The Story Before the Prophet Muhammed Arrived
- He is Coming to Our World
The soil was teeming with bright flowers, little birds, tiny bugs, and a variety of fruits and vegetables. The children were running about excitedly. Rivers were overflowing with delight. Though each corner of the globe was lovely in its own way, it was still an unpleasant place. Strange happenings were going occurring all over it. People had forgotten Allah, who had supplied all these wonderful things. They did not worship Him, but rather many other things. Some people worshiped fire. Some worshiped the sun. Others venerated even the livestock they ate. They used to seek assistance from the toy-like figurines they had sculpted out of wood and stone. These items were referred to as idols. But in truth, Allah created the stones, fire, and wood.
He created both cattle and the sun. Allah deserved to be worshipped. The affluent oppressed the poor. The female children were undesirable. Poor people were looked down on. The aged were forgotten. The ill went untreated. In short, there was no regard for humanity. Nobody wanted to observe Allah’s commands. There was complete anarchy. It was tough for the earth to be home to such hateful and uneducated individuals. Allah has sent several messengers since Adam. The prophets urged their people to worship only Allah, to follow the straight path, to do good actions, and to always be honest.
However, each time, the people were tricked by Satan and quickly forgot the messengers’ dos and don’ts. Five hundred years had gone since the arrival of Isa (Jesus). The world was now ready for another prophet to bring an end to the injustices, tyranny, and cruelty that were taking place everywhere. He would emerge and deliver global peace, justice, and wealth.
2. The Kabah, the Diamond of the World
It was almost time for our prophet to emerge. Abdul Muttalib was the monarch of Makkah, a descendant of Ibrahim (Abraham) who would soon become our prophet’s grandpa. He adored the Kabah and went to great lengths to safeguard it. He was an excellent host for people who enjoyed returning to the Kabah multiple times. It startled many individuals. Allah had asked the Prophet Ibrahim and his son, Isma’il (Ismael), to construct the Kabah. He explained that this sacred area was both a place of gathering and worship. He instructed them to organize a pilgrimage to the Kabah.
As a result, the pilgrimage evolved into a particular religious journey to honor the Prophet Ibrahim. Since then, people have revered the Kabah, but they have forgotten Ibrahim’s faith and have begun to worship idols. Still, they honored the Kabah itself. Large people go from far distances to see the Kabah in Makkah. However, the widespread curiosity in the Kabah worried certain bad individuals. Abrahah, Yemen’s monarch, led the charge against the Kabah. Abrahah intended to prevent people from entering the Kabah, so he built a large temple and coated it with gold. Then he welcomed everyone to his temple.
He desired that this temple, rather than the Kabah, serve as the focal shrine. The shrines were special sites associated with certain holy persons but not with prophets. A long period passed, yet few people visited his temple. So, Abrahah grew enraged and vowed to demolish the Kabah. He soon began making arrangements.
3. The Owner of the Kabah
To defeat the Kabah, Abrahah assembled a massive army. He and his troops left toward Makkah one morning. Abrahah’s army included huge elephants that he had ordered from remote locations and that Makkans had never seen before. Abrahah dressed them with beautiful cloths. The strongest among them was a massive elephant he named Mahmud. Mahmud was leading the remainder of the army, shaking the ground as they went. Abrahah was certain that Mahmud would demolish the Kabah in a single effort. When the army neared Makkah, soldiers grabbed the Makkans’ property.
Abrahah’s men looted two hundred camels belonging to Abdul Muttalib. From a neighboring slope, they could see the Kabah like a shining diamond. Before approaching the city, Abrahah wanted to visit Makkah’s leader. For this reason, he summoned Abdul Muttalib. He explained that he had come merely to destroy the Kabah, and that if no one resisted, there would be no bloodshed. Later, he inquired whether he need anything from him. Abdul Muttalib said, “Your soldiers took two hundred of my camels. I want them returned to me. Abrahah was astonished by the response: “I would have expected you to implore me not to demolish the Kabah.
But I see now that you are just concerned about your own camels. I had a really high opinion of you. I now know I was misled about your status as a respected ruler.” Abdul Muttalib responded, “As the camel’s owner, I am responsible for their protection. The owner of the Kabah is Allah Himself, and He will certainly safeguard it.” Abrahah became enraged when he heard this answer. He yelled, “He will not be able to defend it against me.” Abdul Muttalib said, “We’ll wait and see.” He recovered his camels and returned to Makkah with them.
He went immediately to the Kabah and prayed, “My Lord, your servant protected his own property; now it is Your turn to protect what belongs to You.” Following this, he instructed the inhabitants of Makkah to leave the city, and he departed with them to climb a hill for a bird’s-eye view of Makkah. They could follow everything that happened from there.
4. The Birds of Ababil
Abrahah believed that there was no longer a barrier between him and annihilation. At this moment Mahmud, Abrahah’s loyal big elephant, knelt and sat on the ground. The troops worked really hard to convince Mahmud to get up. But it was useless. When they tried to face the army towards Yemen, he stood up, but when they tried to turn him toward the Kabah, he knelt again. Nothing worked. While Abrahah and his soldiers were engaged convincing Mahmud to move towards the Kabah, an extraordinary incident occurred. Suddenly, a swarm of birds appeared over the troops.
They were the birds of Ababil, and each one of them was carrying small pebbles in its beak and claws. It was bizarre. They acted as if they had received an instruction from the same source. They all dropped the clay stones on Abrahah’s warriors at the same time. When a soldier was hit, he slumped to the ground, and Abrahah was shocked. He fled with a small group of troops. But as he ran, a few pebbles hit him, and he, too, collapsed. These small birds had decimated a powerful army. Thus Allah spared the world’s most valuable diamond.
5. World Celebration
You were not in this world. There were other human beings and other children. There were very few good people. Mischief had spread everywhere. A leader had to come to guide the world. He had to bring happiness. Allah, the Almighty, had promised that He was going to send a leader and guide. Every creature knew this. The whole world needed it.
On a Monday in the month of April in the year 571, something very special happened. That day, the world was extremely happy. It was filled with joy What was it? What had happened? The face of the earth was bathed all over in very special light. The guest that the world had been waiting for had arrived. While the world was impatiently awaiting this news, many strange things took place. The Jews who heard this got upset that this new prophet had not come from within their own community. He was the most special servant of Allah. He was the greatest prophet. Right up to that day, all the prophets had praised this prophet- Musa (Moses), Dawud (David), Isa , all of them had given the news of his coming!