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الفيل

Surah Al-Fil (الفيل) - Transliteration, Translation and Audio

Chapter 105 of the Quran, 5 verses, "The Elephant"

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Surah Al-Fil Transliteration and English Translation

  1. 1

    أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِأَصْحَٰبِ ٱلْفِيلِ

    Alam tara kaifa fa'ala rabbuka bi ashaabil feel

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

  2. 2

    أَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ كَيْدَهُمْ فِى تَضْلِيلٍۢ

    Alam yaj'al kai dahum fee tad leel

    Did He not make their plan into misguidance?

  3. 3

    وَأَرْسَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ

    Wa arsala 'alaihim tairan abaabeel

    And He sent against them birds in flocks,

  4. 4

    تَرْمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٍۢ مِّن سِجِّيلٍۢ

    Tar meehim bi hi jaaratim min sij jeel

    Striking them with stones of hard clay,

  5. 5

    فَجَعَلَهُمْ كَعَصْفٍۢ مَّأْكُولٍۭ

    Faja 'alahum ka'asfim m'akool

    And He made them like eaten straw.

About Surah Al-Fil

Surah Al-Fil (Arabic: الفيل), meaning "The Elephant", is the 105th chapter of the Quran and has 5 verses. It was revealed in Makkah during the early years of the mission of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The surah recalls Allah's protection of the Kaaba, shown in the destruction of the army that marched with an elephant to tear it down.

It points to an event the people of Makkah knew well. Abrahah, who ruled Yemen on behalf of the king of Abyssinia, led an army with an elephant to destroy the Kaaba. The surah asks: have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the people of the elephant? Did He not make their plan go astray? Allah sent against them birds in flocks, striking them with stones of baked clay, and left them like chewed-up straw. The year of this event became known as the Year of the Elephant, and it is widely held to be the year in which the Prophet was born, around 570 CE. For the first listeners this was recent history, and the surah reminded them that the House they took pride in was protected by Allah, not by their own strength.

Main Themes of Surah Al-Fil

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Frequently Asked Questions About Surah Al-Fil

What is the story of Surah Al-Fil?
Abrahah, who ruled Yemen for the king of Abyssinia, marched on Makkah with an army and an elephant to destroy the Kaaba. Allah sent flocks of birds with stones of baked clay that struck the army and left them like chewed-up straw, as the surah describes.
What is the Year of the Elephant?
It is the year in which Abrahah's army was destroyed near Makkah, and it became a reference point in Arabian history. It is widely held to be the year in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) was born, around 570 CE.
What are "ababil" birds?
Ababil is not the name of a species. It means birds coming in flocks, one group after another, and the Quran describes them as striking the army with stones of baked clay (sijjil).

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