﴿ وَأَرْسَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ ﴾

“Thus, He let loose upon them great swarms of flying creatures”

(And did He not unleash upon them) flights of birds?ʿIkrima said regarding these words of God, Exalted is He, �They are birds that came from the direction of the sea, and had heads like the heads of vipers.� It was said also, �They had heads like those of predatory beasts.� Their likeness had never been seen before that day nor has it been seen since. They proceeded to pelt them [the Men of the Elephant] with stones to infect their skin with smallpox. This was the first day on which a person infected with smallpox was seen. But God, Exalted is He, knows best what is correct.His words, Exalted is He: