Gems from Juzz 'Amma" "Who is more loyal?"

~ Gems from Juzz 'Amma ~

Surah 'Aadiyat, ayah 6: "Who is more loyal?"

إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لِرَبِّهِ لَكَنُودٌ

"Surely the human is extremely disloyal to his Master"

The Arab listener loved horses:

- He especially loved War horses.

– He especially loved female War horses.

– He especially loved female War horses that would risk their life for their masters.

These people would make so much poetry about their horses, about their horses strength, speed, loyalty and sacrifice. These horses would be the first to get hurt in battle by spears, yet it would still stay loyal by staying firm in battle for its master, without running away – even till death.

So Allah says;

إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لِرَبِّهِ لَكَنُودٌ

"No doubt the human being is truly ungrateful to his Master."

The human is truly disloyal to his Master, for sure.

The listener just a few seconds ago was imagining himself riding the war horse and how loyal she was to him.. Then suddenly he is given a wake up call – YOU are the slave, and you have a Master, to whom you are not loyal to at all.

Allah puts forward an amazing argument which reaches the heart, from a way which the listener couldn’t even expect. He is left speechless.

Kanood – similar to Kafoor, meaning ungrateful for the favours.

Allah has given humans so much ability and intellect and favours, so that everything on Earth can be used by them for their benefit, including such loyal animals. But with all these favours – they have to be thankful and obey their own Master.

Yet what are people with such high rank and potential doing? Stealing from the enemy? Being ungrateful in disobedience. This even happens in movies etc where alot of evil i.e. Robberies are praised. Everything immoral is praised – showing ungratefulness to our Master.

Ash-Shawkani says: Kanood is to separate, disassociate. I.e. The human disassociates himself from his Master. The horse did not.

Kanood is different to Kafoor. Kanood is mentioned only once in the Qur’an and Kafoor is mentioned many times.

So why is Kanood specifically spoken in this surah?

- Kanood كَنُودٌ- EXTREMELY ungrateful.

- The Kanood character mentions the problems in his life but is never thankful or mentioning of favours. (so you might have 10 different foods at home, but you get angry that the one you wanted isn’t there!)

- This person is extremely ungrateful, and disloyal (kunood also implies this) especially to his Master.

- Allah is the One who is the Master over everything, yet us humans feel embarrassed about Him, or we think twice about being loyal to Him.

inal insaan.. - surely the human being. 

La - no doubt – especially – when it comes to his ungratefulness – he is truly a witness.

Al Baydawi comments, the human being is truly a witness (to his disloyalty and ungratefulness to Allah.) And its effects manifest on him in his character and behaviour.