ISLAM FOR BEGINNERS BRS 107.pdf - CUEA

LESSON 5MUHAMMAD IN MAKKAMuhammad is so esteemed by Muslims that it is usual to utter the blessing "peace beupon him" after his name. This is often abbreviated to "pbuh". Apart from the Qur’an,historians, Muslims and non-Muslims, depend mostly on the work of Ibn Ishaq (died in767). At the time of Muhammad's birth, most people in Arabia believed in many differentgods and idolatry was common. This shows the background of his newness, for hepreached both the unity (one God) and the uniqueness (God has not equal) of God.570: Birth of Muhammad into Quraysh, the ruling tribe of MakkaThis year is known as the year of the elephant. Islamic tradition relates miraculous signsforetelling Muhammad's future greatness. Muhammad's father died before Muhammad'sbirth, and his mother died when the child was only 6. So Muhammad was raised first byhis grandfather Abd al-Muttalib and later by his uncle Abu Talib to be a trader. The familywas not rich, so Muhammad spent much of his childhood tending animals for others inorder to earn his livelihood.The Year of the ElephantThe Ethiopian governor of Yemen, Abraha al-Ashram, envied the reverence in which theArabs held the Ka’bah. Being a staunch Christian, he built a big cathedral in Sanaa (thecapital of Yemen) and ordered the Arabs to go there for pilgrimage instead. The order wasignored. Not only that; someone entered the cathedral and made it unclean. The wrath ofAbraha knew no bounds. In his fury, he decided to avenge it by demolishing anddesecrating the Ka'bah itself. He advanced with a large army towards Mecca. There weremany elephants in his army; he himself rode a huge elephant. It was an animal which theArabs had not seen before, thus the year came to be known as 'Amul-Fil (the year of theelephant), and it started an era for reckoning the years in Arabia.When news of the advance of Abraha's army came, the Arabian tribes of Quraish,Kinanah, Khuza'ah and Hudhayl joined together to defend the Ka'bah. Abraha sent a smallcontingent towards Mecca to capture the camels and young people. The contingentFrederic N. Mvumbi,OP Page 17 of 85