Quranic Studies and Islamic Culture

Abraha, Reassessing Traditional Sources in Light of Inscriptions Attributed to Him

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Article

Author

Mohammad Ali Khavanin Zadeh

Assistant Professor at Department of Quran and Hadith Studies, Kharazmi University. Tehran. Iran

10.22034/isqs.2026.52799.2436
Abstract
Abraha, the most well-known king of Ḥimyar, is remembered in Islamic tradition for his expedition against Mecca, where he is said to have marched with an army of elephants to destroy the Kaʿba. The episode, known as the “Year of the Elephant,” is linked in some reports to the birth of the Prophet Muḥammad and is discussed both by Muslim historians and in Qurʾānic exegesis on Q 105. Since Islamic accounts were composed centuries after Abraha, modern scholarship has raised doubts about its historicity: how could African elephants cross nearly 800 kilometers from Yemen to Mecca across a harsh desert, and why do contemporary non-Islamic sources fail to mention Mecca or this event? Nonetheless, Abraha appears in contemporary pre-Islamic records, and archaeological excavations have uncovered 10 inscriptions attributed to him, four commissioned by the king himself. No other pre-Islamic Arabian figure is documented with such varied and precise evidence. This study asks: What was the extent of Abraha’s rule? What were his religious orientations? And was his expedition to Mecca historical? By reviewing contemporary sources alongside epigraphic and archaeological evidence, and presenting the most significant findings, the paper provides a basis for reassessing traditional accounts.

Keywords

Abraha
Ḥimyar
Year of the Elephant
Archaeology
Epigraphy

Subjects

Quranic Studies and Islamic Culture

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 15 February 2026

  • Receive Date 04 September 2025
  • Revise Date 01 February 2026
  • Accept Date 03 February 2026

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