May 31
Attack of Abraha's army on Khana-e-Kaaba
Thursday 17 Moharram, 1451
May 31
Thursday 17 Moharram, 1451
For Muslims worldwide, the Kaaba is the most sacred and important building in Mecca. Before the rise of Islam, Khana-E-Kaaba was considered the only place where people came seeking refuge, as they firmly believed that the Kaaba had been built by Prophet Ibrahim عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ and Prophet Ismail عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ and was spiritually blessed by Allah, سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى.
In the sixth century, a Christian Governor who ruled Yemen named Abraha set out with his massive army and hundreds of elephants to Mecca to demolish the Kaaba. He wanted the people to worship and consider his Cathedral in Sana’s sacred by diminishing the existence of the Kaaba. Abraha's move had a lasting impact on Islamic history.
This event occurred in the same year as the birth of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, making it one of the most significant events that preceded the advent of Islam. This event has been mentioned in the Quran and is known as “The Event of the Elephant,” as humans did not defeat Abraha’s army; instead, Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى, made birds the protectors of the holy place.
Before the incident, the Arab region was a diverse region with numerous political parties, tribes, and beliefs, and many of its people believed in more than one God. They worshipped a large number of idols, including mud structures, and the largest mud idol was housed inside the Kaaba in Mecca at that time.
Mecca, strategically located along major caravan trade routes, developed into a thriving commercial and spiritual centre. Its economy flourished due to the annual pilgrimage, which drew people from all over Arabia. The city held immense religious significance, and the Kaaba was considered a sacred site even among idolaters, who believed it was built by the Prophet Ibrahim (alayhi salam) and his son, the Prophet Ismail (alayhi salam).
At that time, although most people believed in more than one God, there were still some groups that worshipped only one God. The Arabs had no centralized government, so politically, all disputes were settled by tribal traditions.
In the 6th century CE, a Christian ruler was appointed as the governor by the Aksumite Empire of East Africa. This Christian ruler was Abraha Al-Ashram. In reality, Abraha had to deal with numerous internal problems, but still managed to rise and become the ruler of Yemen under the authority of the king of Abyssinia, who was also a Christian.
Abraha was a firm Christian believer, and he wanted people of all Arabia to consider Christianity as their religion. He even attempted to change people’s perspective on religion by constructing a cathedral named Al–Qullais in Sana’a, the capital of Yemen. He wanted to direct people’s expedition from Mecca to Yemen.
However, things didn’t go as Abraha had expected; instead, the faithful people considered this attempt a challenge to their holy traditions. Some of the historical books say that many Arab people threw dirt, urinated at the Cathedral as a symbol of protest. But this act made Abraha angry as he considered it an insult.
To exact revenge for the insult, Abraha decided to attack the Kaaba and demolish it. This decision led to a series of important events in history.
The idea to attack Mecca was not only due to religious beliefs, but it involved politics as well. Abraha was a Christian with firm beliefs in Christianity and wanted all the people to convert from Muslims to Christianity. However, he was well aware that the Kaaba was not only politically significant to Arabs, but it also held a deeply religious significance. Mecca had always been the centre of attention for all the Muslims who travelled from all across the globe to offer their pilgrimage.
To change the religious beliefs of the people of Arabia, Abraha constructed Al-Qullais Cathedral in Sana’a, but the Arabs didn’t agree to change their religious beliefs, which had been followed for centuries. After some time, rumors spread that the Arabian people threw dirt, urinated, and damaged the Cathedral. This made Abraha infuriated as he considered it an insult.
Abraha got a chance to use this event as a reason to demolish the holy place. He defended himself by saying that the attempt to demolish the Kaaba is not a revenge, but it is a way to create a sense of worshipping only one God by following Christianity. The event to demolish the Kaaba was specifically thought to replace the holy place with a cathedral in Yemen.
Abraha’s army's journey from Yemen to Mecca was not a normal one, but it represented power and pride, as the army had a large number of elephants and soldiers. All the soldiers were well-equipped with armour, shields, and swords. It was such a massive and strong army that Arabia had never seen before.
The most noticeable and terrifying part of Abraha’s army was the mighty elephants. The person with the biggest elephant was Mahmood, who led the army from Yemen to Makkah. The elephants were brought from Africa, mighty and giant. Abyssinians used these elephants in their battles. As the Arab is a desert, for the Arabian people, seeing such animals is quite terrifying.
As the army travelled across the Arabian Peninsula to demolish the Kaaba, many tribes didn’t offer any resistance, as they lacked the means to stop such a large army. In contrast, some of the tribes who tried to offer resistance were led down very easily.
As time passed, the army of Abraha drew closer to Makkah, and panic increased among the people of the nearby tribes, who could barely imagine fighting such a large army. Some of them left their houses and went up to the hills, having a firm belief that the Kaaba is divinely protected.
When Abraha, along with his army, travelled from Yemen to Mecca to destroy the Kaaba, the route was planned thoroughly and quite distinctively. The entire journey presented several challenges, including the intense heat in the desert, natural obstacles such as mud storms, and occasional challenges from the tribal communities.
Throughout the journey, Abraha made several stops to discuss the route and ways to deal with potential situations. He even stopped at Taif and Najran. Some tribes surrendered easily without negotiation, while others fought for a while but were defeated quickly. There were a larger number of problems during the journey that had to be dealt with, such as diseases, storms, fatigue, etc.
On reaching near Mecca, the army camped at a place called Mughammas, where Abraha met Abdul Muttalib (leader of Quraysh). This encounter led to a change in the story.
At that time, the most noble, respected, and loved person was the leader of the Quraish tribe, Abdul Muttalib, who was also the grandfather of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. He was a competent, wise, and dignified person. When Abraha reached Makkah, he was the one who went to discuss things on behalf of the people of Makkah.
Abdul Muttalib went to Abraha’s camp. Abraha was expecting a request not to demolish the Kaaba, but he heard Abdul Muttalib demand 200 camels, which he had seized. Abraha was surprised, and he asked why he would demand camels and not for the holy place.
Abdul Muttalib delivered the following statement:
"I am the owner of the camels; the House has its own Lord who will protect it."
The following statement explains clearly that Abdul Muttalib not only had a firm belief in Allah, سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى, but also had faith in the fact that the Kaaba is protected by Him.
After the discussion, Abdul Muttalib returned to Makkah and asked the people to leave their houses and travel to nearby places and up the hills. The Quraish did nothing to protect the Kaaba, but instead, they left the matter in Allah’s hands and asked for divine help and mercy.
The Abraha’s army, which consisted of a large number of soldiers and elephants, was all set to destroy Khana-E-Kaaba, but suddenly an event occurred that made their definite success into a failure as Allah, سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى, sent his protectors to protect the sacred place, as explained in Surah Al-Fil.
As explained in history, Allah, سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى, sent his divine help in the form of an army of small birds named Ababeel. These birds were relatively small in size. With divine command, they carried small stones in their beaks and then dropped those stones in such a way that they directly hit the target. The targeted points were so accurate that they made the large army of Abraha accept defeat.
The people who had witnessed the event explained what had taken place. According to them, people and elephants died one by one as they got hit by the stones. Everyone, including Abraha, was wounded and died shortly after the event. They had to change their paths, and no battle took place. Allah’s سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى will alone will be enough.
This event highlighted the significance of the Kaaba and the importance of divine protection. It shows that Allah, سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى alone is enough to handle any situation, and nothing can stand in front of him. It also served as proof that Allah, سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى, protects the Kaaba, and that it cannot be damaged or demolished against His will.
In Islam, the event of the elephant carries significant importance as it emphasizes the power and protection of Allah Almighty, سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى. It demonstrates that nothing can stand in front of Allah’s سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى will, as he provided protection to the holy Kaaba and defeated the army of Abraha without any battle.
This event also teaches us the importance of having deep faith in Allah, سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى, even when nothing seems to go right. The tribe of Quraysh listened to Abdul Muttalib and decided not to resist the army, but instead to rely solely on Allah, سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى, for the protection of the sacred place.
As this event took place before the Prophet’s ﷺ birth, it demonstrates that Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى was preparing his people for his final message that was to be delivered by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ Abraha’s defeat without any battle and failed attempt to demolish Mecca shows the importance and significance of the Kaaba, as well as strengthens people’s belief in Allah Almighty سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى.
In short, this event is a clear depiction of the fact that everything is in Allah’s سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى hands and nothing can happen without his will. He is the one who can defeat the strongest and mightiest armies with the smallest creatures, but only if he wills.
The year when the event of the elephants took place was the same as the year when Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was born, making it a significant landmark in the history of Islam. The year was named ‘Aam al-Fil’, meaning the year of the elephants.
Abraha's failed attempt to demolish the Kaaba highlighted its importance as one of the most sacred and protected places. The event further underscored the significance of the Kaaba as a place where people could seek refuge and divine guidance, even before the advent of Islam.
This event served to increase people’s faith in Allah, سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى, and His mercy, while also revealing the importance of the Kaaba. It depicted that power is only in the hands of Allah, سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى, and nothing can beat him. The event involving the elephant took place before the arrival of Islam, making it clear that the Kaaba is divinely protected and will hold significant importance in Islam.
Abraha’s attempt to demolish the Kaaba was not merely a failed attempt, but it also demonstrated the importance of Mecca. Abraha was not defeated by an army of humans but by small birds who threw stones in such a way that the mighty army of Abraha had to accept failure, even without any real battle.
The event clearly explains the Kaaba as the holy and sacred place that He protects. It not only created a ground for Islam as Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was born the same year, but also showed that humans can do nothing without Allah’s سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى will.
The event of the Elephants and Ababeel is written in the Quran, Surah FIL. The whole story is thoroughly explained in books and serves to teach Muslims about the power of Allah Almighty, سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى. It encourages them to have faith, trust in Allah’s سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى plans.
Thousands of years have passed, but this event remains an enduring inspiration for all generations. It explains that nothing can happen without Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى’s will, and even the mightiest powers are nothing in front of him.