7 Chapters to Love You More
Chapters 1. The birth of Prophet Muhammad ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ .
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Historically, Prophet Muhammad ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ was born in the city of Mecca on Monday, 12 Rabbi’ul Awal or in the year 571 in the Roman calendar. The Prophet was born to a mother named Siti Aminah ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ and her father named Abdullah.
The year of the birth of the Prophet is also referred to as the Year of the Elephant which was the year when the Elephant army under the leadership of Abraha Habasyah attacked the Ka’bah.
The inhabitants of Mecca, through their leader, Abdul Mutthalib (Kakek Rasulullah) ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ received word that the city where the Ka’bah was about to be attacked by Abraha and his salaried troops. The forces that would invade the city of Mecca at that time were known to be very strong. Their arrival was none other than to destroy the Ka’bah Baitullah which was always glorified by the inhabitants of Mecca. The troops came from Yemen, which is under the rule of Abessinia (Now Ethiopia).
They were led by a great commander named Abraha. Abraha and Abessinian leaders felt envy and envy towards the inhabitants of Mecca with Ka’nya because it was always visited by travelers from all over Arabia, both for pilgrimage and just pilgrimage.
“I do not think, why every year the entire Arab nation comes to the land of Mecca?” abraha cried to his Ministers.
“Paduka knows, there is a building called Ka’bah. The old building was so sanctified by the inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula that they could not turn away from it. That's where they go to worship the gods all year long, ” replied one of the Ministers.
“What is so special about that old building made of coarse stone? I want our country, Yemen, to have a holy house that will make the old building in Mecca meaningless and forgotten!”
“However, is it possible that we can create a new holy house that can match Ka’bah?"
“Why not? Make a very beautiful church! Decorate with the most luxurious equipment we have!
"Golden gates, silver windows, sparkling marble floors! All of them! Hand over the entire building experts, I want the Church to be finished in no time!”
Not long after, there stood a Church as beautiful as Abraha wanted. The ruler of Yemen visited him with satisfaction.
“See, soon enough, all Arabs will come here!” abraha said to his subordinates. “Even the people of Mecca will forget their old home once they see a building as beautiful as this!”
The original inhabitants of Yemen were Sabaeans. Before the advent of Islam, Yemen was famous for the advancement of its building technology.
One of the most famous buildings is the Ma’rib Giant Dam. When this building collapsed, a large flood hit the surrounding area so that the residents were forced to move to another country.
This feeling of spite is behind the purpose of the cursed action. Abraha and Abessinian leaders wanted the shrine to be in Yemen, not Mecca. Eventually they built a magnificent church in Sana'a named Al-Qalis in the hope of becoming the largest hajj pilgrimage site in all of Arabia, rivaling Mecca.
Martin Lings in Muhammad: The Life of the Prophet Based on Classical Sources (2015) writes, this drew the ire of the tribes scattered in Hejaz and Najd. A person from the tribe of Kinanah, who had a sexual relationship with the Quraysh, razed the church. Abraha was furious and swore to raze the Kaaba.
Muhammad Husain Haekal in the Life History of Muhammad (1980) mentions, Abraha who has decorated his holy house in such a way, faced with the fact that the Arabs only intend to pilgrimage to Mecca. They considered the pilgrimage to be invalid if not to the Kaaba.
Abraha then decided to attack Mecca. He himself appeared at the very front on a large elephant. But, their efforts did not pay off because ‘Magnet’ Ka’bah is still powerful to attract travelers to visit it. And the flames of malice ignited their crowns, and they were unstoppable.
Led directly by Abraha, large forces from Yemen with mostly elephant-riding marched to storm the city of Mecca and destroy the Ka’bah. When Abraha and his army arrived at Mughammas, near Mecca, they stopped for a short rest.
Abraha sent an emissary to Abdul Mutthalib ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ The leader of the holy city, much loved by its inhabitants, to inform him that they would destroy the Ka’bah. Knowing that, Abdul Mutthalib ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ 'the people could not do much because Abraha's army was so strong.
With sadness mixed with fear, one by one the inhabitants of Mecca left their homeland to the hills surrounding the old city to hide. Abdul Muttalib ⁇ ⁇ Demoness himself, before leaving he took the time to ‘Pamit’ first to Baitullah. There Abdul Mutthalib ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ prayed over the maintenance of the Temple to its own owner, the Almighty God. His prayer was fulfilled in a very clear verse,
O my Lord, my,
There is nothing I wish for but You.
O my Lord, my,
Save your home from their attacks.
Verily they will destroy your temple,
Is your enemy.
Abdul Muttalib's sincere and earnest prayer was granted by Allah ⁇ Hittleittshit . Before Abraha's army touched Ka’bah, Abraha's elephant stopped.
No matter how hard Abraha beat him, the elephant sat quietly. Even trying to get back to Yemen. Abraha was furious and kept ordering his troops to whip the elephant to obey.
But his troops were out of their wits and exhausted from facing the elephant they thought was trained.
"Open! Some were coming from the sea," exclaimed one of the Guards while pointing in panic.
It was then that from the direction of the sea, God sent a flock of birds flapping their wings covering the sunlight like a fast-moving cloud of cloud.
The birds dropped flaming stones on the elephant troops. In panic everyone tried to escape, but their efforts were in vain. All the people, including Abraha, perish like the leaves a caterpillar eats. This event is immortalized by the Qur’an Surat Al-Fil verses 1-5.
Less than two months after the attack by the elephant troops, was born a son of Abdullah bin Abdul Muttalib ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ ⁇ Aminah bint Wahab.
This story is called ashaabul fill.
Surat Al Fil Verses 1-5 in Latin, Arabic, and Meaning
أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِأَصْحَابِ الْفِيلِ
Latin: "A lam tara kaifa fa'ala rabbuka bi`ais-subil-fil"
1. It means: "Have you not noticed how your Lord has acted against the soldiers in the army?"
أَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ كَيْدَهُمْ فِى تَضْلِيلٍ
Latin: "A lam yaj'al kaidahum fi tailli"
It means: "Didn't He have made their deception (to destroy the Kaaba) useless?"
وَأَرْسَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ
Latin: "Wa arsala 'alaihim itiran abayl"
It means: "And He sent to them birds in droves."
تَرْمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٍ مِّن سِجِّيلٍ
Latin: "Tarminim bi-sijaratim min sijjiel"
It means: "That stoned them with a stone (originated) from the burning ground"
فَجَعَلَهُمْ كَعَصْفٍ مَأْكُولٍ
Latin: "Fa ja'alahum ka'aisfim ma`kisl"
It means: "Then He made them like the leaves that were eaten (soul)."
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