Year of the Elephant

Abraha, the Abyssinian ruler of Yemen, marched an army with war elephants to destroy the Ka'bah and divert pilgrimage to his cathedral in Sana'a. As the army approached Mecca, Allah sent flocks of birds (Ababil) carrying stones of baked clay that decimated the invaders. The lead elephant, Mahmud, refused to advance toward the Ka'bah. This miraculous event, referenced in Surah al-Fil, occurred the same year Prophet Muhammad was born and reaffirmed the sanctity of the Ka'bah.