Tafsīr Sūrah al-ʿĀdiyāt (100) - class notes (part 2) 1. By the charging horses, panting hard ʿādiyāt: from ʿadwu, which is to move fast [Abū Hayyān] means those running at great speed -- charging towards the enemy -- feminine noun: female horses, mares, since they are generally faster than males [Ibn Ashur] or the feminine noun is because dealing with attributes of non-humans -- the word is in the plural form, but indicating a small number, jamʿ qilla: gives the sense of a small number against a larger host, image of heroism and courage -- exciting scene is painted, gets adrenalin flowing ḍabḥ: breath/panting of horse when galloping [Ḥalabī] The linguists said it is not originally used for horses, but for wolves. Originally means to blacken, so refers to complexion and colour as in ḍabaḥathu al-nār, the fire burned him black. [Baghawī] therefore indicates extreme exertion as the activity changes their complexion [Baghawī,Ibn Kathīr] ibn ʿAbbās depicted it by saying: ah ah and he said that the word is only used to describe a horse or dog/wolf [Abū Ḥayyān] some said this was not an authentic narration as the word ḍabḥ also covers the breathing of other animals, including camels [Ṭabarī] ʿAlī said: ḍabḥ from horses is the ḥamḥama, whinnying and from camels it is breathing. [Ibn Qayyim] another opinion has the ḍabḥ does not mean ḥamḥama but the snorting and heaving breathing of horses ḍabḥ: maṣdar muʾakkad or ḥāl -- so you get the sense of the horses closing in on the enemy just as a pack of wolves fall on their prey -- wolves generally attack the weaker party, gives the imagery of strength and ferocity and courage of these horses and their riders 2. striking sparks from their hooves usage of fa: consequence of their charge warā: īrā, kindle fire, to conceal or keep secret or pretend -- cause sparks to fly when you strike something -- image is of horses running so hard that the hooves striking rock leave a blazing trail of sparks qadḥa: to pierce, to rebuke, malign, to strike and emit sparks … sense of loudness: violent loud strike, very loud gallops -- again enhances the ferocity of the gallop Another explanation given, linked to the linguistic meaning of the word, is that it refers to plotting and tactics of war. [Baghawī,Suyūṭī] Ṭabarī and ʿAbd b. Ḥumayd report from ʿIkrimah and Mujāhid who said: i.e. plots and tactics. When a person wanted to plot against someone else they would say, ‘By Allāh, la aqdaḥanna laka thumma la ūriyanna.’ [Suyūṭī] the origin of this is reported by ibn Mardawayh from ibn ʿAbbās, ‘When they pagans wanted to plot and plan in war, they would strike up fires so that they enemy would think their numbers were large than they actually were.’ [Ibn Qayyim] views this as a weak opinion if they mean that this is the actual meaning of the verse, but if they mean that it is a secondary meaning, it has some basis 3. raiding at full gallop in the early dawn Ghāra: ambush, falling upon, setting on, going deep into something ṣubḥa: morning, -- at dawn it is generally damp, yet despite the dampness, their hooves are causing these sparks so ferocious is the charge, and as next verse shows, throwing up dust 4. Throwing up a cloud of dust athara: to transmit, pass along, produce an effect, to cause something to rise naqaʿa: soak, infuse, stagnate naqʿa: soaking, bog, clouds of dust [Suyūṭī] Ṭusṭi narrates that ibn ʿAbbās said, ‘Naqʿa: is the clouds of dust raised by horses hooves,’ and quotes some poetry by Ḥassān b. Thābit to prove this. [Ḥalabī] bihī: ḍamīr to the place, action on ground raising up the dust or bihī: ḍamīr could also refer to the time: At this time of morning: even though in morning where it is damp, their charge is so intense that dust is rising despite the wetness -- transition from nouns to verbs, noun shows this quality is intrinsic verb, a doing word, shows that the real action starts, so the reader or listener is now standing at attention, waiting to see what happens next 5. plunging into the middle of the enemy… jamʿa either all of the horses, or referring to the gathering of enemy: they crashed through the lines to their very centre -- all of them penetrated to the very centre -- shows the peak of obedience in these animals, they charged through the ranks of the enemy without questioning the command of their masters -- even when you take into the account that the first line of defence against cavalry would be to raise long spears to impale the horses [Ḥalabi] biḥī: ḍamīr could refer to the time of morning, i.e. plunging into their ranks at that time or the clouds of dust, i.e. taking the clouds of dust with them into the very midst of the enemy
Posted on: Mon, 02 Sep 2013 09:52:50 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015