people of the elephant

[tutti_frutti]

salam

i was wondering what anyone thought of surah 105 about who where the people of the elephant

may we sat perhaps they are the people of lot and the surah is maybe a clue to whom they were?

i understand there were elephants in the middle east around the bronze age period (please google syrian elephant or elephant in ancient middle east)

please let me know what you think

thank you

peace

[Layth]

Salam/Peace,

Yes, it can very much be about the people of Lot as it uses a somewhat similar descriptions as to what destroyed them (fiery projectiles).

However, you can also look at it as a prediction of the future - an event yet to pass.

The Qur'an has a unique attribute of using past tense for future events (e.g. 16:1 The command of God has come, so do not hasten it. Be He glori- fied and exalted above the partners they set up.

How can you hasten something that has already come?!

Using this unique rule, you can read a future event.

People of the Elephant = Republican Party/USA?

Mighty Birds in flight = Bombers?

Fiery Projectiles = Missiles/Nukes?

I recall reading somewhere that some assume that Lot's people were hit with nuclear type devices which is why they were told not to look back (retina burns)...Again, these are all just alternative ideas for thought.

[jkhan]

Salam/Peace,

Yes, it can very much be about the people of Lot as it uses a somewhat similar descriptions as to what destroyed them (fiery projectiles).

However, you can also look at it as a prediction of the future - an event yet to pass.

The Qur'an has a unique attribute of using past tense for future events (e.g. 16:1 The command of God has come, so do not hasten it. Be He glori- fied and exalted above the partners they set up.

How can you hasten something that has already come?!

Using this unique rule, you can read a future event.

People of the Elephant = Republican Party/USA?

Mighty Birds in flight = Bombers?

Fiery Projectiles = Missiles/Nukes?

I recall reading somewhere that some assume that Lot's people were hit with nuclear type devices which is why they were told not to look back (retina burns)...Again, these are all just alternative ideas for thought.

Peace brother Layth and TF..

16:01 I don't know whether the particular verse is in present perfect or future tense...
But the 105 chapter is completely in past tense.. Isn't it?
If the command is yet not to come.. They can hasten .. That's fair..
But if command has already come.. They may still hasten without knowledge that command of God has come already.. Unless there is a precise way to perceive that it was command of God..
Whole chapter is in past perfect tense.. Aren't they.. Unless expert professional explain Arabic grammar.. But all translations look identical in perfect tense .. I don't see any reason to take it as future event..

@ TF..
Everyone can speculate only, regarding this chapter connecting with Lut etc, but in Certianity we can't say what God exactly speaks about..
But one thing is very manifest that it seems it was a well known subject when it was revealed to that community .. But not for us.. Time has suppressed the clarity and truth.. For me it doesn't look like future event..

[tutti_frutti]

salam layth and jkhan

thank you very much for your replies

i dont think the surah is about a future event but rather a past even before mohamad pbuh time ... i might be wrong of course but i truly dont believe it is a future event

i understand that in the Quran The God says that the people of mohamad pbuh walk morning and evening through lot pbuh town ... so with the surah He perhaps is reminding them by telling them about lot pbuh town and giving the world a clue to which town it was (they domesticated elephants perhaps?)

i also dont think there is anything about missils or nuclear stuff in the Quran and i also think the usa and the other countires today have definately no place in the Quran in the sense there are no references to them as countries today in the Quran ... and i think definately not "elephant = republican" ... that is my opinion

indeed jkhan i am just speculating from what i understand ... and my understanding could definitely be wrong ... but i feel like the surah is definately about them ... again, of course i might be wrong

i also do not think it is a future event

my idea so far is that the citu maybe is qatna? apparently they used to have elephants in their palace and it was in a famous trade route i understood... and it was detsroyed and buried underground i think (i read destroyed by war but i dont believe everything that science says) ... there were what is called elephants of orontes ... along the orontes river (where qatna was) of course it is just a speculation

please guys let me know what you think

thank you

peace