سورة : AlFil

As soon as the birds stroke them with stones, they became like eaten straw. Observe this event which happened by a super power that is over the human beings’ ability.

كَعَصْفٍ (straw): It is the hay that animals eat and trample on, or it is the dry fallen crumbled leaves. This same word comes in other verses as a description to strong wind:

 ﴾جَاءَتْهَا رِيحٌ عَاصِفٌ ﴿

 (there comes a storm wind.) (Al-Anfal: 30)

 

This event was documented in history and all agreed it is true. It took place in the year when the Prophet Muhammad (saws) was born and it was called the year of the elephant. Forty years later, the Prophet (saws) became a prophet. Some of the people of Makkah were about fifty or sixty years old so they did witnessed this event by their eyes, thus, they could not accuse the Prophet (saws) of being a liar because they knew well what did these words mean and what they refer to.

The plan is the secret scheme and plot against an enemy. Their plot is  the coming with elephants but Allah (swt) plotted against them:

﴾ وَيَمْكُرُونَ وَيَمْكُرُ اللَّهُ ۖ وَاللَّهُ خَيْرُ الْمَاكِرِينَ ﴿

 (But they plan, and Allah plans. And Allah is the best of planners.) (Al-Anfal: 30)

تَضْلِيلٍ (misguidance): At lose. Their plot and plan which was in secret and the other side did not see it, but Allah (swt) saw it, thus He (swt) made it into misguidance. Their plan did not lead to the purpose they came for, to that it had no value and no result.

The story of the companions of the elephants is a true story. People witnessed it with their eyes and saw its events. During this incident, Allah (swt) willed matters that are above the human beings’ ability and beyond the nature and reasons.

Here Allah (swt) addresses the Prophet (saws) and certainly Allah’s (swt) speech is the most trustful than we see by eyes, because the source of knowledge is from Him (swt). So, as if Allah (swt) is saying to the Prophet: consider what your God is telling you as if exactly you see by your eyes, even truer. As such Allah (swt) says:

   ﴾أَوَ لَمْ يَكْفِ بِرَبِّكَ أَنَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ﴿

 (But is it not sufficient concerning your Lord that He is, over all things, a Witness?) (Fussilat: 53)

أَلَمْ (Have you not): This Arabic word consists of the same letters that Surah Al-Baqara begins with:

 ﴾الم ﴿

 (Alif, Lam, Meem.) (Al-Baqarah: 1)

But they are different in pronunciation. The Holy Qur’an differs from any other book; recitation of the Holy Qur’an is (Tawqifi), meaning, it is as Jibril taught the Prophet (saws). Moreover, the Holy Qur’an has its special aspects:

First, regarding its handling; purification is a condition to raise its prestige in the souls, whereas any other book does not require such condition.

Second, regarding the way it is written; the Holy Qur’an has special a orthography (the way of writing its words) which is different from the usual way of writing the letters. As, for example, in the Basmalah:

 ﴾بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ ﴿

 (In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.) (Al-Fateha: 1)

By which we begin reciting the Surahs, the word (In the name) is written like this: بسم , but this same word is written differently in this verse:

 ﴾اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ ﴿

 (Recite in the name of your Lord who created -) (Al-Alaq: 1)

The word (tree), as well, is written in two different ways:

  ﴾إِنَّ شَجَرَتَ الزَّقُّومِ﴿

 (Indeed, the tree of zaqqum) (Ad-Dukhan: 43)

 ﴾أَذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ نُّزُلًا أَمْ شَجَرَةُ الزَّقُّومِ ﴿

 (Is Paradise a better accommodation or the tree of zaqqum?)
(As-Safat: 62)

So, there is a special writing composition that Jibril (pbuh) has applied to the Prophet (saws), who in turn dictated it to his (saws) companions and ordered them to write the Holy Qur’an accordingly. As such, every letter in the Holy Qur’an has a meaning.

كَيْفَ فَعَلَ (how your Lord dealt with): The direct actions of Allah (swt) differs from the action of human beings. His (swt) actions happen by a word (Be), He (swt) is the Able:

 ﴾هُوَ الْأَوَّلُ وَالْآخِرُ وَالظَّاهِرُ وَالْبَاطِنُ ۖ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ﴿

 (He is the First and the Last, the Ascendant and the Intimate, and He is, of all things, Knowing.) (Al-Hadeed: 3)

Allah (swt) willed to drive away the elephants’ companions and conquer them with His power, not by the power of Quraish or any reason. No wonder of the act rather the wonder is how this act was done.

رَبُّكَ (your Lord): Allah (swt) mentions the Lordliness, the attribute of giving, caring and supporting. As if Allah (swt( says: The One who did that to the companions of the elephants is He, your Lord (O’ Muhammad), The One Who takes care of your affairs, so do not worry, as your Lord defended His House, He (swt) will defend you and support you without reasons. This is Allah’s (swt) law, done by His (swt) power not by ours.