Surah Al-Fil
الفيل
The Elephant — 5 verses, revealed in Makkah. Read it in Arabic with transliteration and meaning, then learn its background, virtues and tajweed.
Surah Al-Fil is surah number 105 of the Quran, meaning “The Elephant”. It has 5 verses and was revealed in Makkah. Al-Fil tells how Allah protected the Kaaba from an army that came with an elephant to destroy it.
Surah Al-Fil with transliteration & meaning
بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ
- 1
اَلَمْ تَرَ كَیْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِاَصْحٰبِ الْفِیْلِ ؕ ۱
Alam tara kayfa fa'ala rabbuka bi'ashabil-fil.
Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the people of the elephant?
- 2
اَلَمْ یَجْعَلْ كَیْدَهُمْ فِیْ تَضْلِیْلٍ ۙ ۲
Alam yaj'al kaydahum fi tadlil.
Did He not make their plan fail?
- 3
وَّاَرْسَلَ عَلَیْهِمْ طَیْرًا اَبَابِیْلَ ۙ ۳
Wa arsala 'alayhim tayran ababil.
And He sent against them birds in flocks,
- 4
تَرْمِیْهِمْ بِحِجَارَةٍ مِّنْ سِجِّیْلٍ ۴
Tarmihim bihijaratim-min sijjil.
striking them with stones of baked clay,
- 5
فَجَعَلَهُمْ كَعَصْفٍ مَّاْكُوْلٍ ۵
Faja'alahum ka'asfim-ma'kul.
and left them like chewed-up straw.
Background: when and why it was revealed
Revealed in Makkah. Al-Fil tells how Allah protected the Kaaba from an army that came with an elephant to destroy it.
Before Islam, a ruler called Abraha marched on Makkah with a great army and an elephant to destroy the Kaaba. Allah sent flocks of birds carrying stones of baked clay, and the army was destroyed. According to the well-known historical accounts, this happened in the year the Prophet ﷺ was born, known as the Year of the Elephant.
Virtues
Every letter of the Quran brings reward: each good deed is multiplied ten times (Jami at-Tirmidhi 2910).
Tajweed tip
- Stretch the long sound at the end of each verse when you stop — “al-fiil”, “tadliil”, “abaabiil”, “sijjiil”.
When to recite it
- In Salah
- When learning about the Kaaba
What we learn from Surah Al-Fil
Allah protects His House
No army could harm the Kaaba.
Allah is in control
Even small birds can defeat a mighty army by Allah's will.
Stay humble
Pride and power cannot stand against Allah.
Frequently asked questions
How many verses are in Surah Al-Fil?
Surah Al-Fil has 5 verses.
What does Surah Al-Fil mean?
Surah Al-Fil means “The Elephant”. Al-Fil tells how Allah protected the Kaaba from an army that came with an elephant to destroy it.
Was Surah Al-Fil revealed in Makkah or Madinah?
It was revealed in Makkah.
When should I recite Surah Al-Fil?
In Salah, When learning about the Kaaba.
References & sources
Quran references link to Quran.com and hadith references to Sunnah.com, so you can check every source. Spotted a mistake? Please tell us and we will correct it.
Learn this surah with a teacher
One-to-one Quran lessons with Tajweed — start with 3 free trial classes.