allah who is al-Khabeer, that is, the One Who knows about everything and everyone. 

  Exercise  

1. Complete the following sentences. 

  1 . Man is indeed    2 . Truly, he is passionate in his             to his Lord.   

1. Answer these questions. 

  1 . Where was this surah revealed?    2 . How many verses does it contain?   

3. What does Allah swear by in Surat al-Aadiyaat? 

 

4. What does this surah teach us? 

 

1. Memorisation.

  Learn the surah by heart.    Surat al-Qaari’ah (The Striking Hour)    In the Name of Allah, Most Kind, Most Merciful    1 . The Striking Hour!   

2. What is the Striking Hour? 

 

3. And what will make you know what the Striking Hour is? 

 

4. It is the day when people will be like moths, scattered about, 

 

5. And the mountains will be like wool, fluffed up. 

 

6. As for him whose scales are heavy (with good deeds), 

 

7. He will live a pleasant life. 

 

8. But as for him whose scales are light, 

 

9. He will have his home in al-Haawiyah, 

 

10. And what will make you know what it is? 

 

11. (It is) a blazing fire. 

  Surat al-Aadiyaat was revealed in Makkah. It consists of eleven brief verses. The surah paints a vivid and fearful picture of the Day of Resurrection, which is here called al-Qaari’ah, ‘the Striking Hour’, the knocking or pounding one.    Al-Qaari’ah is one of the names of the Day of Judgement. It has this name because it strikes hearts and ears with its frightening events. On that day, there will be an ear-splitting blast, and people will be scattered about like moths or locusts. They will be bewildered at what is happening to them. Even the mighty mountains on that day will become like carded wool that has begun to wear out and be torn apart.   On that day, the scales will be set up, and everyone’s deeds will be weighed on these special scales in Allah’s Court of Justice. People will be of two types:   

1. Those whose good deeds outweigh their evil deeds, and who will therefore be commanded to enter Paradise. 

 

2. Those whose evil deeds outweigh their good deeds, and who will therefore be commanded to enter the Fire of Hell. 

  When that day comes, people will recall what they had been doing in this life. Good people will be given their records of deeds in their right hands, while the evil ones will receive theirs in their left hands.    The records of deeds will reveal people’s actions in this life. People will not be able to deny them.    Exercises  

1. Are the following statements true or false? 

  1 . Al-Qaari’ah means the slanderer.   

2. This surah was revealed in Makkah. 

 

3. Everyone’s deeds will be weighed on that day. 

 

4. It is a day on which people will be like moths, scattered about. 

 

1. Answer these questions. 

 

1. Describe the two types of people who will be divided according to their deeds. 

 

2. Mention some ways in which people will not be able to hide their bad actions. 

 

1. Memorisation 

  Learn Surat al-Aadiyaat by heart.    Surat at-Takaathur (Greed for More and More)    In the Name of Allah, Most Kind, Most Merciful    1 . Competing with each other in (worldly) increase diverts you,   

2. Until you reach the graves. 

 

3. No, but you will soon come to know! 

 

4. Again no, surely you will come to know! 

 

5. No, if you only knew now with sure knowledge, 

 

6. You will surely see the Hellfire, 

 

7. Then you will surely see it with the eye of certainty. 

 

8. Then, you will surely be asked that day about (life’s) pleasures. This surah was revealed in Makkah. It consists of eight verses. 

  Surat al-Aadiyaat is a warning to those who are occupied in this life only with the love for this world and its pleasures. They devote much of their time to making more and more money and collecting more and more material possessions. The afterlife does not cross their minds at all. This attitude is very common today. It diminishes all human societies in our technological age. The term ‘at-takaathur’ means ‘striving greedily for worldly increase’. It shows man’s obsessive passion for more and more comforts, more and more material goods, more and more power, without ever thinking about the hereafter.    Allah the Almighty urges mankind to abandon the worship of this world. The worship of the worldly things blinds man to the realities of this life and the life to come. Such people are not prepared to stop and think about moral values taught by the Qur’an. The greed for more and more wealth makes people forget the real purpose of their lives. This surah is a warning to such people.    On the Last Day, Allah will ask us about our gratefulness to Him for the favours He has blessed us with, such as health, safety, food and drink and sleep. He will ask us if we returned His favours by worshipping Him alone and being thankful to Him for His favours.    Those who are engrossed in the things of this world do not get time to prepare themselves for the life after death. This life is very short. Their passion for the things of this world and vying for more and more worldly possessions diverts their attention from a matter even more important.    Exercises  

1. Fill in the blanks with suitable words. 

  1 . Surat at-Takaathur was revealed in   

2. It consists of        verses. 

 

3. The word ‘at-takaathur’ means striving hard for 

 

4. Allah urges mankind to abandon the worship of this 

 

5. The pleasures of the life of this world 

 

1. Answer these questions. 

  1 . What does this surah warn us against?   

2. What will we be questioned about on the Last Day? 

 

1. Memorisation 

  Learn Surat al-Aadiyaat by heart.