Abraha Al-Ashram

In the year that Muhammed (SAW) was born, Abraha Al-Ashram, a Yemeni king, , came to destroy the Ka'bah that Ibrahim (AS) and Ismail (AS) had built . Abraha had built a great church in Yemen. He wanted the Arabs, who did Hajj to the Ka’bah every year, to change their pilgrimage destination to his church. When this didn’t happen, he swore he would tear down the Ka’bah. Abraha came with an army of elephants to Makkah. Some say there were 20 elephants, some 200, and some 1000. The biggest of them was Mahmoud, whom Abraha was riding. 

Mahmoud was simply an animal, a great animal yes, but an animal none the less. Yet this simple creation of Allah even had fear in its heart for Allah. Whenever Abraha tried to lead Mahmoud into Makkah, the elephant would refuse. He would stop and just turn away. Subhana'Allah!

Eventually however, Abraha forced Mahmoud to go in.

 Abraha had also taken some of Abdul Mutallib’s camels. When Abdul Mutallib asked for the return of them, Abraha asked him would he not protect the Ka’bah that Abraha had come to destroy. Abdul Mutallib replied that the Ka’bah belonged to Allah (SWT), and He would take care of it. The camels were Abdul Mutallib’s and as such, their care was his responsibility.

As Abdul Mutallib had said, Allah (SWT) would take care of His Ka’bah. So when Abraha went to destroy it, Allah (SWT) sent flocks of birds, the Abaabeel. Each bird had three stones of baked clay, one in their beak, and one in each of their red feet. As Abraha’s army came in, the birds pelted their stones down at them. The stones burned through the people destroying them till only a husk was left. All except Abraha, who was given the punishment of NOT dying, but feeling such pain throughout his return back to Yemen that his heart came out of his body. And so the Kah’bah was saved. 

Subhan'Allah! 

This story  is related in the Surah Al-Fil.