The Elephant That Refused to Move

Abrahah now issued his instructions to march forth. But the elephant refused to move. They turned the elephant to a different direction, he would stand up, running. They turned him towards the direction of Makkah, he would sit down. How come? Miracle from Allah. But it is said in the account that this man, Nufayl, who was a prisoner of war, he released himself from his chains, and he jumped to the ear of the elephant, and he said to the elephant, "This is the house of Allah, don't attack it." And he ran away. But whether that was the reason or not, the elephant refused to march in the direction of the Kaaba, and they would beat it — they started poking it with their spears, and the elephant was bleeding, it refused to move. Eventually, they decided that they're going to have to leave the elephant, and they made their move forward.