The Year of the Elephant

Abrahah marches on Makkah with an army and war elephants to destroy the Kaaba, and the attempt fails.

The ruler Abrahah led a great army from Yemen toward Makkah, intending to demolish the Kaaba. The Quran recalls in Surah al Fil how his plan was turned to ruin. The year became a landmark in Arabian memory, and it is remembered as the year in which Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was born.