SURAH 105 — Al-Fīl — الفيل — “The Elephant”
• Revelation Order: 19
• Event Anchor: Reminder of the Year of the Elephant (c. 570 CE, pre-Islamic)
Explanation:
This surah recalls the famous event when Abraha, a Christian-backed ruler from Yemen, attempted to destroy the Ka‘bah with an elephant-led army. According to tradition, God miraculously destroyed the invaders. Although the event occurred decades before Muhammad’s prophethood, the surah’s revelation in early Mecca used this memory to remind Quraysh of God’s protection over the Sacred House, contrasting His past favor with their current ingratitude. By invoking a collective historical memory, the surah reinforces the legitimacy of Muhammad’s mission and challenges Quraysh to recognize divine sovereignty they had already witnessed.
| Verse | Verse # | Meccan v Medinan | General Index |
|---|---|---|---|
| Have you not considered, [O Muhammad], how your Lord dealt with the companions of the elephant? | 1 | Meccan | 6189 |
| Did He not make their plan into misguidance? | 2 | Meccan | 6190 |
| And He sent against them birds in flocks, | 3 | Meccan | 6191 |
| Striking them with stones of hard clay, | 4 | Meccan | 6192 |
| And He made them like eaten straw. | 5 | Meccan | 6193 |