AD 570: the (See Elephant, The the clans of the tribe of Quraysh (q.v.) called khalifa was to put : incident is covered in S ūrat al-Fil (q.v.) of the Qur'ān. The presence of one or more elephants in Abraha's entourage led to the year AD 570 (the year of the Prophet Muhammad's birth) being called 'The Year of the Elephant'. The facts of Abraha's life became much embellished with legend.

doi:10.4324/9780203986158-9

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AD 570: the (See Elephant, The the clans of the tribe of Quraysh (q.v.) called khalifa was to put

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ABSTRACT

Abraha Christian ruler or governor of Abyssinian origins who flourished in South Arabia in the mid-6th century AD. He is famous among the Islamic chroniclers for having led an unsuccessful assault on the city of Mecca (q.v.) in c. AD 570: the incident is covered in Sūrat al-Fil (q.v.) of the Qur'ān. The presence of one or more elephants in Abraha's entourage led to the year AD 570 (the year of the Prophet Muhammad's birth) being called 'The Year of the Elephant'. The facts of Abraha's life became much embellished with legend. (See Elephant, The Year of the) Abraham See Ibrahim.