It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he said: The people of the Elephant (the army of Abrahah) advanced until, when they drew near Makkah, Abd al-Muttalib went out to meet them. He said to their king (Abrahah): "Why have you come to us? O our master, why did you trouble yourself (to come in person)? Could you not have sent someone, so that we would have brought you everything you wanted?" Abrahah said: "I have been told about this House, that whoever enters it becomes safe, so I have come to frighten its people." Abd al-Muttalib said: "We will give you everything you want; go back." But Abrahah refused and insisted that he would certainly enter it (the Ka'bah). Then he advanced towards the Ka'bah. Abd al-Muttalib stayed behind and stood on a mountain, and said: "I cannot witness the destruction of this House and its people." Then he supplicated (reciting these verses): "O Allah, every deity has a sanctuary and sacred bounds, so protect Your bounds (Your House) too. Let their schemes never overcome Your scheme. O Allah, if You do (let them demolish the Ka'bah), then it will be a matter You have decreed." Then flocks upon flocks of birds came from the direction of the sea like a cloud, which Allah Almighty called "birds in flocks (ababil)", until they cast a shadow over them. Allah Almighty said: "Striking them with stones of baked clay" [Surah al-Fil: 4] . Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: Then the elephant began to trumpet loudly, "And He made them like eaten straw" [Surah al-Fil: 5] . The chain of this hadith is sahih (authentic), but the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it.