Surah Al-Fil — Part 1

1. Surah Al-Fil · Ayah 1

أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِأَصْحَـٰبِ ٱلْفِيلِ ۝١
Sentence structure
أَ opens the question and لَمْ makes تَرَ jussive. The clause from كَيْفَ to ٱلْفِيلِ is the object of تَرَ. Within it, فَعَلَ has explicit subject رَبُّكَ, and بِأَصْحَـٰبِ ٱلْفِيلِ is linked to the verb.

Ayah summary
Allah’s dealing with the People of the Elephant was a well-known event.

أَلَمْ — Have ... not
Grammar: Prefixed interrogative أَ followed by negating and jussive particle لَمْ.

تَرَ — you see / consider
Grammar: A second-person masculine-singular imperfect made jussive by لَمْ; its final weak letter is dropped in jazm, and its subject is the hidden pronoun «أَنْتَ».

كَيْفَ — how
Grammar: An interrogative noun functioning adverbially as a circumstantial expression linked to فَعَلَ.

فَعَلَ — did / dealt
Grammar: A third-person masculine-singular perfect with the following explicit subject رَبُّكَ.

رَبُّكَ — your Lord
Grammar: رَبُّ is the nominative subject of فَعَلَ; attached كَ is a genitive possessive pronoun.

بِأَصْحَـٰبِ — with the companions
Grammar: Preposition بِ governs plural genitive أَصْحَـٰبِ, which is annexed to the next noun; the prepositional phrase is linked to فَعَلَ.

ٱلْفِيلِ — the Elephant
Grammar: A defined masculine-singular genitive complement of أَصْحَـٰبِ.

2. Surah Al-Fil · Ayah 2

أَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ كَيْدَهُمْ فِى تَضْلِيلٍ ۝٢
Sentence structure
أَ and لَمْ continue the question and make يَجْعَلْ jussive. كَيْدَهُمْ is its accusative object, while فِى تَضْلِيلٍۢ is a prepositional phrase linked to the verb.

Ayah summary
Allah caused their plan to fail completely.

أَلَمْ — Did ... not
Grammar: Prefixed interrogative أَ followed by negating and jussive particle لَمْ.

يَجْعَلْ — make / place
Grammar: A third-person masculine-singular imperfect made jussive by لَمْ; its subject is the hidden pronoun «هُوَ».

كَيْدَهُمْ — their plan
Grammar: كَيْدَ is the accusative object of يَجْعَلْ; attached هُمْ is its genitive possessive pronoun.

فِى — in
Grammar: A preposition governing the following noun; فِى تَضْلِيلٍۢ is linked to يَجْعَلْ.

تَضْلِيلٍۢ — ruin / failure
Grammar: An indefinite masculine genitive verbal noun governed by فِى.

3. Surah Al-Fil · Ayah 3

وَأَرْسَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ ۝٣
Sentence structure
وَ coordinates the Form IV perfect أَرْسَلَ. عَلَيْهِمْ is linked to it, طَيْرًا is its accusative object, and أَبَابِيلَ is an accusative adjective of طَيْرًا.

Ayah summary
Allah sent flocks of birds against them.

وَأَرْسَلَ — and He sent
Grammar: وَ coordinates a Form IV third-person masculine-singular perfect أَرْسَلَ; its subject is the hidden pronoun «هُوَ».

عَلَيْهِمْ — upon them
Grammar: Preposition عَلَى with attached masculine-plural genitive pronoun هِمْ, linked to أَرْسَلَ.

طَيْرًا — birds
Grammar: An indefinite accusative collective noun functioning as the object of أَرْسَلَ.

أَبَابِيلَ — in flocks
Grammar: An accusative adjective describing طَيْرًا.

4. Surah Al-Fil · Ayah 4

تَرْمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٍ مِّن سِجِّيلٍ ۝٤
Sentence structure
The verbal clause تَرْمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٍۢ مِّن سِجِّيلٍۢ describes طَيْرًا in the preceding ayah. In this clause, attached هُم is the object of تَرْمِى, بِحِجَارَةٍۢ is linked to the verb, and مِّن سِجِّيلٍۢ states the stones' material.

Ayah summary
Those birds pelted them with small stones.

تَرْمِيهِم — pelting them
Grammar: A third-person feminine-singular imperfect whose subject is the hidden pronoun «هِيَ»; attached masculine-plural هُم is its object, and the verbal clause describes the preceding طَيْرًا.

بِحِجَارَةٍۢ — with stones
Grammar: Preposition بِ governs the indefinite plural genitive noun حِجَارَةٍۢ; the phrase is linked to تَرْمِيهِم.

مِّن — of / from
Grammar: A preposition beginning مِّن سِجِّيلٍۢ; this phrase is linked to an omitted adjective describing حِجَارَةٍۢ.

سِجِّيلٍۢ — baked clay
Grammar: An indefinite masculine genitive noun governed by مِّن; the phrase states the material of the stones.

5. Surah Al-Fil · Ayah 5

فَجَعَلَهُمْ كَعَصْفٍ مَّأْكُولٍۭ ۝٥
Sentence structure
فَ links the result and جَعَلَ is a perfect verb with attached object هُمْ. كَعَصْفٍۢ is a comparative prepositional phrase, and مَّأْكُولٍۭ is a genitive passive-participle adjective of عَصْفٍۢ.

Ayah summary
Allah reduced them to scattered, eaten straw.

فَجَعَلَهُمْ — so He made them
Grammar: فَ links the result; جَعَلَ is a third-person masculine-singular perfect whose subject is the hidden pronoun «هُوَ», and attached هُمْ is its first object.

كَعَصْفٍۢ — like eaten straw
Grammar: Comparative preposition كَ governs عَصْفٍۢ; the phrase is linked to the omitted second object of جَعَلَ.

مَّأْكُولٍۭ — eaten
Grammar: An indefinite masculine genitive Form I passive participle adjective of عَصْفٍۢ.