The Elephant Mahmoud

Allah [Subhaana wa TaAllah] tells us in the Qur-an stories of animals and people to show us some secrets and to teach us to avoid some bad ends that befell them. Please read this interesting story with your children.

The Army of the Elephant (Qur-an 105:1-5)

This event happened during the birth year of the Prophet Muhammad [peace be upon him].

Abrahah Al-Ashram, the governor of Yemen, built a house (like the Ka'bah at Makkah) called Al-Qullais in San'a (the capital of Yemen) to call the Arabs to perform the pilgrimage in San'a instead of the Ka'bah in Makkah, with the intention of re-routing the trade and benefits from Makkah to Yemen.

However, a man from the Quraish tribe of Makkah came there and was furious by it. He relieved his nature in it, soiled its walls and went away. When Abrahah saw it, he could not control his anger. He decided to make sure that the man who did that was one of the Arabs, so he sent one of his men to "Kinanah" tribe but they killed that man. Therefore, Abrahah became more angry and raised an army to invade Makkah and demolish the Ka'bah. He used in that army, 13 elephants and amongst them was an elephant called Mahmud.

One of the honorable men in the Arab tribes in Yemen called Dhou Nafar came to Abrahah and asked him to stop his invasion to Makkah, but Abrahah arrested him and took him as prisoner to show him the way to Makkah.

On his way, he passed by a place called Khath'am. There Nufail bin Habib and his soldiers fought against Abrahah’s army to protect the Ka’bah, but were defeated. Abrahah took Nufail as a prisoner.

When Abrahah reaced At-Taif, Masud Ibn Mutib, chief of Banu Thaqif tribe, did not fight him for the sake of their statue 'Al-Latt' idol, which was in Makkah. Masud offered Abrahah a man named Abu Rughal to show him the way to Makkah, but died before they reached Makkah. Abu Rughal was buried in a place near Makkah called Al-Mughammis, and the Arabs used to stone his grave and some Muslim today stone his cursed grave.

In his way, Abrahah took the 200 camels of ‘Abdul-Muttalib Ibn Hashim, chief of Makkah and grandfather of the Prophet (peace be upon him). 'Abdul-Mutallib was brave. He fearlessly faced Abrahah to return his camels. In facts Abdrahah admired ‘Abdul-Muttalib for his bravery. He asked him with wonder: "How do you ask for your camels while you know that I am coming to destroy the Ka'bah?" 'Abdul-Muttalib replied: "I am the owner of the camels, and I will protect them, but Allah is the Rabb of His House and He shall protect it. Negotiations between ‘Abdul-Muttalib and Abrahah was concluded that Abrahah would restore the camels of 'Abdul-Muttalib which he had taken away, and then Abrahah would decide as regard the Ka'bah.

Abdul-Muttalib ordered the men of Makkah to evacuate the city and go to the top of the mountains along with their wives and their children for fear that some harm should come to them from the invading oppressors. Then that army moved towards Makkah until they reached Muhassir Valley.

The elephant Mahmud refused to walk towards the Ka'bah, so the army decided that they had to destroy it using their hammers. While the army was marching towards Makkah, suddenly it was overtaken by heavenly flocks of birds, air-raiding that army with small stones slightly bigger than a lentil seed. There never fell a stone on a soldier except it dissolved his flesh and burst it into pieces. So they perished with a total destruction.

Abrahah Al Ashram fled away while his flesh was bursting into pieces until he died on the way to Yemen. Such was the victory bestowed by Allah, the All-Majestic, All-Powerful on the people of Makkah, and such was the protection provided by Him for His House, the Ka'bah in Makkah.