Al-Fil

See ayat 5 for tafseer.

See ayat 5 for tafseer.

See ayat 5 for tafseer.

See ayat 5 for tafseer.

A narration is reported from Imam ʿAlī b. al‑Ḥusayn (peace be upon him) stating that Abū Ṭālib would constantly defend the Messenger of God PBUH & His Pure Progeny with his sword. He relates that Abū Ṭālib once said: “O my nephew, have you been sent to all people, or only to your own people?” The Prophet PBUH & His Pure Progeny replied: “No; I have been sent to all humankind, whether white or black, Arab or non‑Arab. By the One in whose hand is my soul, I call all people—whether white or black—to this religion, and I summon all those who dwell on mountain peaks or along rivers to it, and I call all the peoples of Persia and Rome to it.” When this statement reached the ears of Quraysh, they were astonished and said: “Do you not hear what your nephew is saying? By God, if the people of Persia and Rome were to hear this, they would surely expel us from our land and tear apart the stones of the Kaʿbah.” At this point, the noble verse was revealed: وَقَالُوا إِن نَّتَّبِعِ الْهُدَى مَعَكَ نُتَخَطَّفْ مِنْ أَرْضِنَا أَوَلَمْ نُمَكِّن لَّهُمْ حَرَمًا آمِنًا يُجْبَى إِلَيْهِ ثَمَرَاتُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ—“They said: If we follow the guidance with you, we will be snatched away from our land. Did We not establish for them a secure sanctuary to which fruits of all things are brought?” (al‑Qaṣaṣ 57). And concerning their statement that they would tear the Kaʿbah apart, Sūrat al‑Fīl was revealed, conveying that no one possesses the power to carry out such an act.

Exegetes and historians have transmitted this account in varying forms, and there is disagreement regarding the exact year in which it occurred. However, the core narrative is so well‑known that it is regarded as part of the mutawātir historical reports. Accordingly, we present a summarized version based on the widely reported narrations found in Sīrat Ibn Hishām, Bulūgh al‑Arab, Bihār al‑Anwār, and Majmaʿ al‑Bayān. The king of Yemen, Dhū Nuwās, persecuted the Christians of Najrān—who resided near that region—in order to compel them to abandon Christianity. The Qur’an refers to this incident in Sūrat al‑Burūj under the title Aṣḥāb al‑Ukhdūd, which has already been discussed in detail in the commentary on that sūrah. After this grave crime, a man named Daws managed to escape alive and reached the Byzantine emperor, who followed Christianity, and recounted the entire incident before him. Because of the great distance between Byzantium and Yemen, the emperor wrote to the king of Abyssinia, al‑Najāshī, instructing him to take vengeance upon Dhū Nuwās for what he had done to the Christians of Najrān. The letter was delivered to al‑Najāshī by the same man. Al‑Najāshī dispatched a massive army, reportedly exceeding seventy thousand troops, toward Yemen under the command of a man named Ariyāṭ. Abraha was among the officers of this army. Dhū Nuwās was defeated, and Ariyāṭ assumed governance over Yemen. After some time, Abraha rebelled against Ariyāṭ, eliminated him, and took his place as ruler. When news of this reached al‑Najāshī, he resolved to punish Abraha. In order to save himself, Abraha shaved his head and sent it along with some Yemeni soil to al‑Najāshī as a sign of total submission and loyalty. Upon seeing this, al‑Najāshī pardoned Abraha and allowed him to remain in his position. At that point, Abraha sought to prove his devotion to al‑Najāshī by constructing a magnificent and exceptionally beautiful church, the like of which had no equal on earth at that time. He then resolved to divert the Arabs from the Kaʿbah and direct them instead toward this church, determining to make it the new center of pilgrimage and thereby transfer Mecca’s central religious significance to that location. To achieve this goal, he sent emissaries to the Arab tribes and throughout the Ḥijāz. The Arabs—who were deeply attached to Mecca and the Kaʿbah and regarded it as one of the legacies of Abraham—felt threatened by this move. According to some reports, a group secretly set fire to the church; according to others, some clandestinely defiled and desecrated it. In this way, they reacted strongly against Abraha’s plan and rendered his place of worship disgraced and discredited. Predictably, Abraha was enraged by this response and resolved to destroy the Kaʿbah completely. He believed that by doing so he would both avenge himself and force the Arabs to turn toward his newly built sanctuary. Accordingly, he set out toward Mecca with a vast army, some of whose members were mounted on elephants. When he approached Mecca, he sent a contingent to plunder the people’s camels and property. Among those taken were two hundred camels belonging to ʿAbd al‑Muṭṭalib. Abraha then sent a messenger into Mecca instructing him to locate its leader and convey the message that Abraha, king of Yemen, had not come to wage war, but only to destroy the Kaʿbah; if no resistance were offered, there would be no bloodshed. Abraha’s envoy entered Mecca and was directed to ʿAbd al‑Muṭṭalib as its chief. Upon hearing the message, ʿAbd al‑Muṭṭalib replied that they had no power to confront him, but as for the Kaʿbah, God Himself would protect it. Abraha’s messenger then insisted that ʿAbd al‑Muṭṭalib accompany him to Abraha’s court. When ʿAbd al‑Muṭṭalib entered Abraha’s court, Abraha was so impressed by his dignified presence, handsome stature, and commanding aura that he rose from his seat in respect and sat on the ground beside him, unwilling to place him on his own throne. He then asked through an interpreter what he desired. ʿAbd al‑Muṭṭalib replied that Abraha’s soldiers had seized his two hundred camels and that he wished for them to be returned. Abraha was astonished by this request and remarked that his esteem for ʿAbd al‑Muṭṭalib had diminished when he heard it: he was concerned about his camels but said nothing about the Kaʿbah—his ancestral sanctuary—which Abraha intended to destroy. ʿAbd al‑Muṭṭalib responded: “أنا ربّ الإبل، وإنّ للبيت ربًّا سيمنعه”—“I am the owner of the camels, and the House has a Lord who will protect it.” Deeply shaken, Abraha became pensive. ʿAbd al‑Muṭṭalib returned to Mecca, instructed the people to seek refuge in the mountains, and personally went with a group to the Kaʿbah to supplicate and seek divine help. Holding the chain of the Kaʿbah’s door, he recited well‑known verses invoking God’s protection of His House. Thereafter, ʿAbd al‑Muṭṭalib and a group of Quraysh took shelter in a nearby mountain pass. He sent one of his sons to Mount Abū Qubays to observe what would occur. The son returned swiftly, reporting a dark cloud approaching from the direction of the sea (the Red Sea). Upon hearing this, ʿAbd al‑Muṭṭalib rejoiced and proclaimed: “يا معشر قريش، ادخلوا منازلكم فقد أتاكم الله بالنصر من عنده”—“O assembly of Quraysh, return to your homes, for God’s help has come to you from Him.” Meanwhile, Abraha descended toward Mecca from the surrounding mountains, mounted on his famed elephant named Maḥmūd, with his massive army. Yet no matter how much pressure he exerted, the elephant refused to advance toward Mecca; when turned toward Yemen, however, it moved readily. Abraha was astounded by this phenomenon. At that moment, flocks of birds arrived from the direction of the sea, each carrying three small stones—one in its beak and two in its claws. They began to rain these stones upon Abraha’s army; whoever was struck was killed. Some reports state that the stones pierced through their bodies. Panic seized the army; those who survived fled, collapsing along the roads like scattered autumn leaves. Abraha himself was struck by a stone and wounded. He was carried back to Ṣanʿāʾ, where he eventually perished. Some accounts state that smallpox first appeared among the Arabs in that very year. Reports differ regarding the number of elephants involved, ranging from one—namely Maḥmūd—to eight, ten, or twelve. According to the most widely held view, the Messenger of God PBUH & His Pure Progeny was born in that same year, illuminating the world with his presence; thus many believe a connection existed between the two events. The magnitude of this occurrence was such that the year became known as ʿĀm al‑Fīl (the Year of the Elephant) and served as a chronological reference point for the Arabs.

In the first verse of this sūrah, addressing the Messenger of God PBUH & His Pure Progeny, it is stated: “Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the Companions of the Elephant?” (أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِأَصْحَابِ الْفِيلِ). They had come with all their might, power, and military force in order to destroy the House of God, yet God shattered them through an army that appeared outwardly insignificant and negligible. Elephants were rendered powerless by tiny birds, and the most advanced weaponry of that time was neutralized by small stones of hardened clay (سِجِّيل), so that the weakness and helplessness of arrogant and tyrannical human beings might be made manifest before divine power. The expression “أَلَمْ تَرَ” (“Have you not seen?”), despite the fact that this event occurred before the Prophet PBUH & His Pure Progeny had opened his eyes to the world, or very close to the time of his birth, is used because the incident was extremely close in time to the Prophet’s era. Moreover, it was so widely known and transmitted that it was as if the Prophet PBUH & His Pure Progeny had witnessed it with his own blessed eyes, and a number of his contemporaries had indeed seen it directly. The phrase “أَصْحَابِ الْفِيلِ” (the Companions of the Elephant) refers to the few elephants that the army brought from Yemen in order to intimidate opponents, so that camels and horses would panic at the sight of them and refuse to stand their ground on the battlefield. (Explanatory note: although “فِيل” appears here in the singular form, it conveys a collective meaning.) The verse then continues: “Did He not make their scheme go astray?” (أَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ كَيْدَهُمْ فِي تَضْلِيلٍ). Their intention was to destroy the Kaʿbah so that the church in Yemen might become the central sanctuary and the Arab tribes would be drawn toward it. Yet not only did they fail to achieve this aim, but the incident itself—whose fame spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula—further enhanced the grandeur of Mecca and the Kaʿbah, increased people’s attachment to them, and made the city even more secure. The term “تَضْلِيل” signifies rendering something futile or misdirected, indicating that they never succeeded in their objective. The sūrah then describes the event in greater detail: “He sent against them flocks of birds” (وَأَرْسَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ). Contrary to common assumption, “أَبَابِيلَ” is not the name of a specific type of bird, but rather a descriptive term. Some have understood it to mean “scattered groups,” that is, the birds came in successive flocks from every direction toward the army of the elephants. The word conveys a plural sense; some have proposed a hypothetical singular form such as “إِبَّالَة,” while others maintain that it is a plural with no singular form derived from it. In any case, together the terms “طَيْرًا” and “أَبَابِيلَ” signify birds coming in flocks, not a particular species named “abābīl.” Regarding the species of these birds, as discussed in historical accounts, it is widely reported that they resembled crows or hawks and arrived from the direction of the Red Sea toward the army of the elephants. The following verse states: “Striking them with stones of hardened clay” (تَرْمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٍ مِّن سِجِّيلٍ). (Explanatory note: “سِجِّيل” is a Persian‑derived term composed of “سنگ” (stone) and “گل” (clay), referring to a substance that is neither as hard as stone nor as soft as clay.) As transmitted in historical and exegetical sources, each of these small birds carried pebbles about the size of chickpeas or smaller—one in its beak and two in its claws. Whomever these stones struck was shattered completely. As stated in the concluding verse: “So He made them like devoured straw” (فَجَعَلَهُمْ كَعَصْفٍ مَّأْكُولٍ). The term “عَصْف” refers to dried stalks or leaves of crops that crumble after being eaten, in other words, chaff. The description “مَّأْكُولٍ” indicates straw that has passed through the teeth and stomach of animals and has thus been reduced to complete fragments. This imagery signifies that those struck by the stones were utterly pulverized. Beyond illustrating the severity of their destruction, this expression also highlights the utter worthlessness and fragility, in the face of divine power, of an arrogant and seemingly formidable group.

It is noteworthy that the Noble Qur’an has presented this detailed and extended historical account in only a few concise, incisive, and profoundly eloquent statements. In doing so, it has articulated points that directly serve the Qur’anic objectives, namely awakening arrogant tyrants and exposing human weakness in the face of God’s immense power. This incident demonstrates that miracles and extraordinary events, contrary to what some might assume, are not necessarily required to occur at the hands of a prophet or an imam. Rather, whenever God wills and deems it necessary, such events take place in order that people may recognize God’s greatness and the truth of His religion. This extraordinary and miraculous punishment differs clearly from the punishments of other rebellious nations. The Flood of Noah, the earthquake and stoning of the people of Lot, the fierce winds unleashed upon the people of ʿĀd, and the thunderbolt that struck the people of Thamūd were all natural phenomena whose miraculous character lay in the specific conditions under which they occurred. By contrast, the destruction of Abraha’s army through small stones carried by tiny birds—falling from their beaks and claws—was not an event resembling ordinary natural processes. The emergence of these small birds, their specific movement toward that particular army, their carrying of stones, their precise targeting of the troops, and the complete disintegration of the bodies of a massive military force through those small pebbles are all extraordinary occurrences. Yet, in relation to divine power, all of this is exceedingly insignificant. It is the same God who has placed immense latent energy within minute particles—such that, if released, they can cause colossal destruction. For Him, it is effortless to impart to these stones a property by which they could reduce the bodies of Abraha’s troops to “عَصْفٍ مَّأْكُولٍ” (consumed straw). There is no need to resort to explanations offered by some modern commentators who attempt to naturalize this incident by suggesting that the stones carried pathogens of plague or smallpox. Nor does the mention in some reports that blood and pus flowed from the bodies of the afflicted, resembling those suffering from smallpox, constitute definitive proof that the army was infected with that disease. Likewise, it is unnecessary to speculate that these pebbles were compressed atomic matter whose internal space had collapsed, rendering them exceptionally hard and capable of piercing bodies. Such explanations are all attempts to reduce the incident to purely natural causes, and they are unwarranted. What we know with certainty is simply that these stones possessed an unusual property that caused complete disintegration of the bodies they struck. Beyond this, we possess no further definitive information. In any case, before the power of God, no action is difficult. (Explanatory note: The mention in some historical sources that smallpox appeared in Arab lands for the first time in that year does not constitute definitive evidence for such an interpretation.)

It is noteworthy that, in this episode, God has manifested His supreme power in the most striking manner against the arrogant and rebellious. Perhaps no punishment in the world is more severe than that inflicted upon the army of Abraha, whereby those haughty people were destroyed so completely that they were reduced to fragments like عصف ماٴکول (devoured straw). For the annihilation of such a powerful and formidable force, God employed soft pebbles and small, seemingly feeble birds. This alone serves as a warning for all arrogant and tyrannical figures throughout the world, so that they may recognize how utterly powerless they are in the face of divine might. The point is that, at times, God entrusts the accomplishment of the greatest acts to the smallest of creatures. For example, He commissions microscopic pathogens—entirely invisible to the human eye—to multiply rapidly within a short time and afflict powerful nations with devastating, contagious diseases such as “وباء” or “طاعون”, casting them to the ground like fallen autumn leaves. The great dam of Yemen (سد مآرب)—as explained in the commentary on Sūrat Sabaʾ—had been the foundation of a vast population and a strong civilization. Yet when that people became increasingly rebellious, the decree for their destruction, according to some narrations, was carried out through one or a few desert rodents. These creatures penetrated the massive dam and created a small breach; as water seeped through, the opening steadily widened until the dam collapsed entirely. The water that surged forth destroyed settlements, homes, and dwellings, and a large population was either annihilated or scattered across distant regions. Such is the manifestation of the power of God, the Exalted and the Supreme.

From the opening verse of the following sūrah (Sūrat Quraish), it becomes clear that one of the aims of Sūrat al‑Fīl is to remind Quraysh of God’s immense blessings upon them, so as to make them realize that had it not been for divine grace, neither this sacred center—Mecca and the Kaʿbah—nor Quraysh themselves would have remained. In other words, they were being called to dismount from the steed of arrogance and pride and to submit humbly to the call of the Messenger of God PBUH & His Pure Progeny. On the other hand, this event—occurring close to the time of the Prophet’s birth—was in reality a prelude to that great manifestation and a harbinger of the magnitude of his mission. This is precisely what the exegetes have termed “irhāṣ”. (Explanatory note: irhāṣ refers to extraordinary signs that occur prior to a prophet’s public mission and serve to prepare the ground for his call. The term originally denotes laying a foundation stone beneath a wall, and is also used in the sense of preparation and establishment.) A third objective of this event is that it constitutes a warning for all tyrants throughout the world—whether Quraysh or others—that they can never stand against divine power. Therefore, it is wiser for them to abandon their delusions, obey the divine command, and submit to truth and justice. The fourth objective is to demonstrate the significance of this great House, namely the Kaʿbah. When its enemies conspired to destroy it and sought to transfer the centrality of this Abrahamic land elsewhere, God subjected them to such decisive humiliation that it became a lesson for the entire world and further enhanced the sanctity and importance of this sacred center. The fifth objective is that God—who had accepted the supplication of Abraham, peace be upon him, concerning the security of this sacred land and had guaranteed it—demonstrated through this event that it is His will that this center of monotheism and worship remain a sanctuary of peace forever.

It is noteworthy that the episode of the Companions of the Elephant was so firmly established among the Arabs that it became a point of reference for the beginning of their historical chronology. As previously noted, the Noble Qur’an refers to this event using the striking expression “أَلَمْ تَرَ” (“Have you not seen?”), addressing the Messenger of God PBUH & His Pure Progeny, even though he was neither present at that time nor an eyewitness to it. This itself constitutes further evidence of the unquestioned and widely acknowledged nature of the incident. Apart from all this, when the Messenger of God PBUH & His Pure Progeny recited these verses before the polytheists of Mecca, none of them denied the account. Had the matter been doubtful, at least someone would have objected, and such an objection—like their other objections—would have been recorded in history, especially since the Qur’an expressed the event in the emphatic form “أَلَمْ تَرَ.” O God, grant us the ability to safeguard and uphold this great center of monotheism. Our Lord, sever the hands of those who are content merely with guarding the outward form of this sacred center while neglecting the message of its inner reality. O God, grant all those who yearn for it the blessing of visiting it with full awareness and true insight. Āmīn, O Lord of the worlds.