Born
in
the
Year
of
the
Elephant

When Muhammad's grandfather, 'Abd al-Muttalib, was still a young man he was one of the most powerful people in the tribe of the Quraish, the richest and strongest tribe in Makkah.

But still he felt sad that his friends were proud to have large families, but he only had one son.

So 'Abd al-Muttalib made a promise that if God gave him ten sons,

and they all lived long enough to grow to be men,

he would kill one of them as a sacrifice,

paying back his debt to God by returning some of what he had been given.

But soon the wives of 'Abd al-Muttalib began to give him children,

until he had six daughters and ten sons.

At last the time came when his sons were all full grown, and 'Abd al-Muttalib had to face up to the terrible promise that he had made.

He wrote the names of all of his sons on arrows, then picked out one,

and the name written on the arrow was the one closest to his heart, his youngest son, Abdullah.

Abdullah had grown up to be a very fine young man, and many said that he was the most handsome of all the tribe.

So when Abdullah was the one picked to die, all the people of the tribe asked 'Abd al-Muttalib if they could try to find another way to satisfy his promise to his God.

Then some of the wise men in Makkah reminded 'Abd al-Muttalib that in a nearby town lived a holy woman who might have an answer,

and so they went to see her.

"In your land, what does it cost to buy back a man who has been captured in battle?" she said.

"Ten camels" they answered.

"Then draw lots between Abdullah and ten camels," she said

"and if the name of Abdullah still comes out add ten more camels and try again,

and again,

until the camels are enough to keep Abdullah safe and alive."

When 'Abd al-Muttalib got back to Makkah he went straight to the Ancient House to cast lots between Abdullah and ten camels.

It was not until the number of camels reached a hundred that the arrow of the camels was chosen instead of the arrow of Abdullah,

and everyone was overjoyed.

When Abdullah reached the age of 24, his father 'Abd al-Muttalib thought it would be good for him to get married,

and found for him Amina, the teenage daughter of the chief of the tribe Banu Zuhra.

Abdullah and Amina had not lived together for very long when Abdullah went on a trading journey north to al-Sham.

On the journey back, Abdullah stopped at a town called Yathrib to visit his mother's family,

but there in Yathrib he became very sick, and before he could get back to Makkah he died.

And in Makkah, Amina his wife cried out when she heard the news, for not only had she lost her husband, but she was soon going to have his baby and now that child would never get to see his father.

That child inside Amina, the only son of Abdullah, was to be a very special child.

That child, born in the Year of the Elephant, would shine like a light in the darkness.

That child was Muhammad.

How the Year of the Elephant got its name.