Today's verse

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيْم

ﺳﻮﺭﺓ ﺍﻟﻔﻴﻞ

Sūrat Al-Fil

English: The Elephant

Verse 2

Arabic

ﺃَﻟَﻢْ ﻳَﺠْﻌَﻞْ ﻛَﻴْﺪَﻫُﻢْ ﻓِﻲ ﺗَﻀْﻠِﻴﻞٍ

Transliteration:

Alam yaj'al kaedahum fii tadleel

Meaning:

2. Did He not make their plot go astray

Tafsir

(Continuation)

Dhu Nafr was captured and taken along with the army of Abrahah. The army continued on its way until it came to the land of
Khath`am where it was confronted by Nufayl bin Habib Al- Kath`ami along with his people, the Shahran and Nahis
tribes. They fought Abrahah but he defeated them and captured Nufayl bin Habib. Initially he wanted to kill him, but he forgave him and took him as his guide to show him
the way to Al-Hijaz.

When they approached the area of At-Ta'if, its people -- the people of Thaqif -- went out to Abrahah. They wanted to
appease him because they were fearful for their place of worship, which they called Al-Lat. Abrahah was kind to
them and they sent a man named Abu Righal with him as a guide. When they reached a place known as Al-Mughammas, which is near Makkah, they settled there.

Then he sent his troops on a foray to capture the camels and other grazing animals of the Makkans, which they did, including about two hundred camels belonging to `Abdul- Muttalib. The leader of this particular expedition was a man
named Al-Aswad bin Mafsud. According to what Ibn Ishaq
mentioned, some of the Arabs used to satirize him (because of the part he played in this historical in this historical incident).

Then Abrahah sent an emissary named Hanatah
Al-Himyari to enter Makkah, commanding him to bring the head of the Quraysh to him. He also commanded him to inform him that the king will not fight the people of Makkah unless they try to prevent him from the destruction of the Ka`bah.

Hanatah went to the city and he was directed to
`Abdul-Muttalib bin Hashim, to whom he relayed Abrahah's
message. `Abdul-Muttalib replied, "By Allah! We have no wish to fight him, nor are we in any position to do so. This is the Sacred House of Allah, and the house of His Khalil,
Ibrahim, and if He wishes to prevent him (Abrahah) from (destroying) it, it is His House and His Sacred Place (to do so). And if He lets him approach it, by Allah, We have no means to defend it from him.''

So Hanatah told him, "Come with me to him (Abrahah).'' And so `Abdul-Muttalib went with him. When Abrahah saw him, he was impressed by him,
because `Abdul-Muttalib was a large and handsome man. So Abrahah descended from his seat and sat with him on a carpet on the ground. Then he asked his translator to say to
him, "What do you need'' `Abdul-Muttalib replied to the translator, "I want the king to return my camels which he has taken from me which are two hundred in number.''
Abrahah then told his translator to tell him, "I was impressed by you when I first saw you, but now I withdraw from you
after you have spoken to me. You are asking me about two hundred camels which I have taken from you and you leave the matter of a house which is (the foundation of) religion
and the religion of your fathers, which I have come to destroy and you do not speak to me about it''

`Abdul-Muttalib said to him, "Verily, I am the lord of the camels. As for the House, it has its Lord Who will defend it.'' Abrahah
said, "I cannot be prevented (from destroying it).'' `Abdul-
Muttalib answered, "Then do so.'' It is said that a number of the chiefs of the Arabs accompanied `Abdul-Muttalib and
offered Abrahah a third of the wealth of the tribe of Tihamah if he would withdraw from the House, but he refused and
returned `Abdul-Muttalib's camels to him. `Abdul-Muttalib then returned to his people and ordered them to leave Makkah and seek shelter at the top of the mountains, fearful
of the excesses which might be committed by the army against them. Then he took hold of the metal ring of the door of the Ka`bah, and along with a number of Quraysh, he called upon Allah to give them victory over Abrahah and his
army.

`Abdul-Muttalib said, while hanging on to the ring of
the Ka`bah's door, "There is no matter more important to any man right now than the defense of his livestock and property. So, O my Lord! Defend Your property. Their cross
and their cunning will not be victorious over your cunning by the time morning comes.''

According to Ibn Ishaq, then `Abdul-Muttalib let go of the metal ring of the door of the Ka`bah, and they left Makkah and ascended to the
mountains tops.

Muqatil bin Sulayman mentioned that they
left one hundred animals (camels) tied near the Ka`bah hoping that some of the army would take some of them without a right to do so, and thus bring about the vengeance of Allah upon themselves.

When morning came, Abrahah prepared to enter the sacred city of Makkah. He prepared the elephant named Mahmud.
He mobilized his army, and they turned the elephant towards the Ka`bah.

At that moment Nufayl bin Habib approached it and stood next to it, and taking it by its ear, he said, "Kneel, Mahmud! Then turn around and return directly to whence you came. For verily, you are in the Sacred City of Allah.'' Then he released the elephant's ear and it knelt, after which Nufayl bin Habib left and hastened to the
mountains. Abrahah's men beat the elephant in an attempt to make it rise, but it refused. They beat it on its head with axes and used hooked staffs to pull it out of its resistance
and make it stand, but it refused. So they turned him towards Yemen, and he rose and walked quickly. Then they
turned him towards Ash-Sham and he did likewise. Then they turned him towards the east and he did the same thing.
Then they turned him towards Makkah and he knelt down again.

(To be continued tomorrow  إن شاء الله ‏)