LIFE OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD
In 570 AD., Prophet Muhammad was born in the desert of Arabia. At that time, there were three major towns, Yathrib, a large oasis now called Madinah; Taif, a cool refuge in the mountains famous for its grapes; and Makkah, which by contrast, lay in a barren valley. It was here, in this town, that Prophet Muhammad was born. Makkah was important for two reasons: first, the Kabah was located there, and secondly, it was a great trading centre, with people coming from far and wide to worship and sell their wares. The original Kabah was built by the prophets Abraham and Ishmael, who were the ancestors of Prophet Muhammad.
Prophet Muhammad’s father died two months before he was born. Shortly after his birth, his mother, Aminah, sent him to Abdul Muttalib, his grandfather sitting near the Kabah then. Abdul Muttalib was the head of the Quraysh tribe, guardian of the Kabah and protector of the pilgrims who visited this holy place. He was respected and admired by all. He was overjoyed at the news of the birth and gave his grandson the name Muhammad, meaning “the praised one”.
As was the practice of the Makkan nobility in those days, the newborn babies were sent to the desert to be nursed by paid foster mothers. The desert area was far from the city and was considered healthier. Muhammad was handed over to a wet nurse, Halima Al-Sadiya, who belonged to the Banu Sad tribe. Muhammad remained in charge of Halima until the age of five. He learnt Arabic in its purest form from her tribe. When he returned from this desert life to his mother after five years, she decided to take him to visit his uncles in Yathrib. Yathrib (now known as Madinah) is an oasis famous for its palm groves. Aminah was accompanied on the trip by Umm Aiman, her servant. After a month’s stay in Yathrib, Aminah set out to return to Makkah. However, on her way back, she fell ill and died. She was buried in Abwa. Muhammad was brought back home by Umm Aiman.
Muhammad’s grandfather adopted him and took care of him. He looked after him with great affection. However, Abdul Muttalib, too, died when Muhammad was just eight years old. After his death, Muhammad was adopted by his uncle, Abu Talib, a merchant. Once, he went with Abu Talib to Syria on a trading journey. There he met a Christian monk named Bahira, living in a monastery. This monk had read a book about the emergence of a prophet and recognised the signs of prophethood in Muhammad. Therefore, he advised Abu Talib to return immediately with his nephew and protect him from enemies.
When Muhammad grew up, he had a reputation for honesty, good morals, a gentle nature, and sincerity. He kept aloof from quarrels and never used foul language or abused anyone. Ali ibn Abi Talib once said: “All those who came close to him loved him.” (Al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah - Ibn Hisham, Vol. 2, p. 35)
He was called Al-Amin (the trustworthy one) and As-Sadiq (the truthful one) by the Makkans.
When Muhammad was twenty-five years old, he had become so well thought of that he came to the attention of Khadijah, a wealthy 40-year-old widow from a merchant family. She regularly employed men to do her trading and rewarded them with a share of the profits. So, in the same way, she hired Muhammad to take her goods to Syria to trade.
Muhammad handled the trading very well, bringing back greater profits than Khadijah had ever made. Moreover, Khadijah’s servant, Maysarah, who accompanied Muhammad to Syria, had come to admire and respect him greatly and gave a glowing report to her mistress about what a superior person Muhammad was.
His virtues deeply impressed her and expressed her desire to marry him. After discussing this with his uncle, Muhammad accepted her marriage proposal. Khadijah became his first wife, and he had no other wife during her lifetime. Except for Ibrahim, who died in infancy, all his children were born to Khadijah. Of the daughters, Ruqaiyyah, Zaynab, Umm Kulthum and Fatimah lived on long enough to accept Islam and migrate to Madinah with the Prophet.
Prophet Muhammad’s marriage with Khadijah allowed him to lead a comfortable life as a wealthy and respected noble of Makkah. Muhammad led a calm and quiet life as a merchant for a few years. However, he soon gave up all worldly activities and started his quest for the truth.
The fact that Prophet Muhammad was a well-respected member of the Quraysh can be seen from an incident. The Quraysh decided to rebuild the Kabah after a sudden flood had shaken its foundations and cracked its walls. So, the old structure was pulled down, and the new construction began. When the walls rose from the ground, the time came to put the famous Black Stone (Hajr-e-Aswad) in its place on the east wall. Hajr-e-Aswad is an oval black stone of about 18 cm in diameter fixed in the wall of the Kabah. This stone was first set there by Prophet Abraham to mark the spot from which to begin the ritual of walking (tawaf) around the Kabah. At present, this is the only portion which is left of the original building.
The question arose about which clan would put the stone back in place. This led to a dispute among the clans since each clan wanted that honour. Since no peaceful solution seemed possible, it almost led to a civil war. Finally, it was agreed that the first man to enter the courtyard of the Kabah would settle the issue. That man was Muhammad.
Although the problem seemed insoluble, Muhammad’s sound judgement saved the honour of everyone concerned. First, he spread a white sheet on the ground, placing the sacred stone at its centre. Then he instructed the elders of each clan to lift a corner of the sheet and carry the stone to its site. Then Muhammad, the peacemaker, fixed the stone in its place with his hands. This settling of the dispute to everybody’s satisfaction prevented a bloody clash.
