Al-Fil Verse 3

For He sent against them flocks of birds,

He sent against them swarms of birds,

And He loosed upon them birds in flights,

He sent ranks of birds against them,

And He sent against them birds in flocks.

And He sent against them Flights of Birds,

And He sent against them swarms of birds

And sent hordes of chargers flying against them,

And send flocks of birds upon them,

and send against them flocks of birds

He sent down upon them flocks of birds (unknown in the land),

And He sent against them flocks of birds,

And He sent on them flying/birds (in) flocks/groups gathered and following each other .

And send flocks of birds upon them,

And sent down on them birds in flocks,

And sent against them birds, in flocks,

And send against them birds in flocks?

And send down (to prey) upon them birds in flocks,

And send against them swarms of flying creatures,

by sending against them flocks of swallows

And He sent against them flights of birds

And He sent against them birds, in flocks (Ababil).

and send against them flocks of birds,

He sent against them swarms of birds.

and unleashed upon them swarms of birds, [birds] in droves, one following the next (it is said there is no singular form for it [abbl], like astr; but some say that the singular is abl or ibl or ibbl, similar [in constructed pattern] to `ajl, mifth and sikkn),

And He sent against them birds, in flocks (Ababil).

Hammad bin Salamah narrated from Asim, who related from Zirr, who related from `Abdullah and Abu Salamah bin `Abdur-Rahman that they said,

(
طَيْراً أَبَابِيلَ
birds Ababil.) "In groups."

Ibn `Abbas and Ad-Dahhak both said,

"Ababil means some of them following after others."

Al-Hasan Al-Basri and Qatadah both said, "Ababil means many."

Mujahid said, "Ababil means in various, successive groups."

Ibn Zayd said,

"Ababil means different, coming from here and there. They came upon them from everywhere."

Al-Kasa'i said,

"I heard some of the grammarians saying, "The singular of Ababil is Ibil."

Ibn Jarir recorded from Ishaq bin Abdullah bin Al-Harith bin Nawfal that he said concerning Allah's statement,
وَأَرْسَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ طَيْراً أَبَابِيلَ


"This means in divisions just as camels march in divisions (in their herds)."

It is reported that Ibn `Abbas said,
وَأَرْسَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ طَيْراً أَبَابِيلَ


"They had snouts like the beaks of birds and paws like the paws of dogs."

Ikrimah said commenting on Allah's statement,
طَيْراً أَبَابِيلَ


"They were green birds that came out of the sea and they had heads like the heads of predatory animals."

It has been reported from `Ubayd bin `Umayr that about
طَيْراً أَبَابِيلَ
he commented;

"They were black birds of the sea that had stones in their beaks and claws."

And the chains of narration (for these statements) are all authentic.


تَرْمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٍ مِّن سِجِّيلٍ