1وَالعادِياتِ ضَبحًاMir Ahmed AliBy1 the snorting chargers!Verses 1-5 are the mystic symbols of some event of special importance. Commentators have given some imaginary interpretation to the symbolic use of the words. The truth is that the Sura as a whole was revealed on a particular occasion of special importance. The Sixth Holy Imam Jafar ibne Muhammad As-Sadiq says that the tribes of Bani Saleem collected a huge force to make a sudden and a very heavy attack on Madina, to kill the Muslims and to arrest the Holy Prophet and then to torture him. On receiving the news of this gathering of the hostile forces the Holy Prophet sent an army under one of his companions who ran away from the field and returned utterly defeated suffering a heavy loss and owing to his running away from the field, many of the Muslims were killed. The Holy Prophet gave the Banner of Islam to another companion and sent him, and he also ran away from the field, with a disastrous defeat and the heavy loss suffered by the Muslim army. Umar-e-As offered himself to go, to fight the enemy boasting that he would see the enemy is duly punished and he was sent and he also returned with the same result as on the previous two occasions. At last the Holy Prophet called Ali and handed over the Banner of Islam to him and placing the defeated companions under him, despatched him to meet the enemy, himself accompanying Ali up to the Mosque of Ahzab outside Madina, the army marched at night and kept it self concealed at day and thus he reached the place and made a sudden attack on the enemy’s forces at the early hours of the dawn and won an easy victory, most of the enemy’s men were killed, and those remaining, Ali put them in chains and brought them to, the Holy Prophet in Madina. When the news of the victorious Ali approaching Madina reached the Holy Prophet, he went out of the city to receive Ali and the victorious soldiers of Islam. Kissing Ali on his forehead, the Holy Prophet said: “O’ Ali, if there had not been the risk of the people misled to raise thee to the position, as the Christians have done in the ease of Jesus, I would have disclosed certain things about thee, after which, people would have sought the dust under thy feet to get the cure for ailments.” The Holy Prophet and the Muslim army had not even entered Madina that the Messenger Angel Gabriel conveyed this Sura to the Holy Prophet. (M.S.) The first five verses of this Sura describe the event praising the activity of the move of the army to defend the Truth and its believers under its ever victorious Commander who saved the faith and the faithful by defeating the enemy and not running away, leaving the Muslim soldiers to their fate in the hands of the triumphant foe to suffer death and destruction. As regards the companions who ran away from the field and returned defeated on the first two occasions—refer to History. Reference is to the glorious march of the chargers of the brave defenders of the faith, running fast panting.Besides the reference to the particular expedition known as ‘Zatus-Salasal’—the first five verses may refer to the (camel, or horse) cavalries which were used by the muslims against the disbelievers—or for pilgrimage. (A.P.)