Army of Elephants

The following incident ismentioned in Surah Feel of the Holy Quran and
it happened during the period of the birth-year of Prophet Muhammad
(peace be upon him). Abraha Al-Ashram was the governor of Yemen on
behalf of the king of Ethiopia. He (Abrahah) thought to build a
house(like the Kabah at Makkah) in Sana (the capital of Yemen) and
call the Arabs to performthe pilgrimage there in Sana instead of the
Kabah in Makkah, with the intention of diverting the trade and
benefits from Makkah to Yemen. He presented his idea to the king of
Ethiopia who agreed to it. So the house (church) was built and he
named it Al-Qullais; there was no church of its like at that time.
Then a man from the Quraish tribe ofMakkah came there and was
infuriated by it, so he relieved his nature (stools and urine) in it,
soiled its walls and went away. When Abrahah Al-Ashram saw that, he
could not control his anger and raised an army to invade Makkah and
demolish the Kabah.He had in that army thirteen elephants and amongst
them was an elephant called Mahmud which was the biggest of them. So
that army proceeded and none amongst the Arab tribes that faced them
(fought against them) but was killed and defeated, till itapproached
near Makkah. Then there tookplace negotiations between Abrahah
Al-Ashram and the chief of Makkah (Abdul Muttalib bin Hashim, the
grandfather of the Prophet), and it was concluded that Abrahah would
restore the camels of Abdul Muttalib which he had taken away, and then
he (Abrahah) would decide himself as regards the Kabah. Abdul Muttalib
ordered the men of Makkah to evacuate the city and go to the top of
the mountains along with their wives and children in case some harm
should come to them from the invading oppressors. Then that army moved
towards Makkah till they reached valley Muhassir. While the army was
marching towards Makkah, in the middle of the valley, suddenly it was
overtaken by flocks of birds, flocks after flocks, air-raiding that
army with small stones slightlybigger 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 wasbursting into pieces till he
died on the way (back to Yemen). Such was the victory bestowed by
Allah, (the All-Majestic, All-Powerful) to the people of Makkah and
such was the protection provided by Him for His House (Kabah in
Makkah).
Source: Extracted from Tafsir of Surah Feel (Surah 105) by Ibn
Kathiras found in Translation of the Noble Quran by Muhammad Muhsin
Khan.