The Makkan Period, Part 3: The Religious Background of Arabia
Section 16 of 16 · The Life of the Prophet Muhammad: The Makkan Period
The Army of Birds
Allah (swt) sent on them an army — no one knows the soldiers of Allah. Anything can be a soldier of Allah. Water, which is the source of life, can be a soldier of Allah — water is what killed the tyrant Pharaoh. Wind is a soldier of Allah.
وَمَا جَعَلْنَآ أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلنَّارِ إِلَّا مَلَـٰٓئِكَةً ۙ وَمَا جَعَلْنَا عِدَّتَهُمْ إِلَّا فِتْنَةً لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لِيَسْتَيْقِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَيَزْدَادَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِيمَـٰنًا ۙ وَلَا يَرْتَابَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۙ وَلِيَقُولَ ٱلَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ وَٱلْكَـٰفِرُونَ مَاذَآ أَرَادَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَـٰذَا مَثَلًا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُضِلُّ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ جُنُودَ رَبِّكَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ وَمَا هِىَ إِلَّا ذِكْرَىٰ لِلْبَشَرِ
“And We did not make wardens of the Fire but (from) angels, and did not fix their number but as a test for those who disbelieve, so that those who are given the Book may come to believe, and those who believe may improve in belief, and so that those who are given the Book and those who believe may not doubt (its correctness), and so that those having malady in their hearts and the disbelievers say, “What has Allah meant by this strange statement?” Thus Allah lets go astray whomever He wills, and leads to the right path whomever He wills. And no one knows the hosts of your Lord but He. And this is nothing else but a reminder for mankind.” (74:31)
Allah (swt) says, "And none knows the soldiers of your Lord except Him." So Allah (swt) sent an army of birds. Every bird carrying with it missiles that were sent on the army of Abrahah, and destroyed them all — they were all killed. And this event was recorded in Sūrat al-Fīl.
أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِأَصْحَـٰبِ ٱلْفِيلِ أَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ كَيْدَهُمْ فِى تَضْلِيلٍ وَأَرْسَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ تَرْمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٍ مِّن سِجِّيلٍ فَجَعَلَهُمْ كَعَصْفٍ مَّأْكُولٍۭ
“Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the People of the Elephant? Has He not turned their plan into nullity? And He sent upon them flying birds in flocks, throwing upon them stones of baked clay, and thus He turned them into an eaten-up chaff.” (105:1–5)
Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the companions of the elephant? Did He not make their trickery a delusion? And He sent against them birds in flocks, striking them with stones of hard clay, and He made them like eaten straw.
These are the events up to the year in which the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was born. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was born in the Year of the Elephant. In the same year, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was born — peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and upon his family.