Al-Fil

سُورَةُ الفِيلِ

The Elephant

**In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful** This Surah, as its name indicates, refers to the well-known historical event that happened in the year of the birth of the Holy Prophet (S) when Allah protected the Ka'aba against the attack of the army of pagans who, riding on the backs of elephants, came from Yemen intending to destroy it. This Surah is a recollection of the miraculous event which many people of Mecca remember, because it happened not so long ago. Its remembrance is a warning against the proud, arrogant pagans to make them aware that they have no power to stand in the way of the Power of Allah, Who destroyed that great army of elephants by little, tiny birds who pelted them with 'small stones of petrified clay' and He can punish these stubborn oppressors, too. Their equipment was no more than that of Abrahah nor did the number of their fighters match his. In other words, they had seen that event with their own eyes and yet, were so arrogant.

1. بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِأَصْحَٰبِ ٱلْفِيلِ

   Alam tara kaifa fa'ala rabbuka bi ashaabil feel

   HAVE YOU NOT seen how your Lord dealt with the people of the elephants?

2. أَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ كَيْدَهُمْ فِى تَضْلِيلٍۢ

   Alam yaj'al kai dahum fee tad leel

   Did He not make their plan go wrong,

3. وَأَرْسَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ

   Wa arsala 'alaihim tairan abaabeel

   And sent hordes of chargers flying against them,

4. تَرْمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٍۢ مِّن سِجِّيلٍۢ

   Tar meehim bi hi jaaratim min sij jeel

   (While) you were pelting them with stones of porphyritic lava,

5. فَجَعَلَهُمْ كَعَصْفٍۢ مَّأْكُولٍۭ

   Faja 'alahum ka'asfim m'akool

   And turned them into pastured fields of corn?