The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

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105. THE ELEPHANT
This sura is a reference to events that happened in 570 ce, the year of the
Prophet’s birth, when the army of Abraha (a Christian ruler of Yemen),
which included war elephants, marched to attack Mecca, destroy the Kaba,
and divert pilgrims to the new cathedral in Sana. The destruction of this
army is cited here to encourage the believers and warn the disbelievers.
In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy
1 Do you [Prophet] not see how your Lord dealt with the army of the
elephant? 2 Did He not utterly confound their plans? 3 He sent ranks
of birds against them, 4 pelting them with pellets of hard-baked clay:
5 He made them [like] cropped stubble.