THE BIRTH OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD AND THE ASSAULT OF ABRAHA DIRECTED TOWARDS THE KA'BAH

The position of the Ka'bah in Mecca as the Holy House made other regions also want to make their own holy house to divert the attention of people from Mecca and the Ka'bah.

The Negus ruler, Abraha, who came from Yemen built a luxurious holy house, with the intention that people go to Yemen and not go to Mecca. It turned out that people still only visited the Ka'bah, even the holy house built by Abraha was quiet. It is not valid for people if they do not make a pilgrimage to Mecca. So Abraha intended to destroy the Ka'bah with a large army of Abyssinian riding an elephant and he was in front of a large elephant.

When Arabs, especially Mecca, heard the news of the attack, they panicked. They were unable to resist the power of Abraha, there were those who became prisoners, there were also those who became guards. When approaching Mecca, Abraha's forces also seized the property of the people of Mecca, including camels owned by Abdul Muttalib, the grandfather of the Prophet Muhammad. The residents of Quraysh tried to fight him, but they were unable.

Abraha sent a message through his messenger to Abdul Muttalib. Abraha did not intend to wage war but wanted to destroy the Ka'bah. Abdul Muttalib and his followers and the envoy went to meet Abraha. Negotiations were carried out, including Abraha's promise to return the camels belonging to Abdul Muttalib. But the effort that the Ka'bah was not destroyed still failed. Abdul Muttalib and his followers returned to Mecca and advised their inhabitants to leave the house and go to the slopes of the hill, avoiding Abraha and his troops who were about to enter the holy city.

Abdul Muttalib and several Quraysh gathered around the Ka'bah door and begged the idols to foil Abraha's deeds. Indeed, at that time the people of Mecca still did not worship Allah SWT. During the time of the Prophet Muhammad, the Meccans would embrace Islam.

When Mecca was deserted, Abraha mobilized his troops to destroy the Ka'bah. Then came help from Allah SWT by sending birds carrying hot stones from hell. The stones were dropped on Abraha's army so that Abraha's army was destroyed and the Ka'bah was safe. This is the extraordinary event experienced by the people of Mecca. Then they recorded that time as the Year of the Elephant. And this is enshrined in the Qur'an, Surat Al-Fil verses 1-5:

أَلَمۡ تَرَ كَيۡفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِأَصۡحَٰبِ ٱلۡفِيلِ  ١ أَلَمۡ يَجۡعَلۡ كَيۡدَهُمۡ فِي تَضۡلِيلٖ  ٢ وَأَرۡسَلَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ طَيۡرًا أَبَابِيلَ  ٣ تَرۡمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٖ مِّن سِجِّيلٖ  ٤ فَجَعَلَهُمۡ كَعَصۡفٖ مَّأۡكُولِۢ  ٥

1.  Have you not considered, [O Muhammad], how your Lord dealt with the companions of the elephant?

2.  Did He not make their plan into misguidance?

3.  And He sent against them birds in flocks,                                            

4.  Striking them with stones of hard clay,

5.  And He made them like eaten straw.

At the time of the Elephant Year the Prophet Muhammad SAW was born in Mecca. His father named Abdullah bin Abdul Muttalib and his mother named Aminah bint Wahab. Born on the 12th of Rabiul Awwal or Monday, April 20, 571 AD at dawn.