Abraha, the Abyssinian (Ethiopian) ruler of Yemen, wanted to destroy the Kaaba.
Abraha, feeling threatened by the Kaaba's prominence as a religious center and aiming to divert pilgrimage and trade to a cathedral he had built in Sana'a, Yemen, launched a military campaign against Mecca. His army included elephants, most famously a white elephant named Mahmud. While the primary intention was destruction, Abraha sought to diminish the Kaaba's importance and redirect religious focus to his own construction in Yemen. This campaign ultimately failed, as Abraha's army was reportedly defeated by a combination of disease (possibly smallpox) and natural events, as recounted in Islamic tradition. The year of this event is known as the "Year of the Elephant" in Islamic history.
