A Cloture of Birds in Motion: Guiding Elephants

We live in a world where judgment feels harshest when it comes to following Allah, yet calling out Satan—who openly vowed to deceive us—feels softer, even sensitive to defend against. We’re so quick to perceive belief as “vague,” ready to cling to anything that contradicts it. Allah tells us not only He, but Paradise itself hears our prayers—yet we doubt this easily, while believing completely in unseen signals like Wi-Fi and invisible servers. Contradicting the concept of believing in the unseen. 

Going back in history, Allah introduced the concept of faith after the people of Adam, as shown in The Quran 20:120-127

“Then Shaytan whispered to him…”
Satan revealed plainly that jealousy and resentment fueled his influence. Despite knowing we have no control over the beginning of time, why life is the way it is, or answers to the deepest questions, we do have control over our free will—a divine right that Satan works tirelessly to misuse in the most hidden ways, making us forget life’s fleeting reality.

Allah Himself calls Satan the chief deceiver. Yet when it comes to believing that, we get intimidated. We fear standing against disbelief, even though Allah represents life’s creation, its nourishment, and its entire reliance. Even in parenting, Allah places the metaphor of reliance beautifully: the father, the source of implantation, often gets less recognition than the mother who provides nourishment—but both are essential and equal in Allah’s design. Still, Satan seeks to break that unity born from Adam and Eve: the love, peace, and shared purpose that mirrors faith itself.

So the battle of faith has always been deeply individual. But Satan made it look like we need a massive army protocol to fight him Because he Allah revealed his system with the wisdom of his 99 names, Satan the chief deceiver, used that advantage against Adam and Eve.  So truly the battle is internal and evolved over time. His method is to spot vulnerability in hearts desperate enough to deny truth: anyone willing to lie, to jeopardize accountability, and in turn, lose their own record. A contradictive type of behavior that benefits his intent, but has always been detrimental in all ways. 

Allah, by contrast, honors the concept of nourishment and mercy: He calls out to the “mother of towns,” symbolizing the spiritual bond and sustenance He entrusted us to uphold. Meanwhile, Satan gathers his “army” to quietly infiltrate that system. The mother is the heart of the home; the kitchen is the heart of the house. This reflects the dynamic concept of nourishing procreation, where both parents contribute and strive to sustain the vital system of life. So if our vulnerability pushes us to seek control instead of truth, we lose the reliance on Allah that keeps Satan at bay.

Even the simple daily acts we sometimes doubt or see as interruptions—wudu, prayer, guarding our intentions, being mindful of what we consume, and the truth we choose to acknowledge—these are all part of the spiritual armor Allah gifts us, shaping our individuality. We’re not meant to build armies against each other. By default, we are created pure, like newborns, but Satan intervenes to corrupt that innocence. The unnecessary huddles, factions, and harmful conduct create negativity, while Allah promises that His system sends us the floodlight of angels to drive that negativity away—causing those who’ve fallen vulnerable to Satan’s influence to act out of desperation and ultimately embarrass themselves.

As Allah shows in 15:39 (Muhsin Khan):

“(Iblis) said: ‘O my Lord! Because You misled me, I shall indeed adorn the path of error for them (mankind) on the earth, and I shall mislead them all.’”
His darkness thrives on breaking light, especially the light brought by angels. His arrogance was born out of fearing that Allah didn’t accept him—and so, he projects his resentment onto us, even targeting the mother’s honored role in family and community, portraying her as negative and deceitful. This mirrors the bitterness he’s carried from the moment he was created.

Because Satan doesn’t care about us; he openly mocks us and tries to reflect that immaturity onto life’s most serious realities. Allah doesn’t seek to harm or control people—but His system is built strong because Satan is actively trying to harm and control humanity.

Ultimately, Allah refers to Mecca as the mother of towns because this holy land holds the witnesses, the purity, and the light needed for the town’s sanctity, along with the precincts that prove Allah’s sufficient protection—just like the wisdom drawn from the story of the elephants in Surah Al-Fil.

Surah Al-Fil tells the story of a mighty army, equipped with elephants, marching toward the Kaaba to destroy it. To any observer at the time, this army seemed invincible—overwhelming in power and unstoppable in its intention. Yet Allah, without asking the people to fight or raise an army in defense, sent flocks of birds carrying stones of baked clay, effortlessly defeating the aggressors and protecting His sacred house.

Surah Al-Fil is a call to recognize where true power lies: not in arrogance, not in armies, but in humble faith, trust, and submission to the One who controls all things. And it’s a call to remember that just as Allah protected His house from destruction, He insures His guidance and the Quran protect our hearts and souls—when we turn to Him sincerely, sufficing us from the control Satan seeks. 

38:60
They will say (The followers of the misleaders) : "Nay, you (too)! No welcome for you! It is you (leaders) who brought this upon us (misery), so evil is this place to stay in!"

38:61
They will say: "Our Lord! Whoever brought this upon us, add to him a double torment in the Fire!"

38:62
And they will say: "What has happened to us that we do not see men whom we used to count among the bad ones?"

38:63
Did we take them as an object of mockery, or have (our) eyes failed to perceive them?"

38:64
Verily, that is the very truth — the mutual dispute of the people of the Fire!

38:65
Say (O Muhammad ﷺ): "I am only a warner and there is no Ilah (god) except Allah, the One, the Irresistible,

38:66
The Lord of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving."

38:67
Say: "That (this Qur’an) is a great news,"

7:180
And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allah, so call on Him by them, and leave the company of those who belie or deny (or utter impious speech against) His Names. They will be requited for what they used to do.

7:181
And of those whom We have created, there is a community who guides (others) with the truth, and establishes justice therewith.

7:182
Those who reject Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.), We shall gradually seize them with punishment in ways they perceive not.

7:183
And I respite them; certainly My Plan is strong.

7:184
Do they not reflect? There is no madness in their companion (Muhammad SAW). He is but a plain warner.

7:185
Do they not look in the dominion of the heavens and the earth and all things that Allah has created, and that it may be that their own term is drawing near? In what message after this will they then believe?

7:186
Whomsoever Allah sends astray, none can guide him; and He lets them wander blindly in their transgressions.

7:187
They ask you (O Muhammad SAW) about the Hour — when will be its appointed time? Say: "The knowledge thereof is with my Lord (Alone). None can reveal its time but He. Heavy is its burden through the heavens and the earth. It shall not come upon you except all of a sudden." They ask you as if you have a good knowledge of it. Say: "The knowledge thereof is with Allah (Alone), but most of mankind know not."

7:188
Say (O Muhammad SAW): "I possess no power of benefit or hurt to myself except as Allah wills. If I had the knowledge of the unseen, I should have secured for myself an abundance of wealth, and no evil should have touched me. I am but a warner, and a bringer of glad tidings unto people who believe."

7:189
It is He Who has created you from a single person (Adam), and (then) He has created from him his wife [Hawwa (Eve)], in order that he might enjoy the pleasure of living with her. When he had sexual relation with her, she became pregnant and she carried it about lightly. Then, when it became heavy, they both invoked Allah, their Lord (saying): "If You give us a Salih (good in every aspect) child, we shall indeed be among the grateful."

7:190
But when He gave them a Salih (good in every aspect) child, they ascribed partners to Him (Allah) in that which He has given to them. High be Allah, Exalted above all that they ascribe as partners to Him.

7:191
Do they attribute as partners to Allah those who created nothing but they themselves are created?

7:192
No help can they give them, nor can they help themselves.

7:193
And if you call them to guidance, they follow you not. It is the same for you whether you call them or you keep silent.

7:194
Verily, those whom you call upon besides Allah are slaves like you. So call upon them and let them answer you if you are truthful.

7:195
Have they feet wherewith they walk? Or have they hands wherewith they hold? Or have they eyes wherewith they see? Or have they ears wherewith they hear? Say (O Muhammad SAW): "Call your (so-called) partners (of Allah) and then plot against me, and give me no respite!

7:196
"Verily, my Wali (Protector, Supporter, and Helper) is Allah Who has revealed the Book (the Qur'an), and He protects (supports and helps) the righteous.

7:197
"And those whom you call upon besides Him (Allah) cannot help you nor can they help themselves."

7:198
And if you call them to guidance, they hear not and you will see them looking at you, yet they see not.

7:199
Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the foolish (i.e. don't punish them).

7:200
And if an evil whisper comes to you from Shaitan (Satan), then seek refuge with Allah. Verily, He is All-Hearer, All-Knower.

7:201
Verily, those who are Al-Muttaqun (the pious), when an evil thought comes to them from Shaitan (Satan), they remember (Allah), and (indeed) they then see (aright).

7:202
But (as for) their (the devils') brothers (the devils’ brothers from mankind) they (the devils) plunge them deeper into error, and they never stop short.

7:203
And if you (O Muhammad SAW) do not bring them a miracle (according to their proposal), they say: "Why have you not brought it?" Say: "I but follow what is revealed to me from my Lord. This (the Qur'an) is nothing but evidences from your Lord, and a guidance and a mercy for a people who believe."

7:204
So, when the Qur'an is recited, listen to it, and be silent that you may receive mercy.

7:205
And remember your Lord within yourself, humbly and with fear and without loudness in words in the mornings and in the afternoons and be not of those who are neglectful.

7:206
Surely, those who are with your Lord (angels) are never too proud to perform acts of worship to Him, but they glorify His Praise and fall down before Him in prostration.