Al-Fil

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِأَصْحَـٰبِ ٱلْفِيلِ

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

Note [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.

أَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ كَيْدَهُمْ فِى تَضْلِيلٍ

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

Note [1993] Causing them to perish.

وَأَرْسَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ

And He sent against them birds in flocks,

تَرْمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٍ مِّن سِجِّيلٍ

Striking them with stones of hard clay,

فَجَعَلَهُمْ كَعَصْفٍ مَّأْكُولٍۭ

And He made them like eaten straw.[1994]

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