The Elephant in My Life: Some Lessons from Surah Feel

Do you not see how your Lord dealt with the army of the Elephant?

Did He not utterly confound their plans?

He sent flocks of birds against them.

Pelting them with pellets of hard baked clay

He made them [like] cropped stubble

[Quran, Surah Feel Ch-105. Translation by Professor MAS Abdel Haleem]

Most of us probably know of the story of Abraha and how he tried to attack and destroy the Kaaba, and then was roundly defeated by the army of Allah (which here are the birds). More often than not, reading such stories I tend to think of people other than me, as if I am some righteous man guaranteed paradise. Seeing atrocities in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine, I would read this Surah in Salaah and remember how Allah destroyed this one oppressor and He can surely destroy those of this day as well. However, there are lots to take from this story, and I will share just a few reflections, both personal and worldly in sha Allah.