Abraha was an ambitious ruler who came from Africa and ruled over Yemen. He was a very proud and powerful man, and he grew jealous of the Ka’bah in Makkah. He saw that people from all over the world would travel to Makkah for pilgrimage, bringing fame and wealth to the city.

In his arrogance, he wanted to divert all this attention to himself. He built a magnificent church in Yemen, hoping to make it a new center for worship. But when he saw that people still preferred to visit the Ka’bah, his jealousy turned into a burning rage. He decided he would go to Makkah and destroy the Ka’bah once and for all.

To show his power, Abraha gathered a massive army. He brought with him a huge, fearsome elephant named Mahmud. The Arabs had never seen such a creature before. They were completely unfamiliar with elephants and were terrified by the sheer size and power of the animal.

As Abraha’s army marched toward Makkah, the people were filled with dread. They knew they could not possibly fight against a force so big, especially one with such a monstrous animal. The people of Makkah had no choice but to leave their homes and seek refuge in the surrounding mountains. They watched from a distance, helpless and afraid.

In this moment of great fear, the grandfather of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) stayed behind. He held on to the door of the Ka’bah, praying to Allah. He said, “O Allah, this is Your House and only You can save it! We are weak and helpless.”

Allah answered his prayer and protected His sacred house in the most unexpected way. He sent flocks of birds called “Ababeel,” which carried small stones of baked clay. The tiny birds threw these stones at Abraha’s army, and each stone struck a soldier, destroying him.

The great army that seemed unbeatable was completely wiped out. The mighty elephant and the soldiers were reduced to nothing more than “eaten straw.” Abraha, filled with pride and jealousy, was utterly defeated.

This story teaches us a profound lesson: no matter how powerful and arrogant a person or a nation may be, they can never defeat the will of Allah. It is a powerful reminder to avoid jealousy and pride and to always put our trust in Allah.

1. Did you not see how your Lord dealt with the People of the Elephant?

2. Did He not make their plan go wrong?

3. And He sent against them birds in great flocks.

4. Which hurled at them stones of baked clay.

5. And He made them like eaten straw.

Tafsir of the Verses:

• Verse 1: أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِأَصْحَابِ الْفِيلِ

  • Tafsir: This verse is a question, but it’s not asking “Did you see?” It’s a rhetorical question that means “Didn’t you know?” or “Surely you know what happened!” It’s a way for Allah to remind the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the people of Makkah about this famous event that they had all heard about. It shows that the incident was so big and well-known that no one could deny it.

  • Explanation: Allah is bringing our attention to this amazing event to show us His power. The “People of the Elephant” were Abraha and his giant army.

• Verse 2: أَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ كَيْدَهُمْ فِي تَضْلِيلٍ

  • Tafsir: The word kaid means a scheme or a trick. Here, it refers to Abraha’s evil plan to destroy the Ka’bah. Fī tadlīl means “in utter failure” or “to go completely astray.” Allah is saying that He did not just stop their plan, but He made it totally useless and misguided. They thought they would succeed, but their plan was turned upside down.

  • Explanation: This shows us that no matter how clever or powerful someone’s evil plan is, it is nothing compared to Allah’s plan.

• Verse 3: وَأَرْسَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ

  • Tafsir: Arsala means “He sent.” Instead of sending a human army, Allah sent tayran Ababeel, which means “flocks of birds in groups.” The word Ababeel is unique and describes how the birds came in huge numbers, one group after another, covering the sky in a terrifying way for the enemy.

  • Explanation: This part of the story shows that Allah does not need powerful weapons or big armies to protect His House. He can use the smallest and most unexpected creatures to do His work.

• Verse 4: تَرْمِيهِمْ بِحِجَارَةٍ مِنْ سِجِّيلٍ

  • Tafsir: Tarmeehim means “hurling” or “pelting.” The birds were throwing hijaratin min sijjeel, which means “stones of baked clay.” These were not ordinary stones. They were small but had a powerful effect. The tafsir tells us that each stone would strike a soldier and cause a terrible disease that would destroy his body.

  • Explanation: This teaches us that Allah’s help comes in many forms. Even a tiny stone from a bird could become a powerful weapon when Allah wills it.

• Verse 5: فَجَعَلَهُمْ كَعَصْفٍ مَأْكُولٍ

  • Tafsir: Fa ja'alahum means “So He made them.” Ka'asfin ma'kool is a very strong simile, meaning “like eaten straw” or “like the remnants of leaves that have been chewed up by an animal.” It paints a picture of total destruction. The strong, proud army was left looking like worthless rubbish.

  • Explanation: This final verse shows the complete and utter defeat of Abraha’s army. It teaches us a huge lesson: pride and jealousy lead to destruction, and no one can challenge the power of Allah.

Activity: Infographics and Story Writing

• Infographics:

  • Using the images, have the children create an infographic that shows the journey of Abraha’s army.

  • They can draw or use cutouts to show:

    • Abraha in Yemen, jealous of the Ka’bah.

    • The big army with the elephant marching towards Makkah.

    • The birds (“Ababeel”) attacking the army.

    • The destroyed army and the protected Ka’bah.

• Story Writing:

  • Have the children write the story of Abraha’s army in their own words, focusing on the themes of jealousy and pride. They should include the key events and lessons learned.

Jealousy and Pride: A Hadith and a Story

• A Hadith about Jealousy:

  • The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Beware of jealousy, for jealousy consumes good deeds just as fire consumes wood.”

  • Discussion: Ask the children to think about what this hadith means. How can jealousy “eat up” our good deeds? When we are jealous, we are not happy for others and we might do bad things, like gossiping or wishing ill on them.

• Story of Jealousy (relatable to kids):

  • Imagine your friend gets the newest video game that you wanted. You feel jealous and start saying bad things about the game or your friend to other people. This makes you and your friend sad and can ruin your friendship.

  • In this story, your jealousy “consumed” your friendship. Just like Abraha’s jealousy led to his destruction, our jealousy can destroy our good relationships and happiness. 

  • Sotry is in video link is down. 

We have prepared a video of the mind map to help you visualize the story! You can also see the image of the mind map in the picture gallery.

• Center: Surah Al-Fil

• Main Branches:

  • Abraha: Ruled Yemen, from Africa, was jealous of the Ka’bah, full of pride.

  • The Army: Had a huge elephant (Mahmud), scared the Makkans.

  • The People of Makkah: Frightened, fled to the mountains, prayed for help.

  • Allah’s Protection: Sent the “Ababeel” birds, used stones of baked clay.

  • The Result: The army was destroyed, became like “eaten straw,” a lesson for us all.

• Key Themes:

  • Power of Allah

  • Trust and Du’a

  • Dangers of Pride and Jealousy

Video in in Gallery

Now that we have studied the surah in depth, it’s time to test our knowledge with some fun and interactive exercises! The goal of this final assessment is to make sure you have learned the translation and words meanings of Surah Al-Fil. We’ll use a variety of activities to make revision exciting and engaging.

1. Match the Words and Meanings

This exercise will help you connect the Arabic words from the surah with their English translations, reinforcing the vocabulary we learned.

2. Puzzles and Games

Put your knowledge to the test with these fun puzzles, which have been prepared for you.

• Maze: Follow the path through the maze to visually recap the main events of the story in a playful way. (See the maze in the picture gallery).

• Word Search: Find key terms from the surah’s story and themes, which will help you recall important names and concepts. (See the word search in the picture gallery).

3. Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs Game)

We’ve turned the questions into a game to make it even more fun! We will play a quick game with multiple-choice questions about the surah’s story, verses, and lessons.

These activities will provide a comprehensive and fun way to check your understanding of Surah Al-Fil.