The Elephant
The opening asks the listener to consider the fate of the people of the elephant and the failure of their plan. Observe what the verses explicitly state. Details of the historical account should come from reliable commentary.
Based on Quran 105:1–2. Original study prompt, not a complete tafsir. Compare the passage ↗English Translation - Noor International Center · QuranEnc.com · v1.1.2 ↗
Issued by Noor International Center. Publisher footnotes appear with their verses.
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِأَصْحَٰبِ ٱلْفِيلِ
(1) Have you not considered, [O Muḥammad], how your Lord dealt with the companions of the elephant?[1992]
أَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ كَيْدَهُمْ فِى تَضْلِيلٍۢ
(2) Did He not make their plan into misguidance?[1993]
وَأَرْسَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ
(3) And He sent against them birds in flocks,
تَرْمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٍۢ مِّن سِجِّيلٍۢ
(4) Striking them with stones of hard clay,
فَجَعَلَهُمْ كَعَصْفٍۢ مَّأْكُولٍۭ
(5) And He made them like eaten straw.[1994]