The Horse Power Behind Horsepower
Hayaa Azmi – American Muslim Society for Science, Engineering, and Medicine
Surah Al-’Adiyat (The Courser)
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
“In the name of Allah – The Most Compassionate, The Most Merciful
وَٱلْعَـٰدِيَـٰتِ ضَبْحًۭا (١)
By the galloping, panting horses
فَٱلْمُورِيَـٰتِ قَدْحًۭا (٢)
striking sparks of fire with their hoofs,
فَٱلْمُغِيرَٰتِ صُبْحًۭا (٣)
launching raids at dawn,
فَأَثَرْنَ بِهِۦ نَقْعًۭا( ٤)
stirring up clouds of dust,
فَوَسَطْنَ بِهِۦ جَمْعًا( ٥)
and penetrating into the heart of enemy lines!
إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ لِرَبِّهِۦ لَكَنُودٌۭ( ٦)
Surely humankind is ungrateful to their Lord –
وَإِنَّهُۥ عَلَىٰ ذَٰلِكَ لَشَهِيدٌۭ (٧)
and they certainly attest to this –
وَإِنَّهُۥ لِحُبِّ ٱلْخَيْرِ لَشَدِيدٌ( ٨)
and they are truly extreme in their love of worldly gains.
أَفَلَا يَعْلَمُ إِذَا بُعْثِرَ مَا فِى ٱلْقُبُورِ (٩)
Do they not know that when the contents of the graves will be spilled
out
وَحُصِّلَ مَا فِى ٱلصُّدُورِ( ١٠)
and the secrets of the heart will be laid bare –
إِنَّ رَبَّهُم بِهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍۢ لَّخَبِيرٌۢ (١١)
surely their Lord is All-Aware of them on that Day
In Islam, horses are among the revered creations of Allah عز وجل and were beloved to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. In Surah Al-‘Adiyat (The Courser), Allah عز وجل swears by the war horses and puts forth imagery of their loyalty and strength by describing how heartily they run into battle** (Tafsir Surah Al-’adiyat - 1:5). Just like everything else in the holy Quran, the image of horses running into battle was chosen intentionally. In wars such as World War 1, horses were instrumental in transporting soldiers, supplies, and first aid, while also proving loyal to their riders (“Horse Power in the First World War”). In modern times, horses have largely been replaced by technology, but their legacy lives on in the use of horsepower as a measure of power output.
Before World War 1, Britain was home to over 3 million horses, which were assigned various tasks to make life easier for its citizens (“Horse Power in the First World War”). The diversity of breeds enabled their responsibilities to span farming, pulling buses and cabs, transporting coal, and even providing entertainment in races (“Horse Power in the First World War”). However, when World War 1 began, the horses were grouped into three major categories: those that pulled war supplies and vehicles, those that were used as saddle horses, and those that were used in cavalry (“War Horse”). Although the horses couldn’t carry as many war supplies as a large cart, the advantage of these animals was that they could trek alongside the soldiers through the rough, war-torn terrain (“Horse Power in the First World War”). The saddle horses, also known as “officer’s chargers”, were ridden by high-ranking officers in the front lines and were specially trained to remain calm in response to gunfire and loud noises (“Serving Under Saddle: Officer’s Chargers”). Additionally, these horses had to be strong enough to carry an army officer wearing all his gear while simultaneously being swift enough to avoid enemy fire (“Serving Under Saddle: Officer’s Chargers”). Throughout the battles in World War 1, war horses honored the imagery used by Allah عز وجل to describe them in verses one to five of Surah Al-’Adiyat.
Although horses aren’t being marched into battle in modern-day conflicts, the unit horsepower (hp) remains very relevant when discussing power output (Vezina). The origin of HP dates back to the 1780s, when James Watt sought to compare the work a horse could do with the output of a steam engine (Jedele). Watt wanted to replace tasks previously done by horses with engines, but to do so, he had to determine how much power the horses provided to the machines (Vezina). In order to begin his calculations, Watt invented a rotary steam engine and observed how much speed and force one horse used to turn the wheel (Vezina). Through his observations, Watt calculated 32,572 pounds per minute, but rounded this to 33,000 foot-pounds per minute (Vezina). Although HP is a common measure of engine power, it is not part of the International System of Units (SI) and must be converted to the SI unit of power: watts.
Throughout history, horses have been optimal animals for high-intensity situations, such as battle or the powering of machinery. Their loyalty, strength, and power are affirmed through various historical events, but most importantly by their Creator, Allah عز وجل.
**Note: This is not a full tafsir of Surah Al-'Adiyat. This was added to highlight the status of horses in Islam.
References
“Tafsir Surah Al-’adiyat - 1.” Quran.com, quran.com/100:1/tafsirs/en-tafisr-ibn-kathir. Accessed 6 June 2026.
“Horse Power in the First World War.” National Army Museum, https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/horse-power-first-world-war. Accessed 6 June 2026.
“War Horse.”The United States World War One Centennial Commission, https://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/the-animals/3079-horses-and-mules-article-1.html. Accessed 6 June 2026.
“Serving Under Saddle: Officer’s Chargers.” The United States World War One Centennial Commission,https://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/the-animals/3087-brookeusa-under-saddle-overview.html. Accessed 6 June 2026.
Vezina, Kezrick. “Horsepower: Physics: Research Starters: EBSCO Research.” EBSCO, 2019, www.ebsco.com/research-starters/physics/horsepower.
Jedele, Saige. “Horse Power in Agriculture History: The Henry Ford.” In Agriculture History | The Henry Ford, 4 Oct. 2022, thehenryford.org/collections/explore/articles/horse-power.
