Al-Fil
الْفِيل
Meaning: The Elephant
The story of Abrahah's elephant army that tried to destroy the Ka'bah — defeated by small birds Allah sent.
أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِأَصْحَابِ الْفِيلِ
Alam tara kayfa fa'ala rabbuka bi-as-haabil-fiil
Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the army of the elephant?
أَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ كَيْدَهُمْ فِي تَضْلِيلٍ
Alam yaj'al kaydahum fii tadhliil
Did He not bring their plan to nothing?
وَأَرْسَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ
Wa arsala 'alayhim tayran abaabiil
And He sent against them birds in flocks,
تَرْمِيهِمْ بِحِجَارَةٍ مِنْ سِجِّيلٍ
Tarmiihim bihijaaratim-min sijjiil
striking them with stones of baked clay,
فَجَعَلَهُمْ كَعَصْفٍ مَأْكُولٍ
Faja'alahum ka'asfim-ma'kuul
and made them like devoured chaff.
Tafsir for Children
Around 570 CE, Abrahah — governor of Yemen — brought a great elephant army to destroy the Ka'bah. The people of Makkah had no army to fight back. They prayed, and Allah sent thousands of small birds ('ababil') who threw small stones. The elephant army was destroyed. That year is called 'The Year of the Elephant' — and in that year, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was born. For children: Allah can protect using the most unexpected means.
When to recite
Together with the story of the Prophet's birth. When a child is afraid of something big.
- Themes
- sejarahtauhidperlindungan
- Verse count
- 5