Names
This surah is called Surat Al-Fil. [580] See: Al-Fayruzabadi: Basa?ir Dhawi At-Tamyiz, 1/544.
Makki or Madani?
Surat Al-Fil is Makki; more than one of the commentators narrated that there was consensus regarding that. [581] Those who narrated that there was consensus regarding that include: Ibn ?Atiyyah, Ibn Al-Jawzi and Al-Qurtubi. See: Tafsir Ibn ?Atiyyah, 5/493; Tafsir Ibn Al-Jawzi, 4/490; Tafsir Al-Qurtubi, 20/187.
Objectives
The most important objectives of this surah include:
Explaining what happened to the people of the elephant. [582] See: Tafsir Ibn ?Uthaymin ? Juz? ?Amma, 20/187.
Reassuring the believers so that they will remain steadfast in adhering to the truth. [583] At-Tantawi: At-Tafsir Al-Wasit, 15/509.
Topics?????
The most significant topics addressed in Surat Al-Fil include:
The punishment of the people of the elephant; their plot and how Allah made their plot backfire on them; what befell them of punishment and how their story ended with bad consequences for them.