٢ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ حُمْرَانَ وَهِشَامِ بْنِ سَالِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم) قَالَ لَمَّا أَقْبَلَ صَاحِبُ الْحَبَشَةِ بِالْفِيلِ يُرِيدُ هَدْمَ الْكَعْبَةِ مَرُّوا بِإِبِلٍ لِعَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ فَاسْتَاقُوهَا فَتَوَجَّهَ عَبْدُ الْمُطَّلِبِ إِلَى صَاحِبِهِمْ يَسْأَلُهُ رَدَّ إِبِلِهِ عَلَيْهِ فَاسْتَأْذَنَ عَلَيْهِ فَأَذِنَ لَهُ وَقِيلَ لَهُ إِنَّ هَذَا شَرِيفُ قُرَيْشٍ أَوْ عَظِيمُ قُرَيْشٍ وَهُوَ رَجُلٌ لَهُ عَقْلٌ وَمُرُوَّةٌ فَأَكْرَمَهُ وَأَدْنَاهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ لِتَرْجُمَانِهِ سَلْهُ مَا حَاجَتُكَ فَقَالَ لَهُ إِنَّ أَصْحَابَكَ مَرُّوا بِإِبِلٍ لِي فَاسْتَاقُوهَا فَأَحْبَبْتُ أَنْ تَرُدَّهَا عَلَيَّ قَالَ فَتَعَجَّبَ مِنْ سُؤَالِهِ إِيَّاهُ رَدَّ الإِبِلِ وَقَالَ هَذَا الَّذِي زَعَمْتُمْ أَنَّهُ عَظِيمُ قُرَيْشٍ وَذَكَرْتُمْ عَقْلَهُ يَدَعُ أَنْ يَسْأَلَنِي أَنْ أَنْصَرِفَ عَنْ بَيْتِهِ الَّذِي يَعْبُدُهُ أَمَا لَوْ سَأَلَنِي أَنْ أَنْصَرِفَ عَنْ هَدِّهِ لانْصَرَفْتُ لَهُ عَنْهُ فَأَخْبَرَهُ التَّرْجُمَانُ بِمَقَالَةِ الْمَلِكِ فَقَالَ لَهُ عَبْدُ الْمُطَّلِبِ إِنَّ لِذَلِكَ الْبَيْتِ رَبّاً يَمْنَعُهُ وَإِنَّمَا سَأَلْتُكَ رَدَّ إِبِلِي لِحَاجَتِي إِلَيْهَا فَأَمَرَ بِرَدِّهَا عَلَيْهِ وَمَضَى عَبْدُ الْمُطَّلِبِ حَتَّى لَقِيَ الْفِيلَ عَلَى طَرَفِ الْحَرَمِ فَقَالَ لَهُ مَحْمُودُ فَحَرَّكَ رَأْسَهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَ تَدْرِي لِمَا جِي‏ءَ بِكَ فَقَالَ بِرَأْسِهِ لا فَقَالَ جَاءُوا بِكَ لِتَهْدِمَ بَيْتَ رَبِّكَ أَ فَتَفْعَلُ فَقَالَ بِرَأْسِهِ لا قَالَ فَانْصَرَفَ عَنْهُ عَبْدُ الْمُطَّلِبِ وَجَاءُوا بِالْفِيلِ لِيَدْخُلَ الْحَرَمَ فَلَمَّا انْتَهَى إِلَى طَرَفِ الْحَرَمِ امْتَنَعَ مِنَ الدُّخُولِ فَضَرَبُوهُ فَامْتَنَعَ فَأَدَارُوا بِهِ نَوَاحِيَ الْحَرَمِ كُلَّهَا كُلُّ ذَلِكَ يَمْتَنِعُ عَلَيْهِمْ فَلَمْ يَدْخُلْ وَبَعَثَ الله عَلَيْهِمُ الطَّيْرَ كَالْخَطَاطِيفِ فِي مَنَاقِيرِهَا حَجَرٌ كَالْعَدَسَةِ أَوْ نَحْوِهَا فَكَانَتْ تُحَاذِي بِرَأْسِ الرَّجُلِ ثُمَّ تُرْسِلُهَا عَلَى رَأْسِهِ فَتَخْرُجُ مِنْ دُبُرِهِ حَتَّى لَمْ يَبْقَ مِنْهُمْ أَحَدٌ إِلاَّ رَجُلٌ هَرَبَ فَجَعَلَ يُحَدِّثُ النَّاسَ بِمَا رَأَى إِذَا طَلَعَ عَلَيْهِ طَائِرٌ مِنْهَا فَرَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ فَقَالَ هَذَا الطَّيْرُ مِنْهَا وَجَاءَ الطَّيْرُ حَتَّى حَاذَى بِرَأْسِهِ ثُمَّ أَلْقَاهَا عَلَيْهِ فَخَرَجَتْ مِنْ دُبُرِهِ فَمَاتَ.
2. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Muhammad ibn Humran and Hisham ibn Salim who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah , has said that when the Ethiopian king came with elephants to destroy the Ka‘bah, they passed by the camels of ‘Abd al-Muttalib and took them for themselves. ‘Abd al-Muttalib went to the king, asking him to release his camels. He asked permission for a meeting, which was granted. He (the king) was informed that he (‘Abd al-Muttalib) is the chief honorable man of Quraysh, an intelligent and kind man. The king received him honorably and allowed him to sit very near to the king. He then said to his translator, ‘Ask him what he needs?’ He (‘Abd al- Muttalib) said, ‘Your people when passing by my camels have taken them away. I like you to return them to me.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘The king was surprised because of what he had asked, “Return my camels to me.” He said, ‘You think he is the chief of Quraysh and a very intelligent man. He neglects asking me to change my decision about his house of worship. Had he asked me to return back and change my decision I would have done so for his sake/ The translator informed him (‘Abd al- Muttalib) of what the king had said. ‘Abd al-Muttalib said, “This house has an owner who protects it. I ask you to release my camels because I need them.” The king ordered the release of his camels and ‘Abd al-Muttalib returned back. On the way, he saw the elephant on the border of the Sacred area. He said to the elephant, “O Mahmud.” The elephant moved its head in response. He asked, “Do you know why they have brought you?” The elephant with its head said, “No, I do not know.” He said, “They have brought you to destroy the house of your Lord with you. Will you destroy it?” The elephant with its head said, “No, I will not do so.” He (the Imam) said, ‘’Abd al-Muttalib then left. They brought the elephant to enter the Sacred area, but when on the edge of the Sacred area, it refused to enter/ They tried to force it but it refused to enter. They took the elephant in a circle around the Sacred area. On every point that they tried to force it to enter, it refused to do so and it did not enter. Allah then sent birds like swallows with stones in their beaks of the size of beans or so, and when on top of the head of a man, they released the stone and it pierced all the way down to come out of his anus. It continued until no one was left from them except one man, who fled and kept telling people about what he had seen. Suddenly one of those birds arrived above him. He raised his head and said, “This is one of them.” The bird came closer over his head and released the stone which pierced down all the way to come out from his anus and he died/” 