Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the people of the elephant?
Did He not make their plot go astray?
This surah has five verses. It names no king, no country and no year.
It keeps one thing: your Lord acted.
The biographers report that the Negus of Abyssinia sent an army to Yemen, led by a man named Aryât.
Abraha was one of his soldiers. Aryât took the country and ruled it for some years.
Then Abraha disputed his power, and the Abyssinians split into two camps.
To spare the army, Abraha proposed a duel: the winner would take both camps.
Aryât's spear split Abraha's face. From then on he was called al-Ashram, “the split-faced”.
A servant of Abraha struck back, and Aryât was killed. His soldiers went over to Abraha.
The Negus was furious: his commander had been killed without his order. He swore to tread Abraha's land.
Abraha shaved his head and sent him a bag of Yemen's soil, to tread underfoot and so keep his oath.
He wrote: “Aryât was your servant, and I am your servant.” The Negus was satisfied and left him in Yemen.
In San'â', Abraha built a church like none other in its time: al-Qullays.
He wrote to the Negus that he would not stop until he turned the Arabs' pilgrimage toward it.
The Arabs heard of the letter. A man of Kinâna, angered, went to the church and defiled it.
Abraha was told: a man from the people of the House that the Arabs visit in Makkah did this.
Then Abraha swore to march on the House and tear it down.
He could raise a building of stone. He could not turn hearts toward it.
A ruler built a church to pull the Arabs away from the Ka'ba.
It did not work. So he set out to tear the Ka'ba down.
How does a whole army end up on the road to one House?
Abraha had power and the finest church of his time. He still wanted the place of another House.
Tonight, name one thing you envy in someone, and ask Allah for good in what He gave you.