The Kuffar of Ethiopia and their obsession with demolishing masjids | The past, present & future

The past: Abrahah Al-Ashram (an Ethiopian governor) built a huge church in Sana’ (Yemen). It was tall and beautifully crafted and decorated on all sides. He then decided to force the Arabs to make their pilgrimage to this magnificent church, just as they performed pilgrimage to the Kabah in Makkah, but this was rejected by the Arab. The Quraysh were infuriated by it, so much so that one of them journeyed to the church and relieved himself in the church and ran away. Upon this, Abrahah swore to march to the House of Makkah (the Kabah) and destroy it stone by stone. He took along a great, powerful elephant that had a huge body the like of which had never been seen before. This elephant was called Mahmud and it was sent to Abrahah from An-Najashi (the kind of Abyssinia at the time - not the Najashi who accepted Islam during the Prophet's lifetime). It has also been said that he had eight other elephants with him; their number was also reported to be twelve, plus the large one, Mahmud — and Allah knows best. Their intention was to use this big elephant to demolish the Kabah. They planned to do this by fastening chains to the pillars of the Kabah and placing the other ends around the neck of the elephant. Then they would make the elephant pull on them in order to tear down the walls of the Kabah all at one time. The army continued on its way until it came to the land of Khatham where it was confronted by Nufayl bin Habib Al-Kathami along with his people, the Shahran and Nahis tribes. They fought Abrahah but he defeated them and captured Nufayl bin Habib. Initially he wanted to kill him, but he forgave him and took him as his guide to show him the way to Al-Hijaz. When they approached the area of At-Ta’if, its people — the people of Thaqif — went out to Abrahah. They wanted to appease him because they were fearful for their place of worship, which they called Al-Lat. Abrahah was kind to them and they sent a man named Abu Righal with him as a guide. When they reached a place known as Al-Mughammas, which is near Makkah, they settled there. Then he sent his troops on a foray to capture the camels and other grazing animals of the Makkans, which they did, including about two hundred camels belonging to Abdul-Muttalib. The leader of this particular expedition was a man named Al-Aswad bin Mafsud. According to what Ibn Ishaq mentioned, some of the Arabs used to satirize him (because of the part he played in this historical in this historical incident). Then Abrahah sent an emissary named Hanatah Al-Himyari to enter Makkah, commanding him to bring the head of the Quraysh to him. He also commanded him to inform him that the king will not fight the people of Makkah unless they try to prevent him from the destruction of the Kabah. Hanatah went to the city and he was directed to Abdul-Muttalib bin Hashim, to whom he relayed Abrahah’s message. Abdul-Muttalib replied, “By Allah! We have no wish to fight him, nor are we in any position to do so. This is the Sacred House of Allah, and the house of His Khalil, Ibrahim, and if He wishes to prevent him (Abrahah) from (destroying) it, it is His House and His Sacred Place (to do so). And if He lets him approach it, by Allah, We have no means to defend it from him.” So Hanatah told him, “Come with me to him (Abrahah).” And so Abdul-Muttalib went with him. When Abrahah saw him, he was impressed by him, because Abdul-Muttalib was a large and handsome man. So Abrahah descended from his seat and sat with him on a carpet on the ground. Then he asked his translator to say to him, “What do you need” `Abdul-Muttalib replied to the translator, “I want the king to return my camels which he has taken from me which are two hundred in number.” Abrahah then told his translator to tell him, “I was impressed by you when I first saw you, but now I withdraw from you after you have spoken to me.