Before Prophethood

MAKKAH AND THE QURAYSH:After a long journey, Ibrahim (Alayhissalam) approached Makkah, which lies in a valley between desolate mountains. As there was no water, crops could not grow and human lifecould not be sustained there. Accompanied by his wife Hajar and his son Isma’il, Ibrahim was fleeing from the cult of idol-worship which had spread throughout the world. Hewanted to establish a centre in whichAllah alone would be worshipped and to which people could be called. It would be a beacon of guidance and a sanctuary of peace, radiating true faith and righteousness.Allah accepted Ibrahim’s intention and blessed the spot. After Ibrahim had left the inhospitable territory, water flowed from a spring to provide his small family with the means to survive. Hajar and Isma’il dwelt in this arid place far away fromother people. Allah blessed the spring of Zamzam and, to this day, people continue to drink its water and to take it with them to all corners of the globe.While Isma’il was growing up, Ibrahim visited his family. He wantedto sacrifice Isma’il, who was still only a child, in order to show that his love of Allah was greater than his love for his son, just as Allah had commanded him to in a dream. Isma’il also agreed to Allah’s command that he should be sacrificed. But Allah saved him and provided a ram from Paradise as a ransom to be sacrificed instead. Isma’ils survival meant that he would be able to help his father in calling people to Allah and to become the ancestor of the last Prophet of Allah, His exalted Messenger.On a later visit to Makkah, Ibrahim and his son together constructed the Ka’bah, the House of Allah. They prayed to Allah to accept the House and to bless their action. They also beseeched Allah to allow them to live and die in Islam and for Islam to continue after their death. They asked Allah to send a Prophet from among their descendants to renew the call of his ancestor Ibrahim and to complete what he had begun.‘When Ibrahim and Isma’il raised thefoundations of the House, praying, “Our Lord, accept this from us. You are the Hearing, the Knowing. Our Lord, and make us surrender to You, and make of our descendants a nation that surrenders to You. Show us our rites and turn to us, You are the One who turns, the Compassionate. Our Lord, and send among them a Messenger from among them who will recite to them Your signs and teach them the Book and the Wisdom and purify them. You are the Mighty, the Wise. ” ‘ (2: 129-9Allah blessed their descendants and the family multiplied in that barren valley. Adnan, a descendant of Isma’il (peace be upon him) had many children. Among Adnan’s descendants Fihr ibn Malik, in particular, was a distinguished chief of the tribe. From Fihr’s descendants Qusayy ibn Kilab emerged. He ruled Makkah and held the keys to the Ka’bah. He inspired obedience, was the guardian of the waters of Zamzam and was responsible for feeding the pilgrims. He also presided at the assemblies where the nobles of Makkah gathered for consultation and he held the banner for war. He alone controlled the affairs of Makkah.Among his sons Abd Manaf was the most illustrious, while his eldest son, Hashim became a great man of the people. He provided food and water for the pilgrims coming to Makkah. He was the father of Abdul-Muttalib, the Messenger of Allah’s grandfather, who was also in charge of feeding and giving water to the pilgrims. He was honoured and held in high esteem by his people and his popularity outstripped that of his ancestors. His people loved him.The descendants of Fihr ibn Malik were called Quraysh. This name came to predominate over all others and the tribe adopted it. All the Arabs recognised the excellent lineage and nobility of the Quraysh. Their eloquence, civility, gallantry and high mindedness were unanimously accepted.IDOL WORSHIP IN MAKKAH:The Quraysh continued to hold to the religion of Ibrahim and Isma’il, glorifying the creed of tawhid and theworship of Allah alone, until Amr ibn Luhayy became their chief. He was the first to deviate from the religion ofIsma’il and to set up idols which he encouraged people to worship. Once he had travelled from Makkah to Syria on business where he saw people worshipping idols. He was soimpressed that he brought some idols back to Makkah and set them up, commanding the people there to venerate them.Traditionally some people would take a few stones from the Haram, thesanctuary, with them when they travelled from Makkah as a token of respect for the holy spot. This led to the day when they began to worship any stones they liked. Later generations lost track of the reasons why stones were originally veneratedand the Quraysh were happy to worship stone idols just like the people were doing in surrounding countries.THE EVENT OF THE ELEPHANT:During this period a significant eventtook place which portended another happening of even greater importance. It meant that Allah desired a better future for the Arabs and that the Ka’bah would take on animportance never before attained by any place of worship anywhere in theworld.Abrahah al-Ashram, the viceroy of Negus, the King of Abyssinia, who ruled over the Yemen, built an imposing cathedral in San’a’ and named it ‘al-Qullays’. He intended to divert the Arab pilgrimage to San’a’. As a Christian, he was jealous that the Ka’bah should be the place wherepilgrims gathered and he wanted this position for his church.The Arabs were stunned by the news. They could not equate any other place with the love and respect they had for the Ka’bah. They could not contemplate exchanging it for any other house of worship. They were preoccupied with the news and discussed it endlessly. An Arab daredevil from the Kinanah tribe went so far as to enter the cathedral and defecate in it. Abrahah was furious when he heard about it and swore that he would not rest until he had destroyed the Ka’bah.He set out for Makkah with a strong force that included elephants. The Arabs had heard some frightening stories about elephants. They were both distressed and alarmed. Although they wanted to obstruct the progress of Abrahah’s army, they realised that they lacked the power tofight him. They could only leave the matter to Allah and trust to the fact that He was the Lord of the Ka’bah and would protect it. This trust is amply demonstrated by a conversation between Abrahah and the leader of the Quraysh, Abdul-Muttalib, the grandfather of the Prophet. Abrahah had seized two hundred camels of his, so Abdul-Muttalib sought permission to see him. Abrahah treated him with respect, descended from his throne and sat down beside him. When Abrahah asked what he wanted, Abdul-Muttalib replied, ‘I want you to return my two hundred camels.’Abrahah was taken by surprise. He asked, ‘Do you wish to speak to me about your two hundred camels that I have taken but say nothing about the House on which your religion and that of your forefathers depends I have come to destroy it, yet you do not speak to me about it!’Abdul-Muttalib replied, ‘I am the owner of the camels. The House also has an Owner. He will defend ‘It will not be defended against me,’ retortedAbrahah. ‘That remains to be seen,’ said Abdul-Muttalib.As Abrahah’s force drew near, the Quraysh hid high up in the mountains and down in the ravines. They feared the army’s approach and waited to see how Allah would save the sacred sanctuary. Abdul-Muttalib stood with a group of Quraysh and took hold of the door of the Ka’bah, imploring Allah to help them against Abrahah and his army.Abrahah drew up his soldiers to enter Makkah fully intending to destroy the House. His elephant, whose name was Mahmud, was prepared for the attack. However, the elephant knelt down on the road and refused to get up in spite of severe beatings. When they turned it to face Yemen it got up immediately and moved off.Allah then sent flocks of birds from the sea; each bird carried stones in its claws. Whenever a stone struck one of Abrahah’s soldiers it killed him. The Abyssinians fled in terror, rushing back as the stones hit them. Abrahah was badly hurt. When his soldiers tried to take him with them, his limbs fell off one by one. They took him