When the Arabs heard of the church that Abrahah erected, a member of the Kinaanah tribe defaced the building by passing stool within its precincts and thereafter fleeing. Some are of the opinion that a few Arab youngsters lit a fire in the vicinity of the church. A gust of wind carried an ember onto the church, setting it ablaze and reducing it to ashes. This infuriated Abrahah and he vowed that he would not rest until he had reduced the Ka‘bah to ruins. With this evil intention, he set out to attack Makkah Mukarramah. En route to Makkah Mukarramah, the tribes who put up resistance were subdued with the might of the sword. Together with his army of men, he was also accompanied by a herd of elephants.