Al-Fiil - Tafseer

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Surah Name: Al-Fil Meaning: The Elephant

* Revealed at Makkah

* Total Number of Rukū / Sections 1

* Total Number of Āyāt / Parts 5

* Sūrah / Chapter number 105

* Rukū / Section 1 contains Āyāt / Parts 5

* Siparah/ Volume 30

Source : Asrar At-Tanzil

(The English Tafseer)

أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِأَصْحَابِ الْفِيلِ

(Alam tara kayfa faAAala rabbuka biashabi alfeel(i))

Have you-SAAW not seen how your-SAAW Rabb-SWT dealt with the fellows of the elephant?

(105:1)

أَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ كَيْدَهُمْ فِي تَضْلِيلٍ

(Alam yajAAal kaydahum fee tadleel(in))

Did He-SWT not set their stratagem at nothing?

(105:2)

وَأَرْسَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ

(Waarsala AAalayhim tayran ababeel(a))

And He-SWT sent against them birds in flocks.

(105:3)

تَرْمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٍ مِّن سِجِّيلٍ

(Tarmeehim bihijaratin min sijjeel(in))

They hurled upon them clay stones.

(105:4)

فَجَعَلَهُمْ كَعَصْفٍ مَّأْكُولٍ

(FajaAAalahum kaAAasfin makool(in))

Then He-SWT rendered them as stubble devoured.

(105:5)

In The Name of Allah-SWT the Most Gracious, The Most Merciful

SECRETS OF REVELATION:

This event took place in the year of the Holy Prophet-SAAW’s birth, when Zunuwas, the King of Yemen, had burnt the Muslims alive in the trenches. The Christian ruler of Syria, Caesar, a Muslim of that time, deputed two of his chieftains Arbat and Abraha to Yemen to take Zunuwas to task, who was defeated. He fled and perished in the sea. Now Abraha killed Arbat and himself became the ruler. 

People from Yemen used to visit the Holy Ka'abah. Abraha had a grand church built and demanded that people circumambulate it rather than going to Makkah. Yet people preferred to visit the Holy K'aabah. Abraha was infuriated and proceeded with a large army to raze Ka'abah to the ground.

The Arab tribes gathered to put up a joint resistance, but were defeated. Abraha continued to march on, crushing any resistance enroute and finally arrived in the precincts of Makkah. The Holy Prophet-SAAW’s grandfather Hadhrat 'Abdul Mutlib advised the Makkans to retire to the hills leaving the protection of the Ka'abah to its Rabb-SWT as the invading army was far too strong to be encountered.

This army had elephants with it, not hitherto known in Arabia. The powerful personal elephant of Abraha named Mahmood was taken to the front to lead the assault but it would not move an inch. After all efforts failed the chieftains of Abraha advised him to retreat, which he ignored. 

Suddenly flocks of tiny birds appeared from the sea-coast, carrying pebbles in their beaks and claws. The birds pelted those on the army of Abraha. When a pebble would hit any target, be it a soldier, a horse or an elephant, it would penetrate through and destroy it. 

Abraha's army started retreating in panic and utter confusion. He himself reached Yemen critically injured. The wounds caused by the pebbles had such a toxic effect that his body putrefied, all its joints disintegrated until it wasted away in fluid. The opposition to enforce Islam today amounts to razing down the Ka'abah. 

This event carries admonition for the culprits. O' Prophet-SAAW! Are you-SAAW aware of the treatment We-SWT extended to the army with elephants, extremely proud of their might and dared destroy the Ka'abah to establish their own supremacy? The flocks of tiny birds were sent unto them carrying pebbles in their claws made of clay, like atomic missiles of modern age. These birds reduced Abraha's Army to a state of the fodder usually served to cattle.

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(Ya Nabi Salamun Alaika - Raihan)

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Previous post : Kelahiran Rasulullah s.a.w

The twelve months in Hijrah Year

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The Islamic year has twelve months that are based on a lunar cycle.

Allah says in the Qur'an:

"The number of months in the sight of Allah is twelve (in a year) - so ordained by Him the day He created the heavens and the earth...." (At-Tawbah(9):36).

"It is He Who made the sun to be a shining glory, and the moon to be a light of beauty, and measured out stages for it, that you might know the number of years and the count of time. Allah did not create this except in truth and righteousness. And He explains His signs in detail, for those who understand" (Yunus(10):5).


And in his final sermon before his death, the Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him) said, among other things,

"With Allah the months are twelve; four of them are holy; three of these are successive and one occurs singly between the months of Jumaada and Sha'ban."


Islamic months begin at sunset of the first day, the day when the lunar crescent is visually sighted. The lunar year is approximately 354 days long, so the months rotate backward through the seasons and are not fixed to the Gregorian calendar.

Bulan bulan Islam
(The months in Hijrah year)

The months of the Islamic year are:

1. Muharram ("Forbidden" - it is one of the four months during which it is forbidden to wage war or fight)

2. Safar ("Empty" or "Yellow")

3. Rabia Awal ("First spring")

4. Rabia Thani ("Second spring")

5. Jumaada Awal ("First freeze")

6. Jumaada Thani ("Second freeze")

7. Rajab ("To respect" - this is another holy month when fighting is prohibited)

8. Sha'ban ("To spread and distribute")

9. Ramadan ("Parched thirst" - this is the month of daytime fasting)

10. Shawwal ("To be light and vigorous")

11. Dhul-Qi'dah ("The month of rest" - another month when no warfare or fighting is allowed)

12. Dhul-Hijjah ("The month of Hajj" - this is the month of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, again when no warfare or fighting is allowed)


(http://islam.about.com/cs/calendar/a/hijrah_calendar.htm)

Salah-ad-Din Al-Ayyubi

From Saudi Gazette :
(17th. July 2009)

The man behind the armor.
(By Abu Sabaya)

HE defied the odds in an era of darkness. He set aside the criticism of those who called him crazy for wanting to do the seemingly impossible: uniting the Ummah, standing up to the Crusaders, and returning honor where it belonged. He was respected by both his friends and foes, and is perhaps one of the few men whose name evokes feelings of honor and pride in the minds of so many people in every era and place.

He had the Crusaders chasing their tails in the battles of Alexandria, Hittin, Acre, Tyre, Beirut, Nablus, Haifa, Tiberius, Gaza, ‘Asqalan, Jerusalem, and dozens of other cities and towns across Sham and North Africa. He is popularly known as Salah-ad-Din the warrior.

But, who was the man behind the armor? How was he as a person, and as a Muslim? What personality does it take to carry out such heroic feats and achieve such a status?

In Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah (13/5-6), Ibn Kathir said that at the time of his death, Salah-ad-Din hardly had any money in his possession, and this was because:
“…of the immense amount of gifts and charity and kindness that he used to show the leaders and ministers under his command, and even to his enemies.

“He was very simple in his clothing, food, drink, and transportation. He would only wear cotton, linen, and wool. It is not known that he ever approached anything forbidden or discouraged, especially after Allah blessed him with his kingdom. Rather, his greatest concern and goal was to aid Islam.”

Ibn Kathir continued:
“He was very strict in praying on time in the jama’ah (congregation). It is said that he never missed a single prayer in jama’ah for a great part of his life, even during the illness that killed him. The imam would enter and lead him in prayer, and he would struggle to get up and pray despite his weakness.”

“He loved to hear the recitation of the Qur’an and the reading of hadith and knowledge. He was constant and habitual in listening to ahadith being read to him, to the point that he would hear a section read to him while he was standing between the ranks of soldiers!”

Ibn Kathir also mentioned: “He had a soft heart, and was easily swayed to tears when he would hear ahadith.

“And Salah-ad-Din was from the bravest of people, and the strongest of them in body and heart despite the illnesses and sickness his body suffered from. This was most evident during the Siege of Acre, where despite the massive numbers of the enemy, he only increased in power and bravery.”

He also said:
“He was generous, well-rounded, always laughing and smiling. He would never slack off in any good that he did. He was extremely patient when doing good and worshipping Allah.”

In ‘Siyar A’lam An-Nubala” (15/436), it’s mentioned that Al-Muwaffaq Abdul Latif said:
“I went to Salah-ad-Din while he was in Jerusalem, and I saw a king who filled eyes with amazement and hearts with love, whether they were near or far. The first night I spent with him, I found his gatherings filled with scholars engaged in knowledge. He would listen intently and participate in their discussions. He would learn how to build walls and dig trenches, and he would then do this himself, carrying the rocks on his own shoulders.”

Al-’Imad said in ‘As-Siyar’ (15/440):
“He would only wear what was permissible to wear, such as linen and cotton. His gatherings were free of vain talk, and they were only attended by the most virtuous of people. He loved to hear ahadith being read with their chains of narration. He was forebearing, honest, pious, pure, and trustworthy. He would contain himself and not become angry. He would never turn back someone in need or embarrass someone who spoke in front of him. He was extremely kind and charitable and I never saw him praying except in jama’ah.”

Adh-Dhahabi said about his death: “And I never saw a king whose death people were sad for except him. This is because he was loved by everyone: he was loved by the righteous and the wicked, the Muslim and the Kafir.” This was Salah-ad-Din Al-Ayyubi. This was the man behind the armor. This was his lifestyle and character, and it was nothing other than this that served as the platform for the amazing feats across the lands that we remember him for today.

Such lifestyle and character is something you will find common between all legends of Islam, whether scholars, leaders or martyrs. You always find them paying great attention to the daily recitation of the Qur’an, studying of the Shariah, giving lots of charity, avoiding useless talk, and living simple lives free of luxury and excessive comfort. This is really the way to success. There is no way you can dream of defending the Shariah if you don’t even have the willpower to implement it in your daily life.

What is interesting is Salah-ad-Din wasn’t always like this. Adh-Dhahabi mentions in ‘As-Siyar’ (15/434 and 436):
“Since his time as a ruler, he abandoned alcohol and worldly pleasures.”
“He used to drink alcohol, and then repented from it.”

That’s right. Salah-ad-Din Al-Ayyubi – this righteous man who singlehandedly changed the course of history – loved to drink and indulge in worldly pleasures. But he repented and transformed his life. This small fact teaches us a mighty lesson: not everyone is born in a life of righteousness. The great people we love and admire were not born with virtue. It also gives us hope that no matter how insignificant or lost we think we are, we can become someone truly great Insha Allah. – SG

(http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2009071743933)