Tafseer of The Elephant · Al-Fil · 105:3
And He sent against them birds in flocks,
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
His word: وَأَرْسَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ (And He sent against them birds in abābīl) — the Exalted says: And your Lord sent against them birds that were scattered, the one group following the other, from all directions; this is a plural form without a singular, like al-shamāṭīṭ (scattered groups) and al-ʿabādīd (dispersed throngs) and the like. Abū ʿUbayda Maʿmar ibn al-Muthannā claimed that he had not seen anyone who gives a singular for it. Al-Farrāʾ said: "I have not heard a singular of it from the Arabs." He said: "Abū Jaʿfar al-Ruʾāsī — a trustworthy man — claimed that he heard that its singular is ibāla." Al-Kisāʾī used to say: "I have heard grammarians say: ibūl, like ʿajūl." He said: "And I have heard some grammarians say: its singular is abīl."
Concerning what we have said regarding al-abābīl: the exegetes have said the same.
* Mention of those who said that:
Sawwār ibn ʿAbd Allāh related to us, saying: Yaḥyā ibn Saʿīd related to us, saying: Ḥammād ibn Salama related to us, on the authority of ʿĀṣim ibn Bahdala, on the authority of Zarr, on the authority of ʿAbd Allāh, concerning his word طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ — he said: "Groups."
Ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: Yaḥyā and ʿAbd al-Raḥmān related to us, they said: Ḥammād ibn Salama related to us, on the authority of ʿĀṣim, on the authority of Zarr, on the authority of ʿAbd Allāh — he said: "The groups."
ʿAlī related to me, saying: Abū Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning his word طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ — he said: "The one group follows the other."
Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: My father related to me, saying: My uncle related to me, saying: My father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning his word وَأَرْسَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ — he said: "These are the birds in which the one group follows the other."
Ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to me, saying: Dāwūd related to us, on the authority of Isḥāq ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Ḥārith ibn Nawfal, that he said concerning طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ : "They are herds, like camels held together in groups."
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Yaʿqūb al-Qummī related to us, on the authority of Jaʿfar, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abzā — concerning طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ — he said: "Scattered."
Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Wakīʿ related to us, saying: Al-Faḍl related to us, on the authority of al-Ḥasan — concerning طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ — he said: "Numerous."
Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Wakīʿ related to us, on the authority of Isrāʾīl, on the authority of Jābir, on the authority of Ibn Sābiṭ, on the authority of Abū Salama — they said: "Al-abābīl: the swarms."
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: Al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning the word of Allah أَبَابِيلَ — he said: "Scattered, coming in succession, gathered together."
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda — he said: "Al-abābīl: numerous."
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda — he said: "Al-abābīl: numerous."
It was related to me by al-Ḥusayn, saying: I heard Abū Muʿādh say: ʿUbayd related to us, saying: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk say concerning his word طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ — he said: "Successive. The one group behind the other."
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning his word طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ — he said: "Al-abābīl: the various groups, which came from here and came from there; they came upon them from every side."
It has been mentioned that they were birds that emerged from the sea. Some said: "They came from the direction of the sea."
Then they differed concerning their description. Some said: "They were white."
Others said: "They were black."
Others said: "They were green, with beaks like the beaks of birds, and paws like the paws of dogs."
Yaʿqūb related to me, saying: Ibn ʿUlayya related to us, on the authority of Ibn ʿAwn, on the authority of Muḥammad ibn Sīrīn, concerning his word طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ — he said: Ibn ʿAbbās said: "They are birds; they were birds with beaks like the beaks of birds, and paws like the paws of dogs."
Al-Ḥasan ibn Khalaf al-Wāsiṭī related to me, saying: Wakīʿ and Rawḥ ibn ʿUbāda related to us, on the authority of Ibn ʿAwn, on the authority of Ibn Sīrīn, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās — in accordance with the same.
Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Wakīʿ related to us, on the authority of Ibn ʿAwn, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās — in accordance with the same.
Yaʿqūb related to us, saying: Hushaym related to us, saying: Ḥusayn informed us, on the authority of ʿIkrima, concerning his word طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ — he said: "They were green birds that emerged, they came from the sea, with heads like the heads of beasts of prey."
Ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of al-Aʿmash, on the authority of Abū Sufyān, on the authority of ʿUbayd ibn ʿUmayr — concerning طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ — he said: "They are black sea birds; in their beaks and claws are the stones."
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mahrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of al-Aʿmash, on the authority of Abū Sufyān, on the authority of ʿUbayd ibn ʿUmayr — concerning طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ — he said: "Black sea birds; in their claws and beaks are the stones."
He said: Mahrān related to us, on the authority of Khārija, on the authority of ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAwn, on the authority of Ibn Sīrīn, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās — he said: "With beaks like the beaks of birds, and paws like the paws of dogs."
Yaḥyā ibn Ṭalḥa al-Yarbūʿī related to us, saying: Fuḍayl ibn ʿIyāḍ related to us, on the authority of ʿAṭāʾ ibn al-Sāʾib, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, concerning his word طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ — he said: "Green birds with yellow beaks, which came upon them in turns."
Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Wakīʿ related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of al-Aʿmash, on the authority of Abū Sufyān, on the authority of ʿUbayd ibn ʿUmayr — he said: "Black birds that carried stones in their claws and beaks."
