The story behind Surat al-Buruj and Surat al-Fil in a way which has never been seen before! After Negus of Abyssinia receives word of the great atrocities committed by the despotic Dhu Nawas of Yemen, he dispatches Abraha al-Ashram and his cousin Aryat to deal with the despotic tyrant once and for all. Once removed, the ambitious Abraha is tempted by promises of power and prestige which will ultimately lead to his downfall. 

Character concept for Abraha al-Ashram which were based on basic descriptions provided in historical texts.

Far too often, those who learn about this amazing story do not realise that there is more to the story than Abraha simply wanting to destroy the ka'ba with his elephants. As well as highlighting the precursors to the story of Surat al-Fil, ABRAHA: The Story of Surat al-Fil details the events which took place for Abraha to mount his attack on the ka'ba.

Inspired by the works of Osamu Tezuka, ABRAHA: The Story of Surat al-Fil will be presented in a manga-style format of 100 pages. It must be emphasised that never before has the story of Abraha been presented in such a way and with such detail. This historically-inspired work draws upon Tarikh Tabari and Tafseer Ibn Katheer as primary sources of information. 

Aryat of Abyssinia, cousin to Abraha Al-Ashram, prepares for battle. 

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The script for this project was developed in 2016 and has slowly developed since then. So far, it has survived as a passion project and has largely been individually-funded. By helping to crowdfund this project, we will not only be able to produce the final product but be able to do so more quickly. Your support is needed in order to help cover costs. 

Concept art for the project and a possible cover for the graphic novel as illustrated by Francis Zerrodo. 

Manga are a style of comics originating from Japan, part of what makes them unique is that they are almost always in black and white. As a teacher, I once came across a six-volume set of Osamu Tezuka's Buddha in a local libraryand was impressed as to how stories pertaining to faith-based values were conveyed in a manner which was attractive to young people. Due to the many interesting and captivating stories which exist within Islamic heritage, it occurred to me that a similar approach could be employed for the benefit of children within the Muslim community (or perhaps those who are young at heart or not even Muslim at all).

The Meccan nobles of the Quraish are perplexed by Abdul-Mattalib's decision to go and meet with Abraha. 

The story behind Surat Al-Fil has always been one that has captivated me. Even as a child, I remember marvelling at how close Abraha was to destroying the Ka'ba and then ultimately being unable to do so due to a divine plan. When reading the historical aspects of the story detailed in Tabari's Compendium of History, I fell in love with the story once again and felt that it was easily something that could translate into another medium such as comics.

Abraha Al-Ashram was an Aksumite general, originally the viceroy of southern Arabia, then declared himself as an independent king of Himyar. As one may already have already suspected, Abraha Al-Ashram will be presented as the story's villain. In contrast to other depictions of the character, Abraha will be shown as a person who had the capacity for good but never ultimately chose to avail it. Much like Macbeth, Abraha begins as a decent man who feels that he is serving the right cause but ultimately becomes deterred from truth due to his greed and lust for power.  

The story takes place in the pre-Islamic era starting in Abyssinia. Negus of Abyssinia hears of the atrocities that are being committed by Dhu Nawas of Yemen (i.e., the events of Surat Al-Buruj). In order to do away with him, Negus dispatches Abraha and his cousin Aryat. Once Dhu Nawas is effectively dealt with, Abraha, in his desire to ensure no further Christian massacre occurs, endeavours to rule Yemen with an iron fist to the point where his desire to set matters aright descends into control, domination and ultimately... pride.

Working on the project are a number of talented individuals.

The story details the rift that existed between Abraha and his cousin Aryat which followed the conquering of Yemen.

Utuh Abdeellah (Artist): Indonesian-based comic book artist and illustrator with a versatile and adaptable style. He has been previously worked on local manga-style publications. Utuh also has extensive experience within the advertising industry.

Francis Zurrudo (Cover & Concept Artist): Studied advertising and graphic design at University of Santo Tomas. Currently works as a freelance illustrator, character designer, cartoonist, comic book cover artist and sequential artist. He also serves as instructor at CIIT Philippines and is the Director of Bathala Studios

Sean Lee (Cover Colourist): Freelance comic colourist and cover painter based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Graduated at the Dasein Academy of Art (majoring in illustration) where he currently serves as a part-time lecturer. Sean has previously worked on projects such as Wizard of the Coast, Duel Masters Trading Card Game (as a painter), Titan Comics, Dark Souls and Quake Champion (as a colourist). 

Furqan Jabbar (Writer): Grew up in Melbourne, Australia and has had a love for comics since he was a child. In his late teens, he developed an interest in Islamic studies which led him to study Arabic and pursue a Bachelors degree in Islamic studies from King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Through this project, Furqan hopes to combine both interests whilst telling meaningful and compelling stories at the same time. You may read more about him here, read some articles authored by him here. If you wish to contact him to discuss the project or anything else, you can reach him on his personal facebook page.

The following is a rough breakdown of the project expenses for. Most of the team members have been paid in US dollars (due to being based overseas).

It should be noted that this is a brief summary and actual costs may exceed what has been mentioned herein.  

Members of the local Muslim community have voiced their support for this project:

Members of the creative community have similarly offered their support:

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The following are some of the gifts you may receive for helping to fund this project (to be delivered not later than the end of August inshallah).

* A signed copy of ABRAHA (please note that the the final cover and the size of the book may differ to the one pictured here) for those that wish to contribute $50 AUD (Note: This will include postage and handling).

Those contributing $80 AUD will obtain two copies. $200 AUD will enable you to have your name printed inside. $300 AUD will ensure that you obtain two copies, your name and a friend or family member's name will be printed inside.

Those wishing to contribute $150 AUD have the choice to selecting between to t-shirts with a 'manga-style' monogram image of the Ka'ba (this cost will include postage and handling but you will need to provide us with your shirt size). 

$1000 AUD contributors will have the choice of selecting between two different framed images of the ka'ba. Upon your contribution, you will need to provide us with your address. 

                          SAMPLE #1 - Final gifts will be sent out no later than August 30 2021, Inshallah. 

                          SAMPLE #2 - Final gifts will be sent out no later than August 30 2021, Inshallah. 

​The following is a timeline of the project from now onward:

* Coloring refers to shading. Final gifts for this campaign, to be sent no later than October 31 2021, inshallah. 

Thank you for taking the time to peruse through this campaign. It perhaps goes without saying that the success of this particular project, may encourage similar historically-inspired projects in the future.