Al-Fil

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Surat al-Fil (Arabic: سورة الفيل ) (The Elephant) is the 105th chapter of the Qur'an. It is a Makkan sura consisting of 5 ayat. It describes the incidents of the Year of the Elephant, the year when Muhammad was born.

[edit] Translation

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

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

2. Did He not make their treacherous plan go astray?

3. And He sent against them Flights of Birds,

4. Striking them with stones of baked clay.

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

It forms a pair with the following sura, Quraish, reminding the Quraysh tribe who dominated Mecca of the favors that Allah had bestowed on them; indeed, it is said that in Uthman's copy of the Qur'an they were written together as a single sura. The Kaaba was central to the life of Quraish, being a center of pilgrimage which brought much trade and prestige; Surat al-Fil describes how God saved the Kaaba from destruction, while surat Quraish describes God as Lord of that Kaaba and urges Quraish to worship Him so that, among other things, He should protect them on their trading journeys.

This Surah discusses how the people of the elephant were destroyed, because of their plotting against the Ka'ba. Allah sent birds against these people, and these birds destroyed the people and the elephants they had brought for their task. These birds threw many, many stones of baked clay at the elephants and the people, which led to their stoppage. This story emphasizes the power of Allah against which no plot can win.

"Al-Fil" is also the name of a "sura" by the unsuccessful prophet Musaylimah.

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