ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books The Fourteen Infallibles Lineage Mohammad (P.B.U.H.) is the son of ABDILLAH son of ABDIL MUTTALIB. His mother is AMINAH daughter of WAHAB. He was born in the year of Elephant (570 A.C.) in the holy city of Mecca. He immigrated to YATHRIB (Al-Medina Al-MUNAWARA) where he passed away ten years later (10th year of HIJRA).

YEAR OF THE ELEPHANT The holy QUR'AN refers to this event in the following verses: {Have you not considered how your Lord dealt with the fellows of the elephant? Did not He make their guile go astray? And He let loose upon them birds in flocks hurling against them stones of baked clay, and He made them like straw eaten up}. [The Elephant: 1-5].

Fifty-two years before the immigration to YATHRIB, a Christian army led by ABRAHA AL-ASHRAM left Yemen to invade holy Mecca and destroy the Sacred House, the KA'ABA. ABRAHA and his generals were riding elephants in order to scare the Arabs who were not familiar with such animals. The army wiped out whoever tried to fight it. With the help of a treacherous man, ABI RIGHAL, ABRAHA found the route leading to Mecca, reaching the city's outskirts at night.

He camped there in order to launch the attack in the morning. The people of Mecca had no army to fight the enemy back, so they took refuge in the mountainous area outside the city in order to escape the enemy's atrocities. They prayed to Allah to safeguard His Sacred House, the first House of Worship set up on earth. The holy QUR'AN says: {Surely the first House appointed for men is one at BEKA (Mecca), blessed and a guidance for all people}. [AL-'IMRAN: 96].

In the next morning, the army set out to destroy the holy KA'ABA. Riding on his elephant, ABRAHA was bewildered when the elephant refused to move one step towards the holy city. They tried hard to make it move but in vain. The elephant would move in all directions except Mecca. Suddenly, flocks of birds carrying in their beaks small stones attacked the enemy's army. Confusion and fear spread among the troops who tried to run away. The stones killed and injured whoever they reached.

Many of them died and many ran away to escape the deadly stones. The holy city was spared the attack. This important event marks the year when Mohammed (P.B.U.H.) was born. It is called the Year of the Elephant. Mohammed's (P.B.U.H.) mother, AMINAH BINT WAHAB, was of a noble family of good reputation, a family of purity and chastity.