الفيل

أَلَمۡ تَرَ كَيۡفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِأَصۡحَٰبِ ٱلۡفِيلِ 1

Have you not considered, [O Muḥammad], how your Lord dealt with the companions of the elephant?[1992]

Translation notes

[1992] i.e., the army under the command of Abrahah al-Ashram which was accompanied by a huge elephant and came with the intention of destroying the Kaʿbah at Makkah.

أَلَمۡ يَجۡعَلۡ كَيۡدَهُمۡ فِي تَضۡلِيلٖ 2

Did He not make their plan into misguidance?[1993]

Translation notes

[1993] Causing them to perish.

وَأَرۡسَلَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ طَيۡرًا أَبَابِيلَ 3

And He sent against them birds in flocks,

تَرۡمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٖ مِّن سِجِّيلٖ 4

Striking them with stones of hard clay,

فَجَعَلَهُمۡ كَعَصۡفٖ مَّأۡكُولِۭ 5

And He made them like eaten straw.[1994]

Translation notes

[1994] i.e., husks which have been chewed by cattle. This event took place in the year of the Prophet's birth.