Which was revealed in Makkah

{بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ }

In the Name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

{أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِأَصْحَـبِ الْفِيلِ * أَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ كَيْدَهُمْ فِى تَضْلِيلٍ * وَأَرْسَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ طَيْراً أَبَابِيلَ * تَرْمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٍ مِّن سِجِّيلٍ * فَجَعَلَهُمْ كَعَصْفٍ مَّأْكُولِ }

(1. Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the Owners of the Elephant) (2. Did He not make their plot go astray) (3. And He sent against them birds, in flocks (Abābīl).) (4. Striking them with stones of Sijjīl.) (5. And He made them like `Asf, Ma'kūl.) This is one of the favors Allāh did for the Quraysh. He saved them from the People of the Elephant who had tried to tear down the Ka`bah and wipe out all traces of its existence. Allāh destroyed them, defeated them, thwarted their plans, made their efforts in vain and sent them back routed.

They were people who were Christians, and thus, their religion was closer to the True Religion (Islām) than the idolatry of the Quraysh. However, this was a means of giving a sign and preparing the way for the coming of the Messenger of Allāh . For verily, he was born during that same year according to the most popular opinion. So the tongue of destiny was saying, ``We will not help you, O people of Quraysh, because of any status you may have over the Ethiopians (Abyssinians). We are only helping you in order to defend the Ancient House (the Ka`bah),

A Summary of the Story of the People of the Elephant This is the story of the people of the Elephant, in brief, and summarized. It has already been mentioned in the story of the People of the Ditch that Dhu Nuas, the last king of Himyar, a polytheist -- was the one who ordered killing the People of the Ditch. They were Christians and their number was approximately twenty thousand. None of them except a man named Daws Dhu Tha`labān escaped. He fled to Ash-Shām, who was also a Christian. Caesar wrote to An-Najāshi, the king of Ethiopia (Abyssinia), who was closer to the home of the man. An-Najāshi sent two governors with him: Aryāt and Abrahah bin As-Sabāh Abu Yaksūm, along with a great army.

The army entered Yemen and began searching the houses and looting in search of the king of Himyar (Dhu Nuwās). Dhu Nuwās was eventually killed by drowning in the sea. Thus, the Ethiopians were free to rule Yemen, with Aryāt and Abrahah as its governors. However, they continually disagreed about matters, attacked each other, fought each other and warred against each other, until one of them said to the other, ``There is no need for our two armies to fight. Instead let us fight each other (in a duel) and the one who kills the other will be the ruler of Yemen.'' So the other accepted the challenge and they held a duel. Behind each man was a channel of water (to keep either from fleeing). Aryāt gained the upper hand and struck Abrahah with his sword, splitting his nose and mouth, and slashing his face. But `Atawdah, Abrahah's guard, attacked Aryāt and killed him.