The Year of the Elephant
6 min · Ages 4–12 · Prophet Muhammad ﷺ · Free Story
Long ago a big army with an elephant comes towards Makkah, wanting to harm the Ka'bah, the House of Allah. Allah sends flocks of little birds, and the army's plan comes to nothing. The Ka'bah stays safe.
A huge army with an elephant came to destroy the Ka’bah, but nobody is stronger than Allah. He sent little birds, and the army’s plan came to nothing.
Try today: If something feels too big, whisper, “Allah is with me,” and take a breath.
How the Story begins
Can small birds stop a great army? This is a true story, and it comes from the Qur’an. There is a short surah in the Qur’an called Al-Fil. Al-Fil means the elephant. It is only five verses long, and lots of children learn it by heart. But inside those five little verses there is a big story. Let’s hear it together.
First, we need to know about a very special place: the Ka’bah, in Makkah. Long, long ago, the Prophet Ibrahim and his son, the Prophet Isma’il, peace be upon them, built the Ka’bah together. The Qur’an tells us it was the very first house set up for people to worship Allah. And Allah made it a safe place.
Today, the Ka’bah is still there. Wherever Muslims are in the world, in hot countries and cold countries, in big cities and tiny villages, we all turn to face the Ka’bah when we pray. Five times a day, all around the world, Muslims turn towards that one special house. So the story of how Allah protected it is a story about all of us.
The Story has 17 Pages. The rest is narrated in the app.
This Story is free in Munira. Narrated Page by Page over hand-drawn Scenes, then a picture Quiz and one Moral to carry into tomorrow. Bedtime Mode dims the screen and fades the narration to silence.
Download on the App StoreFree to download with 5 Free Stories. Every Story with Yearly (US$19.99, 7-day free trial) or Lifetime (US$49.99). iPhone and iPad; English.
Sources
Retold from Surah Al-Fil 105:1–5, Quraysh 106:1–4, Al-Baqarah 2:127, Al ’Imran 3:96–97; Sahih al-Bukhari 2731; Sahih Muslim 1355; with notes from Tafsir Ibn Kathir and the Sirah
Every Story in Munira is retold only from the Qur’an and authentic hadith, shows its Sources, and is checked by a Reviewer before it is published in the app.
More from Stories of the Prophet ﷺ
Stories of the Prophet ﷺ
Read! The First Revelation
7 min · Ages 4–12
Stories of the Prophet ﷺ
The Night Journey
7 min · Ages 4–12
Stories of the Prophet ﷺ
Two Friends in the Cave
7 min · Ages 4–12
Stories of the Prophet ﷺ · Free
The Camel Who Cried and the Mother Bird
6 min · Ages 4–12
Stories of the Prophet ﷺ
Abu ’Umayr and His Little Bird
6 min · Ages 4–12
Stories of the Prophet ﷺ
Three Men and the Rock
6 min · Ages 7–12
Also in Animals in the Qur'an and Sunnah.