Part 13

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“Have you (O Muhammad #) not seen how your Lord dealt with the owners of the elephant? (The elephant army which came from Yemen under the command of Abraha Al-Ashram intending to destroy the Ka'bah at Makkah). Did He not make their plot go astray? And sent against them birds, in flocks, striking them with stones of Sijjil (back clay). And made them like an empty field of stalks (of which the corn has been eaten up by cattle).””

"I As-Seerah An-Nabawiyyah by Abu Haatim As-Subtee (pgs. 34-39); also refer to As-Seerah An~Nabawiyyah by Ibn Katheer (1/pgs. 30-37).

Both Ibn Ishaaq and Ibn Hishaam - may Allah have mercy on them both - related that while Abraha was marching with his army towards Makkah, ‘Abdul-Muttalib went to the Masjid and took hold of the ring on the door of the Ka’bah. Then, he and a group of men from the Quraish supplicated to Allah 4, asking for His help against Abraha and his army. Then ‘Abdul-Muttalib let go of the ring, and headed off with his fellow tribesmen to the peaks of nearby mountains, where they intended to be on the lookout, waiting to see what Abraha was going to do once he entered Makkah. The narrator of this story then described the way in which Abraha and his army were destroyed."

Lessons and Morals taken from the Story of The Elephant

1) A sense of the inviolability of the Ka’bah is one of the most important of things that one should take away from this story. Even Arab polytheists from pre-Islamic times honoured and sanctified the Ka’bah. The significance that the Ka’bah had in their minds is one of the remnants of Ibraaheem’s religion that remained in Makkah even throughout the dark years of its history when polytheism was the dominant religion of its inhabitants.

2) To save what is sanctified and holy, one often needs to make sacrifices, which is exactly what many Arab tribes did when the Ka’bah’s sanctity, and very existence, was at stake. First, one of the kings of Himyar fought against Abraha, but was then taken captive. And then An-Nufail ibn Habeeb AlKhath’amee, along with other tribes from Yemen, fought Abraha, though they were of course no challenge against his huge army. They knew they were no challenge, but the point is that they still fought to preserve what they valued.

3) The traitors of a nation ultimately bring disgrace upon themselves. Some Arabs volunteered to be Abraha’s spies;

(1) As-Seerah An-Nabawiyyah by Ibn Hishaam, along with the commentary of Abu Dharr Al-Khushanee (1/pg. 84-91).

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others agreed to guide him to the Ka’bah, so that he could then destroy it. Such people are cursed in this life and in the Hereafter. Consider the example of Abu Rughaal, whose grave has become a symbol of treachery. Throughout the centuries, people have felt hatred for him in their hearts. And whenever someone passes by his grave, he pelts it with stones.

‘Abdul-Muttalib said, “We will not fight him; we will free up all that lies between him and the house (i.e., we will not stand in his way, but will instead depart Makkah for a while). If Allah puts nothing in his way to stop him from reaching it, then, by Allah, we have no strength against him.’ This venerable sage from pre-Islamic times provided clear insight into the reality of the war that takes place between Allah % and His enemies. No matter how strong and numerous those enemies are, they cannot withstand, not even for the smallest, minutest fraction of a nanosecond, the Might and Power of Allah 3%. It is He % Who grants life, and He can take it away at any moment He pleases. Al-Qaasimee (may Allah have mercy on him) related that Al-Qaashaanee (may Allah have mercy on him) said, “The story of the People of the Elephant is famously known, and it took place near the era of the Messenger ¥. Their story is one of the signs of Allah’s power and of the effects of His wrath upon those who are brazen enough to violate what He has made sanctified.”

It is important to understand that Arabs honoured Allah’s Inviolable House - the Ka’bah - which Allah 3 has taken upon Himself to preserve and protect from the harm of evildoers; furthermore, and this is very significant to understand the history of those times, they honoured the Quraish. They would say about the Quraish, “They are the people of Allah. May Allah fight on their behalf and be sufficient for them against their enemies.” That veneration and honour was a sign from Allah 4, and a prelude to the sending of a Prophet # to Makkah, one who would come and purify the Ka’bah from idols, and return to it its high ranking and significance.

6) Many scholars ~ such as Al-Maawardee and Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on them both - maintain that the story of the elephant is one of the signs of the Prophethood of Muhammad 2. The events of the story point to the advent of Muhammad #, who was in his mother’s womb when they occurred; he #% was born 50 days later.

As the Prophet's birth approached, many signs occurred that affirmed his Prophethood and blessedness; one of the greatest of those signs was what happened to Abraha and his army. How so? First, had the Quraish fought Abraha and lost the battle, they would have been taken as slaves and prisoners. But Allah 3 destroyed Abraha, thus protecting the Prophet 2% from being born a slave. Second, based on their beliefs and practices, the Quraish did not deserve to be protected from the army of the elephant; they weren’t from the People of the Book; rather, they were idol worshippers who were far astray from the truth. When it came to protecting Makkah, what was important was honouring the Ka’bah and paving the way for the Prophet #8.

When Arabs learned of what Allah $ did with the Army of the Elephant, they felt awe and veneration for Makkah, and they treated the Quraish with greater honour than ever before.

Ibn Taymiyyah - may Allah have mercy on him - said, “(The events that took place during Abraha’s attempted attack on Makkah) occurred in the year during which the Prophet # was born. Those who lived beside the House (i.e., the Ka’bah) were polytheists - they worshipped idols. The religion of the Christians (which was the religion of Abraha) was better than their religion; therefore, this sign (the miraculous destruction of Abraha’s army) did not take place for the sake of those who lived beside the Ka’bah at that time, but instead for the sake of the House itself, or for the sake of the Prophet #%, who was born that year beside the House, or for both the House and the Prophet #%. Whatever the case, it was from the signs of his

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And while he was discussing the story of the elephant, Ibn Katheer ~ may Allah have mercy on him - said, “This was a sign and a prelude to the sending of the Messenger of Allah 2, for he - according to the most famous of accounts - was born in that year. It was as if it was being said to the Quraish: ‘O people of the Quraish, Allah did not help you against the people of Abysinia because you are better than them; rather, He %€ (destroyed Abraha’s army) to preserve the Ancient House (i.e, the Ka’bah), which He 4 will honour with the sending of the illiterate Prophet, Muhammad - O Allah, send prayers and salutations upon him - who is the Seal of the Prophets.)

7) Allah # did not permit the People of the Book - Abraha and his fellow Christians - to destroy the Ka’bah and take control of the holy city of Makkah, even though its sanctity was being defiled by polytheism. According to Allah’s Decree, Makkah was intended to be free from the rule of a tyrant, so that new and correct beliefs could develop and thrive in an atmosphere of relative freedom. Such was Allah’s planning for His House and religion, even before anyone knew that the Messenger of Allah #% was going to be born in that same year.

In remembering the story of Abraha, we should feel consolation and hope when we see the imperial designs of those who greedily look at our lands - and especially our holy lands - with hopes of conquest. Allah 3 protected His House from the People of the Book when Makkah was inhabited by polytheists; now both Makkah and Al-Madeenah are inhabited by Muslims, and so He certainly will - In Sha Allah - defend and protect both holy lands from evildoers.

8) News of Abraha’s miraculous demise spread all over Arabia;

Arabs considered the event to be so important that they dated their calendar based on it. They would say, “Such and such happened in the Year of the Elephant,” or, “Such and such happened 8 years after the Year of the Elephant.” The Year of the Elephant corresponds to the year 570 of the Christian calendar. Of course, “the Year of the Elephant’ did not last very long as the standard upon which Arabs based their calendar; with the advent of Islam, the new standard became the migration of the Prophet #@ to Al-Madeenah.

From The Birth Of The Noble Prophet 2 Until The Fudool Confederacy

The Lineage Of The Prophet 2

Just as he # is the most complete of people in terms of character, the Prophet # is superior to all other human beings in terms of his noble lineage. The Prophet #% said, “Verily, Allah - ‘Azza wa-Jall (the Possessor of might and majesty) - chose Ismaa’eel from the children of Ibraaheem; Kinaanah from the children of Ismaa’eel; Quraish from Kinaanah; the children of Haashim from Quraish; and me from the children of Haashim.”"

Imam Bukhaaree, may Allah have mercy on him - mentioned the lineage of the Prophet # (keep in mind that ‘ibn’ means, ‘son of’): “He is Abul-Qaasim Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘AbdulMuttalib ibn Haashim ibn ‘Abd-Manaaf ibn Qusai ibn Kilaab ibn Murrah ibn Ka’ab ibn Luaiy ibn Ghaalib ibn Faihr ibn Maalik ibn An-Nadar ibn Kinaanah ibn Khuzaimah ibn Mudrikah ibn Ilyaas ibn Mudar ibn Nizaar ibn Ma’ad ibn ‘Adnaan.””!