THE BATTLE OF THE ELEPHANTS
It was during this period that a significant event, unparalleled in the history of Arabia,
came to pass which portended something of vital importance likely to take place in the near
future. It augured well for the Arabs, in general, and predicted a unique honor for the
Ka'bah, never attained by any place of worship anywhere in the world. The incident af-
forded hope for expecting a great future for the Ka'bah—a future on which depended the
destiny of religions or rather the entire humanity since it was soon to unfold itself in the
shape of an eternal message of righteousness and peace.
AN IMPLICIT BELIEF OF THE QURAYSH
The Quraysh had always held the belief that the House of God had a special place of honor
in the eyes of the Lord Who was Himself its protector and defender. The trust placed by the
Quraysh in the inviolability of the Ka'bah is amply borne out by the conversation between
Abraha and 'Abdul Muttalib. It so happened that Abraha seized two hundred camels belong-
ing to 'Abdul Muttalib, who, then, called upon him and sought permission to see Abraha.
Abraha treated 'Abdul Muttalib with the greatest respect and got off his throne and made
him sit by his side. Asked to tell the purpose of his visit, 'Abdul Muttalib replied that he
wanted the King to return his two hundred camels which the King had taken.
Abraha, taken by surprise, asked 'Abdul Muttalib, "Do you wish to talk about your two
hundred camels taken by me, but you say nothing about the House on which depends your
religion and the religion of your forefathers, which I have come to destroy?" 'Abdul Muttalib
boldly replied "I am the owner of the camels and the House has an Owner Who will Himself
defend it".
Abraha said again, "How can it be saved from me?"
"This is a matter between you and Him", replied 'Abdul Muttalib."(Ibn Hisham, Vol. I,
pp.49-50)
Who could dare to do harm or cast a blighting glance at the House of God? Its protection
was, in truth, the responsibility of God.
The episode, briefly, was that Abraha al-Ashram, who was the viceroy of Negus, the King
of Abyssinia, in Yemen built an imposing cathedral in Sana'a and gave it the name of al-
Qullays. He intended to divert the Arab's pilgrimage to this cathedral. Being a Christian,
Abraha had found it intolerably offensive that the Ka'bah should remain the great national
shrine, attracting crowds of pilgrims from almost every Arabian clan. He desired that his
cathedral should replace Ka'bah as the most sacred chapel of Arabia.
This was, however, something inglorious for the Arabs. Veneration of the Ka'bah was a
settled disposition with the Arabs: they neither equated any other place of worship with the