Al-Fil

• 1-5 The army of Abraha destroyed for attacking the Kaabah.{{cite book |last1=Wherry |first1=Elwood Morris |author1-link=Elwood Morris Wherry |title=A Complete Index to Sale's Text, Preliminary Discourse, and Notes |date=1896 |publisher=Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner, and Co |location=London}} {{PD-notice}}

• Hafs from Aasim ibn Abi al-Najud

{{script/Arabic|بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ۝}}

{{lang|ar-Latn|Bismi l-lāhi r-raḥmāni r-raḥīm(i)}}

{{Script/Arabic|أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِأَصْحَـٰبِ ٱلْفِيلِ ۝١}}

¹ {{Lang|ar-Latn|’alam tara kayfa fa‘ala rab-buka bi’aṣḥābi l-fīl(i)}}

{{Script/Arabic|أَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ كَيْدَهُمْ فِى تَضْلِيلٍ ۝٢}}

² {{Lang|ar-Latn|’alam yaj’al kaydahum fī taḍlīl(in)}}

{{Script/Arabic|وَأَرْسَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ ۝٣}}

³ {{Lang|ar-Latn|Wa’arsala ‘alayhim ṭayran ’ababīl(a)}}

{{Script/Arabic|تَرْمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٍ مِّن سِجِّيلٍ ۝٤}}

⁴ {{Lang|ar-Latn|Tarmīhim biḥijārati m-min sij-jīl(in)}}

{{Script/Arabic|فَجَعَلَهُمْ كَعَصْفٍ مَّأْكُولٍۭ ۝٥}}

⁵ {{Lang|ar-Latn|Faja‘alahum ka‘aṣfi m-ma’kūl(in)}}

• Warsh from Nafiʽ al-Madani

{{script/Arabic|بِسۡمِ اِ۬للَّهِ اِ۬لرَّحۡمَـٰنِ اِ۬لرَّحِيمِ ۝}}

{{lang|ar-Latn|Bismi l-lāhi r-raḥmāni r-raḥīm(i)}}

{{Script/Arabic|أَلَمۡ تَرَ كَيۡفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِأَصۡحَـٰبِ اِ۬لۡفِيلِ ۝١}}

¹ {{Lang|ar-Latn|’alam tara kayfa fa‘ala rab-buka bi’aṣḥābi l-fīl(i)}}

{{Script/Arabic|أَلَمۡ يَجۡعَلۡ كَيۡدَهُمۡ فِے تَضۡلِيلٍ ۝٢}}

² {{Lang|ar-Latn|’alam yaj’al kaydahum fī taḍlīl(in)}}

{{Script/Arabic|وَأَرۡسَلَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ طَيۡ{{color|lightgreen|رً}}{{color|magenta|ا اَ}}بَابِيلَ ۝٣}}

³ {{Lang|ar-Latn|Wa’arsala ‘alayhim ṭay{{color|lightgreen|r}}{{color|magenta|an a}}babīl(a)}}

{{Script/Arabic|تَرۡمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٍ مِّن سِجِّيلٍ ۝٤}}

⁴ {{Lang|ar-Latn|Tarmīhim biḥijārati m-min sij-jīl(in)}}

{{Script/Arabic|فَجَعَلَهُمۡ كَعَصۡفٍ مَّ{{color|magenta|ا}}كُولٍۭ ۝٥}}

⁵ {{Lang|ar-Latn|Faja‘alahum ka‘aṣfi m-m{{color|magenta|ā}}kūl(in)}}

{{Verse||1|tomato}}

Have you (O Muhammad (Peace be upon him)) not seen how your Lord dealt with the Owners of the Elephant? [The elephant army which came from Yemen under the command of Abrahah Al-Ashram intending to destroy the Kaaba at Mecca].

{{Verse||2|tomato}}

Did He not make their plot go astray?

{{Verse||3|tomato}}

And sent against them birds, in flocks,

{{Verse||4|tomato}}

Striking them with stones of Sijjil.

{{Verse||5|tomato}}

And made them like an empty field of stalks (of which the corn has been eaten up by cattle).

{{right|Translation:Noble Quran,{{cite web|url=https://quran.com./105?translations=18|title=quran.com, al-Fil (105), Muhsin Khan}} 1999}}

{{Verse||1|green}}

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

{{Verse||2|green}}

Did He not make their plan into misguidance?

{{Verse||3|green}}

And He sent against them birds in flocks,

{{Verse||4|green}}

Striking them with stones of hard clay,

{{Verse||5|green}}

And He made them like eaten straw.

{{right|Translation:Saheeh International,{{cite web|url=https://quran.com./105?translations=20|title=quran.com, al-Fil (105), Sahih International}} 1997}}

{{Verse||1|blue}}

Seest thou not how thy Lord dealt with the Companions of the Elephant?

{{Verse||2|blue}}

Did He not make their treacherous plan go astray?

{{Verse||3|blue}}

And He sent against them Flights of Birds,

{{Verse||4|blue}}

Striking them with stones of baked clay.

{{Verse||5|blue}}

Then did He make them like an empty field of stalks and straw, (of which the corn) has been eaten up.

{{right|Translation:Yusuf Ali,{{cite web|url=https://quran.com./105?translations=22|title=quran.com, al-Fil (105), Yusuf Ali}} 1934}}

{{Verse||1|magenta}}

Hast thou not seen how thy Lord dealt with the owners of the Elephant?

{{Verse||2|magenta}}

Did He not bring their stratagem to naught,

{{Verse||3|magenta}}

And send against them swarms of flying creatures,

{{Verse||4|magenta}}

Which pelted them with stones of baked clay,

{{Verse||5|magenta}}

And made them like green crops devoured (by cattle)?

{{right|Translation:Pickthall,{{cite web|url=https://quran.com./105?translations=19|title=quran.com, al-Fil (105), Pikhtall}} 1930}}

{{Clear}}

Taking its name from the mention of the "Army of the Elephant" in the first verse, this surah alludes to the Abyssinian campaign against Mecca possibly in the year 570 CE. Abrahah, the Christian viceroy of the Yemen (which at that time was ruled by the Abyssinians), erected a great cathedral at Sana'a, hoping thus to divert the annual Arabian pilgrimage from the Meccan sanctuary, the Kabah, to the new church. When this hope remained unfulfilled, he was determined to destroy the Kabah; and so he set out against Mecca at the head of a large army, which included several war elephants as well, and thus represented something hitherto unknown and utterly astounding to the Arabs: hence the designation of that year, by contemporaries as well as historians of later generations, as "the Year of the Elephant". Abrahah's army was destroyed on its march Ibn HishamIbn Sa'd al-Baghdadi I/1, 55 f - by an extremely huge flock of martin swallow birds (ababil) that dropped tiny stones onto them and turned them to ashes.The Message of The Qur'an The Hundred-Fifth Surah Al-Fil (The Elephant) Note#2 - and Abrahah himself died on his return to Sana.Muhammad Asad – The Message of The Qur'an 1980

The Arabs{{who|date=February 2017}} describe the year in which this event took place as the Year of the Elephant, and in the same year, Muhammad was born. The traditionists and historians almost unanimously state that the event of the people of the elephant had occurred in Muharram and Muhammad was born in Rabi' al-awwal. A majority of them states that he took birth 50 days after the event of the elephant.{{cite web|url=http://englishtafsir.com/Quran/105/index.html|title=105. Surah Al-Fil (The Elephant) - Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi - Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an}}

Surahs in the Qur'an are not arranged in the chronological order of revelation.{{cite book|last=Robinson|first=Neal|title=Discovering the Qur'an: A Contemporary Approach to a Veiled Text|year=2003|publisher=Georgetown University Press|isbn=978-1-58901-024-6|pages=25–97|url=http://www.youquran.com/DISCOVERING-QURAN-Robinson.PDF}} Muhammad told his followers the placement in Quranic order of every Wahy revealed along with the original text of the Quran.Israr Ahmed – Bayan-ul-Quran – Introduction Wm Theodore de Bary, an East Asian studies expert, describes that "The final process of collection and codification of the Quran text was guided by one over-arching principle: God's words must not in any way be distorted or sullied by human intervention. For this reason, no serious attempt, apparently, was made to edit the numerous revelations, organize them into thematic units, or present them in chronological order ...".Approaches to the Asian Classics, Irene Bloom, Wm Theodore de Bary, Columbia University Press, 1990, p. 65 {{ISBN|0-231-07005-5}}, 9780231070058{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8cXp43fuVa8C|title=Eastern Canons|isbn=9780231070058|last1=Bary|first1=William Theodore De|last2=Bloom|first2=Irene|year=1990}} Al-Fil is a Meccan suraQuran Verses in Chronological Order and Meccan suras are chronologically earlier suras that were revealed to Muhammad at Mecca before the hijrah to Medina in 622 CE. They are typically shorter, with relatively short ayat, and mostly come near the end of the Qur'an's 114 surahs.{{Source needed|date=June 2024}} Most of the surahs containing muqatta'at are Meccan. Henceforth apart from traditions, this surah qualifies to be Meccan typically. Most of the mufassirunAbul A'la Maududi-Tafhim-ul-Quran say that this is unanimouslyTafsir Ibn Kathir a Meccan sura; and if it is studied against its historical background it appears that it must have been sent down in the very earliest stage at Makkah.[http://www.bombaxo.com/chronsurs.html Chronological Order of Quranic Surahs] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180113191410/http://www.bombaxo.com/chronsurs.html |date=2018-01-13 }}, by Kevin P. Edgecomb.

The principal subject of the surah is a specific historic event. The year of Muhammad's birth is identified as 'the Year of the Elephant', when Mecca was attacked by Abraha accompanied by an elephant. Quranic exegetes interpreted that God saved the Meccans from this force by sending a swarm of birds that pelted the invaders with clay stones and destroyed them.{{cite book|editor-last=Leaman|editor-first=Oliver|title=The Qur'an : an encyclopedia|year=2008|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-415-32639-1|page=129|url=https://books.google.com/books?isbn=1134339755}}{{cite journal|last=Mir|first=Mustansir|title=Elephants, Birds of Prey, and Heaps of Pebbles: Farāhī's Interpretation of Sūrat al-Fīl|journal=Journal of Qur'anic Studies|year=2005|volume=7|issue=1|pages=33–47|doi=10.3366/jqs.2005.7.1.33|jstor=25728163}} The army of Abraha destroyed for attacking the KaabahGeorge Sale is a reminder and an example that Allah can save His house (Al-Ka'bah) by destroying an army of 60,000 with elephants, through a flock of birds.Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik (translator), Al-Qur'an, the Guidance for Mankind - English with Arabic Text (Hardcover) {{ISBN|0-911119-80-9}}Muhammad Asad, Al-Qur'an translation, The Message of the Qur'an, First Hardback, 1980, Dar Al-Andalus, Gibraltar, {{ISBN|1-904510-00-0}} The origin of the word sijjīl (i.e. Lava stone from Volcanic eruption) in verse 4 has the etymology proposed as Persian sang and gil ('stone' and 'clay'), or Aramaic sgyl ('smooth altar stone').Rippin, Andrew (editor) (2007). [https://books.google.com/books?id=xUu04ozMXOcC&q=sijjil The Blackwell Companion to the Qur'an.] Oxford: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 137–138. {{ISBN|1-4051-7844-2}} In the Quran 'sijjīl' occurs in two other verses: 11:82 and 15:74.

There are almost 7 divisions in the entire Qur'an according to Themes.Abdul Nasir Jangda - Tafsir lectures - Bayyinah Institute, 2300 Valley View ln. Suite 500 Irving, TX 75062Tadabbur-i-Quran#Contents The final of these 7 sections starts from surah Al-Mulk [surah number 67] to surah Al-Nas [surah number 114].{{Cite web |url=http://bayyinah.com/podcast/lectures/68_qalam_a.mp3 |title=Archived copy |access-date=2015-12-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023055958/http://bayyinah.com/podcast/lectures/68_qalam_a.mp3 |archive-date=2012-10-23 |url-status=dead }} This final part [last 7th of the Quran] focuses on; sources of Reflection, People, their final scenes they will face on Judgment Day and Hellfire and Paradise in general{{cite web |url=http://www.linguisticmiracle.com/tafsir/qalam |title = linguisticmiracle.com}} and Admonition to the Quraysh about their fate in the Herein and the Hereafter if they deny Muhammad, specifically.{{Citation

| contribution = Islahi, Amin Ahsan

| year = 2003

| editor-link = John Esposito

| title = The Oxford Dictionary of Islam

| editor-last = Esposito

| editor-first = John

| publisher = Oxford University Press

| isbn = 978-0-19-512558-0

| contribution-url = http://www.oxfordislamicstudies.com/article/opr/t125/e1086 | title-link = The Oxford Dictionary of Islam

}}

In this Surah, God's punishment which was inflicted on the people of the elephant is referred to and described very briefly because it was an event of recent occurrence, and everyone in Makkah and Arabia was fully aware of it. That is why the Arabs believed that the Ka'bah was protected in this invasion, not by any god or goddess, but by God Almighty Himself. Then God alone was invoked by the Quraysh chiefs for help, and for quite a few years the people of Quraysh, having been impressed by this event, had worshiped none but God. Therefore, there was no need to mention the details in Surah Al-Feel, but only a reference to it was enough.{{Cite web | url=http://www.alim.org/library/quran/surah/introduction/105/MAL | title=Surah 105. Al-Fil | Alim-Islamic Software for Quran and Hadith | Alim}} Javed Ahmad Ghamidi (b. 1951), a well-known Pakistani Muslim theologian, Quran scholar and exegete, and educationist, explains the theme of Surah Al-Fil is to inform the Quraysh that the God – Who routed His enemies in this manner before them – will also not spare them now that they too have shown enmity to Him. They will also be devastated in a similar manner.{{Cite web | url=http://www.monthly-renaissance.com/issue/content.aspx?id=1500 | title=Monthly Renaissance - Content}}

The idea of textual relation between the verses of a chapter has been discussed under various titles such as nazm and munasabah in non-English literature and coherence, text relations, intertextuality, and unity in English literature. Hamiduddin Farahi, an Islamic scholar of the Indian subcontinent, is known for his work on the concept of nazm, or coherence, in the Quran. Fakhruddin al-Razi (died 1209 CE), Zarkashi (died 1392) and several other classical as well as contemporary Quranic scholars have contributed to the studies.{{cite book |last=El-Awa|first=Salwa|title=Textual Relations in Qur'an: Relevance, Coherence and Structure|year=2005|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-22747-1}}{{cite book|last=Mir|first=Mustansir|title=Coherence in the Qur'an : a study of Islahi's concept of nazm in Tadabbur-i Qur'an|year=1986|publisher=American Trust Publications|isbn=978-0-89259-065-0}}{{cite book|last=Hamiduddin Farahi|author-link=Hamiduddin Farahi|first=translated by Tariq Mahmood Hashmi|title=Exordium to coherence in the Quran : an English translation of Fātiḥah Niẓām al-Qurʼān|year=2008|publisher=al-Mawrid|location=Lahore|isbn=978-969-8799-57-1|edition=1st}}

In surahs Al-Qaria (No. 101) to Al-Humaza (No. 104), it is pointed to the Quraysh that they have remained so possessed with the love of wealth and children that they have grossly failed to fulfill the rights of God as well as their fellow beings. Despite this, they still claim to be the heirs of Abraham and Ishmael and the custodians of the Baytullah (House of God) built by them.{{cite web|url=http://www.al-mawrid.org/index.php/articles/view/surah-fil|title=Articles - Al-Mawrid}}

This Surah Al-Fil and the next one, Quraysh, form a pair in subject matter according to most Quranic scholars.Dr.Israr AhmedMuhammad AsadNouman Ali Khan The former of the pair warns the Quraysh about the Incident of the Elephant to inspire fear in God, while the latter surah urges them to keep in mind the favors they enjoy, because of the Baytullah and consequently to give up rebelliousness against God and worship Him alone. They are cautioned that they have been blessed with peace and sustenance, not because of their efforts or because they were entitled to them, but because of the Prophet Abraham's invocation and the blessings of the House which he built. Therefore, instead of showing vanity, it is their obligation to worship the Lord of this House, who fed them in hunger and secured them against every kind of danger.Javed Ahmad Ghamidi

• Narrated Al-Muttalib bin 'Abdullah bin Qais bin Makhramah: from his father, from his grandfather, that he said: "I and the Messenger of God, were born in the Year of the Elephant" - he said: "And Uthman ibn Affan asked Qubath bin Ashyam, the brother of Banu Ya'mar bin Laith - 'Are you greater (in age) or the Messenger of God?'" He said: "The Messenger of God is greater than me, but I have an earlier birthday." He said: "And I saw the defecation of the elephant turning green."Sahih al-Tirmidhi - Chapters on Virtues - Grade : Sahih (Darussalam)

English reference : Vol. 1, Book 46, Hadith 3619

Arabic reference : Book 49, Hadith 3979

• The event took place at Muhassir by the Muhassab valley, between Muzdalifah and Mina. According to the Sahih Muslim and Abu Dawood, in the description of Muhammad's The Farewell Pilgrimage that Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq has related from his father, Imam Muhammad al-Baqir, and he from Jabir ibn Abd-Allah, he says that when Muhammed proceeded from Muzdalifah to Mina, he increased his speed in the valley of Muhassir. Imam Al-Nawawi has explained it saying that the incident of the people of the elephant had occurred there; therefore, the pilgrims have been enjoined to pass by quickly, for Muhassir is a tormented place. Imam Malik in Mu'atta has related that Muhammad said that "the whole of Muzdalifah is a fit place for staying but one should not stay in the valley of Muhassir".
• Narrated by Miswar bin Makhrama and Marwan I (whose narrations attest each other)Sahih Bukhari 2731, 2732 In-book reference: Book 54, Hadith 19 USC-MSA web (English) reference: Vol. 3, Book 50, Hadith 891 (deprecated numbering scheme) that: God's Messenger set out at the time of Treaty of Hudaybiyyah ... (at a place) The she-camel of the Prophet (ﷺ) sat down. The people tried their best to cause the she-camel to get up but in vain, so they said, "Al-Qaswa' (i.e. the she-camel's name) has become stubborn! Al-Qaswa' has become stubborn!" The Prophet said, "Al-Qaswa' has not become stubborn, for stubbornness is not her habit, but she was stopped by Him Who stopped the elephant." Then he said, "By the Name of Him in Whose Hands my soul is, if they (i.e. the Quraish infidels) ask me anything which will respect the ordinances of God, I will grant it to them." The Prophet then rebuked the she-camel and she got up. ...Sunan Abu Dawood 2765 In-book reference: Book 15, Hadith 289 English translation: Book 14, Hadith 2759
• Narrated Abu Hureyrah that: "When God, the Exalted and Majestic, granted God's Messenger victory over Mecca (Conquest of Mecca), he stood before people and praised and extolled God and then said:Sahih Muslim 1355 a In-book reference: Book 15, Hadith 509 USC-MSA web (English) reference: Book 7, Hadith 3142 (deprecated numbering scheme) Report Error | Share Verily God held back the elephants from Mecca and gave the domination of it to His Messenger and believers, and it (this territory) was not violable to anyone before me and it was made violable to me for an hour of a day, and it shall not be violable to anyone after me. So neither molest the game nor weed out thorns from it. And it is not lawful for anyone to pick up a thing dropped but one who makes a public announcement of it. And it a relative of anyone is killed he is entitled to opt for one of two things. Either he should be paid blood-money or he can take life as (a just retribution). ...Sahih Bukhari 112 In-book reference: Book 3, Hadith 54 USC-MSA web (English) reference: Vol. 1, Book 3, Hadith 112 (deprecated numbering scheme)Bulugh al-Maram 739 In-book reference: Book 6, Hadith 32 English translation: Book 6, Hadith 758Sunan Abu Dawood 2017 In-book reference: Book 11, Hadith 297 English translation: Book 10, Hadith 2012

• Animals in Islam
• Year of the Elephant
• The Journey (2021 film)

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{commons category}}

• [https://quran.com/105 Quran 105] Clear Quran translation
• [https://madainproject.com/companions_of_the_elephant Companions of the Elephant (Ashab ul-Fil)]
• [https://madainproject.com/year_of_the_elephant Year of the Elephant (Aam ul-Fil)]
• [https://madainproject.com/abraha Abraha] Abraha

{{Sura|105|Al-Humaza|Quraysh}}

{{Characters and names in the Quran}}

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Fil

Category:Elephants in religion

Category:Animals in Islam