The People of the Elephant: a Quran story for kids

In a valley between the mountains lies Makkah, and in it the Kaaba: the House of Allah that Ibrahim and his son Ismail built.

In Yemen there was a king called Abraha. He built a grand building, and he wanted to destroy the Kaaba.

So he came with a big army and a huge elephant, marching across the desert towards Makkah.

﴿أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِأَصْحَـٰبِ ٱلْفِيلِ﴾

Al-Fil 105:1

It means: Do you know what Allah did to the army that came with the elephant?

The people of Makkah climbed the mountains, praying to Allah to protect His House.

Think: If you were with them, what would you pray for?

When the army came near Makkah, the elephant knelt down and would not move towards the Kaaba at all.

﴿أَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ كَيْدَهُمْ فِى تَضْلِيلٍ﴾

Al-Fil 105:2

It means: Allah made their plan fail.

Think: Why do you think the elephant would not move?

Then Allah sent many birds, flock after flock. Each bird carried small stones.

﴿وَأَرْسَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ﴾

Al-Fil 105:3

It means: Allah sent against them many birds, flock after flock.

The birds pelted the army with stones of baked clay, stone after stone.

﴿تَرْمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٍ مِّن سِجِّيلٍ﴾

Al-Fil 105:4

It means: The birds threw stones of hard clay at them.

And the army became like dry straw eaten by animals. That was their end.

﴿فَجَعَلَهُمْ كَعَصْفٍ مَّأْكُولٍۭ﴾

Al-Fil 105:5

It means: So they became like straw eaten by animals.

Allah protected His House, the Kaaba. And in that very year our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was born.