The Abyssinians ruled Yemen after
Himyar, and when Abrahah Al-Ashram became king, he built a huge church, called
Al-Qullais, in San’a’ beside Ghumdân, the like of which had never been seen at
that time. He built it of marble and gold-plated wood. His aim was to divert
the pilgrimage of the Arabs to his church and to abolish the Hajj to the
Ka’bah. When news of that spread among the Arabs, a man from Kinânah got very
angry. He went to Al-Qullais and defecated in it at night, then he fled home.
When news of that reached Abrahah, he became
very angry and swore to go to the Ka’bah and destroy it. This year was called the Year of the
Elephant. Abrahah set out of San’a’ to Khath’am, then to At-Tâ’if, from where
he sent a man of his people to Makkah
Al-Mukarramah, who confiscated the wealth of its people, including two hundred
camels belonging to ‘Abdul-Muttalib ibn Hashim, and brought it to Abrahah. Then
Abrahah sent another man to Makkah and told him : “Ask about the leader of this
city”.
So he asked, and he was told about
‘Abdul-Muttalib. He told him : “the king says that he has not come to wage war
on you, he has only come to destroy this House”. ‘Abdul-Muttalib said to him :
“By Allâh, we do not want to fight him and we do not have the power to do so.
This is the sacred house of Allâh, and the House of His Close Friend Ibrâhim.
If He does not protect it, it is His House and sanctuary, and if He protects
it, it will not be us who defended it”. Then ‘Abdul-Muttalib went with the
envoy of Abrahah to meet the king. When permission was asked for
‘Abdul-Muttalib to enter, they said to Abrahah. “This is the leader of the
Quarish”, so he allowed him to enter. When Abrahah saw him he was impressed by
him.
He did not want the Abyssinians to see
him sitting next to him on his throne. So Abrahah came down from his throne and
sat on the carpet beside ‘Abdul-Muttalib and asked him, “What do you want?”
‘Abdul-Muttalib spoke about his camels which had been taken. Abrahah
said : “I admired you when I first saw you, but now I have changed my
mind. You spoke about two hundred camels that I took from you, you ignored the
House that is the focal point of your religion and that of your forefathers
which I have come to destroy, and you do not speak about it!”
‘Abdul-Muttalib said : “I am the owner
of the camels, and the House has an Owner Who will protect it”. So ‘Abdul-Muttalib went back to Quarish and
told them what had happened. He told them to go out of Makkah and seek refuge
in the mountains and passes, fearing the attack of the army which
outnumbered Quarish. Then
‘Abdul-Muttalib took hold of the
door-handle of the Ka’bah, and some of
Quarish stood with him, praying to Allâh and seeking His help
against Abrahah and his army.
‘Abdul-Muttalib said, whilst holding on to door-handle of the Ka’bah :
“O
Allâh, any slave of Yours would protect his position, so protect Your House. Do
not let their cross or their power defeat Your power. But if You are going to
let them destroy our Qiblah, there must be a reason for that”.
When
Abrahah prepared to enter Makkah with his largest elephant, seeking to
destroy the Ka’bah, every time they made the elephant to face Makkah, it sat down and refused to move,
but when they made it face another direction it started to run. Whilst that was
going on, Allâh sent against them birds in flocks, each of them carrying three
stones, one in its beak and two in its feet, with which they pelted them. These
stones were like chickpeas or lentils, and no sooner was any one of them were struck.
Then Allâh sent a flood which washed them into the sea. Those who were spared,
turned and fled with Abrahah to Yemen. His body had started, to disintegrate,
but he did not die in San’a’ until his chest had fallen away from his heart.
His son Yaksum succeeded him as king in 571 CE.
Based on the importance of this event,
the Arabs started to date their history from this point. And Allâh says :
1. “Have you (O Muhammad سصلى الله عليه وسلم ) not seen how your Lord
dealt with the owners of the Elephant? [The elephant army which came from Yemen
under the command of Abrahah Al-Ashram intending to destroy the Ka’bah at
Makkah.
2. Did He not make their ploy go
astray?
3. And He sent against them birds, in
flocks.
4. Striking them with stones of Sijjil
(baked clay)
5. And He made them like (an empty
field of) stalks (of which the corn) has been eaten up (by cattle)
[Al Fil 105 : 1-5]
By means of the defeat of the
Abyssinians, Allâh protected His sacred House from being destroyed, and it
subsequently became the Qiblah for Muslim in all parts of the globe.
References :
1. Atlas on the
Prophet’s Biography - Places, Nations, Landmark : Compiled by Dr Shawqi Abu
Khalil.
2. The Noble
Qur’an, English Translation, Dr Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali & Dr
Muhammad Muhsin Khan.
