HISTORY AND MEANING OF AL-FIIL LETTERS IN AL-QURAN

HISTORY AND MEANING OF AL-FIIL LETTERS IN AL-QURAN
(Historic Events proof of God's power)
By: Ali Hasan Assidiqi

"Have you not noticed how your Lord has acted against the army? Had not He made their deceit (to destroy the Ka'bah) it was in vain? And He sendeth unto them birds of droves, which throw stones at them from the burning ground, and He makes them like the leaves that are eaten. " (Surat al-Fiil: 1-5).

          In the sura there are some historic points on the real evidence of the power of God which we must take wisdom. Historically it is explained that the beginning of the events in the 1-5 Al-Fill surah as in the Book of Majmul Fatawa of Ibn Taimiyah p. 355-456 originated from the desire of the Yemeni governor named Abrahah a Christian who founded a large church in Shon'a City in 570 AD. This church is made of white, red, black, and yellow gold marble in order to divert people who go to Mecca (Baitullah) to pilgrimage to move to Yemen.

          At first Abraha asked permission to King Habsyah to bring his elephant including mahmud elephant. Abraha departed with 12,000 troops and 12 Elephant Tails, at the beginning until they seized the Arabs' possessions including 200 camels belonging to Abdul Muthallib. After that Abraha through his assistant told to convey the message that Abraha came not to fight but wanted to knock down the Ka'ba and then go home, so do not be hindered. At the meeting Abdul Muthallib replied "We will not fight because we have no strength but we want to meet your king". At the time of meeting Abrahah through her language interpreter convey "what is your wish O Abdul Muthallib?". And Abdul Muthallib replied "give back our camels because that is the rest of our possessions and the Kaaba belongs to God". With these words Abraha was astonished, but continued his goal and immediately restored the camels and prepared his army. In this case actually before saying about Allah's Ka'bah, Abdul Muthallib had also offered his wealth to protect the Kaaba but was rejected. Before Abraha was in Makkah Abdul Muthalib told his people to get away and head to the slopes. Masyarakatpun follow and Abdul Muthallib pray in front of the Ka'aba and return to join the community.

          At that same time, a villager of Khots'am named Naufal bin Habib said to Elephant Mahmud in a whisper in his ear "O elephant, bow yourselves with praise, and return with your righteous indication, for ye are in the land of the haram of God" . So the elephant bowed and clutched, although the people of Abraha tried it repeatedly, even though they were beaten with a hoe. He stood up when confronted with his country, but when confronted to Makkah he turned his head down again. Finally after that the unbelievers continued his wish without the mahmud elephant and Naufal rushed to his hiding place. And when itupula birds that Allah sent in droves brought three hot stones and dropped them all over the people of Abraha until none survived including the King Abraha. But in this case according to some explanations explained that Abrahah died with a disease that was sprinkled with blood and pus at that itupula that caused him to die like a bird just out of eggs. While the prime minister Abrahah Abu Yaksum died after telling King Najasyi about the incident by dropping the stone by the birds that are above it after talking. With the incident then the only survivor is Elephant Mahmud.

          According to the hadith that there is such as the words of Ibn Abbas RA. From the Messenger of Allah that bird is a bird between heaven and earth and never seen before and after, and has a trunk like an elephant. Meanwhile, according to Ikrimah that the bird was green out of the sea and his head resembled a beast. Neither is the stone brought by the bird described in the jalaline commentary that the stone is a hellish fire of hell which is aimed at pelting the prophets of Lut As, each stone is the name of the tortured person.

          With the event proves that Allah is almighty and omnipotent. Something desirable will surely happen including protecting Mecca (ka'ba) and welcoming the coming after that great prophet namely Prophet Muhammad Saw as proof of Irashi (proof of prophethood) so that the year of his birth is called the elephant year. And this is where we learn that something that is intended to be bad will have an impact on him. Therefore, faithful, devoted to applying in daily with the maximum may be something that must be done in order to avoid the doom both in the world and in the hereafter. And not only that of this also we can learn that something good will end up good and bad will end bad.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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