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Army of the Elephant: Difference between revisions
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[[File:نقاشی استاد احمدیه.jpg|thumbnail|right|A panel of [[Army of Elephants]] by Isfandyar Ahmadiya]] | [[File:نقاشی استاد احمدیه.jpg|thumbnail|right|A panel of [[Army of Elephants]] by Isfandyar Ahmadiya]] | ||
== Naming == | == Naming == | ||
Ashaf al-Fil (army of the elephants) refers to Abraha b. Sabbah b. Ashram, the king of Yemen and his army who moved toward [[Mecca]] to destroy the Ka'ba.<ref>Ṭabrisī, ''Majmaʿ | Ashaf al-Fil (army of the elephants) refers to Abraha b. Sabbah b. Ashram, the king of Yemen and his army who moved toward [[Mecca]] to destroy the Ka'ba.<ref>Ṭabrisī, ''Majmaʿ al-bayān'', vol. 10, p. 822; Ṭabāṭabāyī, ''al-Mīzān'', vol. 20, p. 362.</ref> [[Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i]] quoted from [[Waqidi]] that Abraha was the grandfather of [[Najashi]], king of Yemen at the time of the [[Prophet (s)]]<ref>Ṭabāṭabāyī, ''al-Mīzān'', vol. 20, p. 362.</ref> and some considered Abraha, the minister of the king of Yemen, not the king himself.<ref>Majlisī, ''Mirʾāt al-ʿuqūl'', vol. 5, p. 240.</ref> After this event, that year became famous among Arabs as the [[Year of Elephant]] ('Am al-Fil)<ref>'Abduh, ''Risālat al-tawḥīd'', p. 97.</ref> and was considered the beginning point for Arab's calendar in the [[Age of Ignorance]].<ref>Khātamī, ''Farhang-i ʿilm-i kalām'', p. 156.</ref> The birth of [[Prophet Muhammad (s)]] was shortly after this event.<ref>Bayhaqī, ''Dalāʾil al-nubuwwa'', vol. 1, p. 73.</ref> | ||
== Ashab al-Fil in the Qur'an == | == Ashab al-Fil in the Qur'an == | ||
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== The Event of Moving an Army to Mecca by Abraha == | == The Event of Moving an Army to Mecca by Abraha == | ||
{{main|Year of Elephant}} | {{main|Year of Elephant}} | ||
[[al-Tabrisi]] and some exegetes have mentioned this issue that [[Abraha]] built a building like the Ka'ba in Yemen and ordered people to circumambulate it like in [[hajj rituals]]; but, they did not follow it and meanwhile, a man from [[Banu Kinana]] went to Yemen and polluted that place. Abraha became angry of that and said, "I swear by my [[Christian]] faith that I will destroy that house, so that no one goes there for visiting and [[hajj]]". Then, he ordered to gather elephants and prepared to move there with a group of people. In the middle of the way, Abraha sent a person to Banu Salim to call people to visit the building he had built like the Ka'ba, but he was killed and this made Abraha more resentful to move more quickly toward [[Mecca]].<ref>Ṭabāṭabāyī, ''al-Mīzān'', vol. 20, p. 362; Ṭabrisī, ''Majmaʿ | [[al-Tabrisi]] and some exegetes have mentioned this issue that [[Abraha]] built a building like the Ka'ba in Yemen and ordered people to circumambulate it like in [[hajj rituals]]; but, they did not follow it and meanwhile, a man from [[Banu Kinana]] went to Yemen and polluted that place. Abraha became angry of that and said, "I swear by my [[Christian]] faith that I will destroy that house, so that no one goes there for visiting and [[hajj]]". Then, he ordered to gather elephants and prepared to move there with a group of people. In the middle of the way, Abraha sent a person to Banu Salim to call people to visit the building he had built like the Ka'ba, but he was killed and this made Abraha more resentful to move more quickly toward [[Mecca]].<ref>Ṭabāṭabāyī, ''al-Mīzān'', vol. 20, p. 362; Ṭabrisī, ''Majmaʿ al-bayān'', vol. 10, p. 822.</ref> | ||
== Reaction of the People of Mecca against the Army of Abraha == | == Reaction of the People of Mecca against the Army of Abraha == | ||
It is said that when the army arrived in [[Ta'if]], Abraha asked the people of Ta'if to send someone with him to guide them and a man from hudhayl accompanied them. When the army arrived near Mecca, people of [[Quraysh]] climbed up the mountains in groups and when they saw the army of Abraha, said, "we would never be able to stand against them." Except [['Abd al-Muttalib]] and Shayba b. 'Uthman, no one stayed in Mecca.<ref>Bayhaqī, ''Dalāʾil al-nubuwwa'', vol. 1, p. 73.</ref> 'Abd al-Muttalib gripped the sides of the door of the Ka'ba and said, | It is said that when the army arrived in [[Ta'if]], Abraha asked the people of Ta'if to send someone with him to guide them and a man from hudhayl accompanied them. When the army arrived near Mecca, people of [[Quraysh]] climbed up the mountains in groups and when they saw the army of Abraha, said, "we would never be able to stand against them." Except [['Abd al-Muttalib]] and Shayba b. 'Uthman, no one stayed in Mecca.<ref>Bayhaqī, ''Dalāʾil al-nubuwwa'', vol. 1, p. 73.</ref> 'Abd al-Muttalib gripped the sides of the door of the Ka'ba and said, | ||
"O God! Anyone defends his property, so, You defend your house that is the symbol of Your glory and do not allow them to disrespect Your Ka'ba with their Cross and fake Ka'ba. Do not let them enter the [[sacred city]]! This is what I think, but what You will, will happen."<ref>Ṭabrisī, ''Majmaʿ | "O God! Anyone defends his property, so, You defend your house that is the symbol of Your glory and do not allow them to disrespect Your Ka'ba with their Cross and fake Ka'ba. Do not let them enter the [[sacred city]]! This is what I think, but what You will, will happen."<ref>Ṭabrisī, ''Majmaʿ al-bayān'', vol. 10, p. 822; Ṭabāṭabāyī, ''al-Mīzān'', vol. 20, p. 363.</ref> | ||
== Encounter of 'Abd al-Muttalib with Abraha == | == Encounter of 'Abd al-Muttalib with Abraha == | ||
The army of Abraha saw some camels of Quraysh near Mecca and took them as booty. Two hundred of those camels belonged to 'Abd al-Muttalib. When 'Abd al-Muttalib received the news of taking the camels, he exited the city and went toward the camp of Abraha. Abraha was surprised and said, "I have come to destroy the house of glory, honor and merits of you Arabs and your religious house you worship and crush it, but you did not speak about your religious house and do not defend it and just speak about your own camels and defend your personal property!"<ref>Ṭabāṭabāyī, ''al-Mīzān'', vol. 20, p. 363.</ref> | The army of Abraha saw some camels of Quraysh near Mecca and took them as booty. Two hundred of those camels belonged to 'Abd al-Muttalib. When 'Abd al-Muttalib received the news of taking the camels, he exited the city and went toward the camp of Abraha. Abraha was surprised and said, "I have come to destroy the house of glory, honor and merits of you Arabs and your religious house you worship and crush it, but you did not speak about your religious house and do not defend it and just speak about your own camels and defend your personal property!"<ref>Ṭabāṭabāyī, ''al-Mīzān'', vol. 20, p. 363.</ref> | ||
'Abd al-Muttalib replied, "O king! I talk to you about my own property I am rightful about and bound to guard. This house has an Owner for itself, He will defend; and guarding it is not upon me." They say that this speech frightened Abraha so much that he immediately ordered to give him back his camels.<ref>Ṭabrisī, ''Majmaʿ | 'Abd al-Muttalib replied, "O king! I talk to you about my own property I am rightful about and bound to guard. This house has an Owner for itself, He will defend; and guarding it is not upon me." They say that this speech frightened Abraha so much that he immediately ordered to give him back his camels.<ref>Ṭabrisī, ''Majmaʿ al-bayān'', vol. 10, p. 823; Ṭabāṭabāyī, ''al-Mīzān'', vol. 20, p. 363.</ref> | ||
== Attack of Flocks of Birds and Defeat of the Army of Abraha == | == Attack of Flocks of Birds and Defeat of the Army of Abraha == | ||
Exegetes such as [[al-Tabrisi]] and [[Tabataba'i]] narrated that upon the sunrise, the army of [[Abraha]] tried hard to move the elephant leading the caravan toward Mecca, but it did not move, until "[[flocks of birds]]" appeared on the horizon while they carried small pebbles and dropped them over the army of Abraha and every single stone pierced what it hit.<ref>Ṭabrisī, ''Majmaʿ | Exegetes such as [[al-Tabrisi]] and [[Tabataba'i]] narrated that upon the sunrise, the army of [[Abraha]] tried hard to move the elephant leading the caravan toward Mecca, but it did not move, until "[[flocks of birds]]" appeared on the horizon while they carried small pebbles and dropped them over the army of Abraha and every single stone pierced what it hit.<ref>Ṭabrisī, ''Majmaʿ al-bayān'', vol. 10, p. 823; Ṭabāṭabāyī, ''al-Mīzān'', vol. 20, p. 363.</ref> Abraha who received some of those stones hitting his body, decided to escape and run away until he arrived in [[Yemen]]. When he arrived there, he died and none of his companions could arrive in Yemen.<ref>Ṭabrisī, ''Majmaʿ al-bayān'', vol. 10, p. 822; Ṭabāṭabāyī, ''al-Mīzān'', vol. 20, p. 362.</ref> | ||
== After the Defeat of Army of the Elephants == | == After the Defeat of Army of the Elephants == | ||
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*Ṭabāṭabāyī, Sayyid Muḥammad Ḥusayn al-. ''Al-Mīzān fī tafsir al-Qurʾān''. Seventh edition. Qom: Maktabat al-Nashr al-Islāmī, 1417 AH. | *Ṭabāṭabāyī, Sayyid Muḥammad Ḥusayn al-. ''Al-Mīzān fī tafsir al-Qurʾān''. Seventh edition. Qom: Maktabat al-Nashr al-Islāmī, 1417 AH. | ||
*Ṭabāṭabāyī, Sayyid Muḥammad Ḥusayn al-. ''Tarjuma-yi tafsīr-i al-Mīzān''. Translated by Sayyid Muḥammad Bāqir Mūsawī Hamidānī. Qom: Daftar-i Intishārāt-i Islāmī, n.d. | *Ṭabāṭabāyī, Sayyid Muḥammad Ḥusayn al-. ''Tarjuma-yi tafsīr-i al-Mīzān''. Translated by Sayyid Muḥammad Bāqir Mūsawī Hamidānī. Qom: Daftar-i Intishārāt-i Islāmī, n.d. | ||
*Ṭabrisī, Faḍl b. al-Ḥasan al-. ''Majmaʿ | *Ṭabrisī, Faḍl b. al-Ḥasan al-. ''Majmaʿ al-bayān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān''. Third edition. Tehran: Intishārat-i Naṣir Khusru, 1372 Sh. | ||
==Further Readings== | ==Further Readings== | ||