أَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ كَيْدَهُمْ فِي تَضْلِيلٍ
Did He not frustrate their plan? (الفيل: 2)
فَجَعَلَهُمْ كَعَصْفٍ مَأْكُولٍ
Then He made them like chewed straw. (الفيل: 5)
The surah recalls an event through questioning, states the failure of the scheme, then gives a vivid account of the action and a final consequence introduced by faʾ. Its dominant movement is question → verdict → illustration → result.
VersesRhetorical function
1–2Rhetorical acknowledgment and failure of the plan
3Action introduced with coordination
4Vivid imperfect and identified means
5Consequence and closing simile