Because of their furious and relentless charge, they were able to penetrate the enemy lines and reach its center.
Commentary covering verses 5–6
An abrupt change of subject. Just now it was talking about a raid carried out successfully by furiously charging horses and all of a sudden, it says that man holds back from his Lord? Let’s unpack the language first.
The word kanūd is translated as’ holds back immensely.’ It comes from the root kāf nūn dāl which was literally used for a land that produced no herbs and plants. The root meaning is to withhold what is inside so that nothing emerges.103 There is emphasis here by use of the word kanūd instead of its base form kānid. Kanūd contains more emphasis and hence why I added the word “immensely” in the translation.
We
have
already
covered
what
Rabb
means.
Kanūd is normally translated as being ungrateful. Holding back implies not giving someone his rightful due and this is a form of ingratitude but this includes other things as well not just ingratitude. Not giving Allah the respect, the gratitude, the recognition, the love, the trust, the reverence that he deserves among other things. How is this Related to the Galloping Horses?
Those galloping horses were led by their riders who act as their masters. The horse responds to the one riding it. Where the rider directs it, it goes. What the rider commands it, it does. The master - the Rabb - of the horse is its rider. This raid occurred in plain daylight not at night and that too with very attention seeking things accompanying them which give a clear and early signal to the enemy that a raid is coming. Naturally, the enemy will be prepared to meet these raiders head on.
The horses being led by their riders see it for what it is. There are armed men with swords and spears ready to meet them head on and they are first in the line to be struck with them. The horses enter the enemy lines even before their riders. The enemy will naturally be looking to kill these horses so that the riders fall off and hence with them, the momentum dies. They are being led to certain death by their Rabbthe riders - yet they do not hesitate to go forward and enter enemy lines. They gallop and charge at the enemy going at such speed that their hooves give off sparks of fire when they strike the flints. They are panting and exerting their full force. All because their masters commanded them to do so. When one is hesitant, he does not exert full force. Somewhere, sometime doubt and hesitation creeps in. Yet these horses do not display any doubt and show no hesitation and fully submit to their riders. They gallop at the enemy with full force, not caring about death even. They happily lay out their lives just because their masters ordered them to do so.
These horses do not hold back when it comes to their masters, but man does. Man should learn from his horse.
This is what Allah is saying.
If he does so and fully submits to his Rabb, just as the horses were able to penetrate into the enemy’s heart, so will Man be victorious in his life and struggles. The horses showed no hesitation and surrendered themselves to their masters. If man does the same, victory is his.
Then reached due to it, the center of the army
Because of their furious and relentless charge, they were able to penetrate the enemy lines and reach its center.
Commentary covering verses 5–6
An abrupt change of subject. Just now it was talking about a raid carried out successfully by furiously charging horses and all of a sudden, it says that man holds back from his Lord? Let’s unpack the language first.
The word kanūd is translated as’ holds back immensely.’ It comes from the root kāf nūn dāl which was literally used for a land that produced no herbs and plants. The root meaning is to withhold what is inside so that nothing emerges.103 There is emphasis here by use of the word kanūd instead of its base form kānid. Kanūd contains more emphasis and hence why I added the word “immensely” in the translation.
We
have
already
covered
what
Rabb
means.
Kanūd is normally translated as being ungrateful. Holding back implies not giving someone his rightful due and this is a form of ingratitude but this includes other things as well not just ingratitude. Not giving Allah the respect, the gratitude, the recognition, the love, the trust, the reverence that he deserves among other things. How is this Related to the Galloping Horses?
Those galloping horses were led by their riders who act as their masters. The horse responds to the one riding it. Where the rider directs it, it goes. What the rider commands it, it does. The master - the Rabb - of the horse is its rider. This raid occurred in plain daylight not at night and that too with very attention seeking things accompanying them which give a clear and early signal to the enemy that a raid is coming. Naturally, the enemy will be prepared to meet these raiders head on.
The horses being led by their riders see it for what it is. There are armed men with swords and spears ready to meet them head on and they are first in the line to be struck with them. The horses enter the enemy lines even before their riders. The enemy will naturally be looking to kill these horses so that the riders fall off and hence with them, the momentum dies. They are being led to certain death by their Rabbthe riders - yet they do not hesitate to go forward and enter enemy lines. They gallop and charge at the enemy going at such speed that their hooves give off sparks of fire when they strike the flints. They are panting and exerting their full force. All because their masters commanded them to do so. When one is hesitant, he does not exert full force. Somewhere, sometime doubt and hesitation creeps in. Yet these horses do not display any doubt and show no hesitation and fully submit to their riders. They gallop at the enemy with full force, not caring about death even. They happily lay out their lives just because their masters ordered them to do so.
These horses do not hold back when it comes to their masters, but man does. Man should learn from his horse.
This is what Allah is saying.
If he does so and fully submits to his Rabb, just as the horses were able to penetrate into the enemy’s heart, so will Man be victorious in his life and struggles. The horses showed no hesitation and surrendered themselves to their masters. If man does the same, victory is his.
103 Al-Muʿjam al-Ishtiqāqī al-Muʾaṣṣal li-Alfāẓ al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, vol. 4, p. 1930