The Year of the Elephant
In 570 AD, the Abyssinian armies under the leadership
of Abraha attacked Makkah to demolish the Ka'aba.
Abdul Muttalib, our Master Muhammad's [s] grandfather, the Master of Makkah,
went round the Ka'aba praying to Allah, the Almighty, to prevent the invaders
from demolishing the House which Ibrahim, al-Khalil, and his son Ismael built
for people to worship Allah only.
Allah, the Almighty, accepted Abdul Muttalib's prayer. So, when the elephants
and the soldiers advanced to demolish the Ka'aba, Ababil birds carrying stones
in their beaks appeared in the horizon. They began dropping the stones. So,
the invaders around the Ka'aba were defeated.
Consequently, Allah's power and Abdul Muttalib's importance appeared! That
year was named the Year of the Elephant.
Our Master Muhammad [s] was born in that year. Abu-Talib was thirty years
of age.
Allah, the Almighty, has mentioned this event in the Holy Qur'an:
In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful.
Have you not considered how your Lord dealt with the possessors of the
elephant?
Did He not cause their war to end in confusion.
And send down (to prey) upon them birds in flocks, casting them against stones
of baked clay.
So, he rendered them like straw eaten up?
Abdul Muttalib
Abdul Muttalib, who dug Zam Zam well, had ten sons. Abdullah, the Prophet's father, was one of them. Abu Talib, Prophet's uncle, was one of them, too.
Our Master Muhammad [s], was an orphan. His father, Abdullah, died a short while before he was born. When his mother died, he was six years of age.
So, his grandfather Abdul Muttalib took care of him. He liked him very much. He thought that Muhammad [s] would be a Prophet.
Abdul Muttalib was righteous. He followed Ibrahim's and Ismael's religion. He advised his sons to follow good manners.
On his death bed, Abdul Muttalib said to his sons:
"A grandson of mine will be a Prophet. So, he who will be present at his time must believe in him."
Then he turned to his son, Abu Talib, and whispered in his ear:
"Abu Talib, Muhammad will be of great importance. So support him with your hand and tongue.
The Guardian
Our Master Muhammad [s] was 8 years of age when his grandfather Abdul Muttalib died. So, his uncle, Abu Talib took care of him.
Abu Talib's name was Abdul Munaf. His mother's name was Fatima bint Amru. She belonged to the Bani Makhzum tribe. Abu Talib was named Shaikh al-Bat-ha.
Our Master Muhammad [s] lived with his uncle. His uncle treated him kindly. Fatima bint Asad, his uncle's wife, treated him kindly, too. She preferred him to all of her sons. So, our Master Muhammad [s] grew with a good family.
Abu Talib's love for his nephew increased day by day because of his good manners and great politeness.
For example, when the food was ready, the orphan boy reached it politely. He said:
In the Name of Allah!
When he finished, he said:
Thank Allah!
One day, Abu Talib missed his nephew Muhammad. So, he raised his hand from the food and said:
"Till my son comes!"
When Muhammad came, Abu Talib gave him a cup of yogurt. Muhammad drank out of the cup. Abu Talib's sons drank out of it one by one, too. They were all full. The uncle admired that. So, he said to his nephew:
"Muhammad you're blessed!"
The Good News
Abu Talib had heard good news from the people of the Book (the Jews and the Christians). The good news was that a Prophet would appear very soon. So, he took care of his nephew very much. He thought that he would be a Prophet. So, he didn't leave him alone.
When Abu Talib wanted to go on a trade journey to Sham (Syria), he took our Master Muhammad [s] with him. Muhammad was nine years of age then.
In Busra, a city situated on the road of the trade caravans, there was an abbey. A monk lived in the abbey. The monk's name was Buhaira. He was always looking forward to the appearance of a new Prophet whose time approached.
When the monk looked at Muhammad, he realized that he would be the promised Prophet because he had the personality and expression of a Prophet.
The monk began looking at the Makkan boy's face very carefully. Meanwhile, the good news from Jesus Christ sounded in his mind. The monk asked Abu Talib about the boy's name. So, Abu-Talib said:
"His name's Muhammad."
The monk became very humble at his holy name. So, he said to Abu Talib:
"Go back to Makkah. Protect your nephew from the Jews because he'll be of great importance!"
Abu Talib came back to Makkah. He adored Muhammad. He was very careful of his safety.
