MUHAMMAD'S BIRTH AND FORTY YEARS PRIOR TO PROPHETHOOD
Muhammad (Peace be upon him), the Master of Prophets, was born in Bani
Hashim lane in Makkah on Monday morning, the ninth of Rabi‘ Al-Awwal,
the same year of the Elephant Event, and forty years of the reign of Kisra
(Khosru Nushirwan), i.e. the twentieth or twenty-second of April, 571
A.D., according to the scholar Muhammad Sulaimân Al-Mansourpuri, and the
astrologer Mahműd Pasha.
Ibn Sa‘d reported that Muhammad’s mother said: “When he was born, there
was a light that issued out of my pudendum and lit the palaces of Syria.”
Ahmad reported on the authority of ‘Arbadh bin Sariya something similar
to this.
It was but controversially reported that significant precursors accompanied
his birth: fourteen galleries of Kisra’s palace cracked and rolled down,
the Magians’ sacred fire died down and some churches on Lake Sawa sank
down and collapsed.
His mother immediately sent someone to inform his grandfather ‘Abdul-Muttalib
of the happy event. Happily he came to her, carried him to Al-Ka‘bah,
prayed to Allâh and thanked Him. ‘Abdul-Muttalib called the baby Muhammad,
a name not then common among the Arabs. He circumcised him on his seventh
day as was the custom of the Arabs.
The first woman who suckled him after his mother was Thuyebah, the concubine
of Abu Lahab, with her son, Masrouh. She had suckled Hamzah bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib
before and later Abu Salamah bin ‘Abd Al-Asad Al-Makhzumi.
It was the general custom of the Arabs living in towns to send their
children away to bedouin wet nurses so that they might grow up in the
free and healthy surroundings of the desert whereby they would develop
a robust frame and acquire the pure speech and manners of the bedouins,
who were noted both for chastity of their language and for being free
from those vices which usually develop in sedentary societies.
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) was later entrusted to Haleemah bint
Abi Dhuaib from Bani Sa‘d bin Bakr. Her husband was Al-Harith bin ‘Abdul
‘Uzza called Abi Kabshah, from the same tribe.
Muhammad(Peace be upon him) had several foster brothers and sisters,
‘Abdullah bin Al-Harith, Aneesah bint Al-Harith, Hudhafah or Judhamah
bint Al-Harith (known as Ash-Shayma’), and she used to nurse the Prophet
(Peace be upon him) and Abu Sufyan bin Al-Harith bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib,
the Prophet’s cousin. Hamzah bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib, the Prophet’s uncle,
was suckled by the same two wet nurses, Thuyeba and Haleemah As-Sa‘diyah,
who suckled the Prophet (Peace be upon him).
Traditions delightfully relate how Haleemah and the whole of her household
were favoured by successive strokes of good fortune while the baby Muhammad
(Peace be upon him) lived under her care. Ibn Ishaq states that Haleemah
narrated that she along with her husband and a suckling babe, set out
from her village in the company of some women of her clan in quest of
children to suckle. She said:
It was a year of drought and famine and we had nothing to eat. I rode
on a brown she-ass. We also had with us an old she-camel. By Allâh we
could not get even a drop of milk. We could not have a wink of sleep during
the night for the child kept crying on account of hunger. There was not
enough milk in my breast and even the she-camel had nothing to feed him.
We used to constantly pray for rain and immediate relief. At length we
reached Makkah looking for children to suckle. Not even a single woman
amongst us accepted the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) offered
to her. As soon as they were told that he was an orphan, they refused
him. We had fixed our eyes on the reward that we would get from the child’s
father. An orphan! What are his grandfather and mother likely to do? So
we spurned him because of that. Every woman who came with me got a suckling
and when we were about to depart, I said to my husband: “By Allâh, I do
not like to go back along with the other women without any baby. I should
go to that orphan and I must take him.” He said, “There is no harm in
doing so and perhaps Allâh might bless us through him.” So I went and
took him because there was simply no other alternative left for me but
to take him. When I lifted him in my arms and returned to my place I put
him on my breast and to my great surprise, I found enough milk in it.
He drank to his heart’s content, and so did his foster brother and then
both of them went to sleep although my baby had not been able to sleep
the previous night. My husband then went to the she-camel to milk it and,
to his astonishment, he found plenty of milk in it. He milked it and we
drank to our fill, and enjoyed a sound sleep during the night. The next
morning, my husband said: “By Allâh Haleemah, you must understand that
you have been able to get a blessed child.” And I replied: “By the grace
of Allâh, I hope so.”
The tradition is explicit on the point that Haleemah’s return journey
and her subsequent life, as long as the Prophet (Peace be upon him)stayed
with her, was encircled with a halo of good fortune. The donkey that she
rode when she came to Makkah was lean and almost foundered; it recovered
speed much to the amazement of Haleemah’s fellow travellers. By the time
they reached the encampments in the country of the clan of Sa‘d, they
found the scales of fortune turned in their favour. The barren land sprouted
forth luxuriant grass and beasts came back to them satisfied and full
of milk. Muhammad (Peace be upon him) stayed with Haleemah for two years
until he was weaned as Haleemah said:
We then took him back to his mother requesting her earnestly to have
him stay with us and benefit by the good fortune and blessings he had
brought us. We persisted in our request which we substantiated by our
anxiety over the child catching a certain infection peculiar to Makkah.
At last, we were granted our wish and the Prophet (Peace be upon him)
stayed with us until he was four or five years of age.
When, as related by Anas in Sahih Muslim, Gabriel came down and
ripped his chest open and took out the heart. He then extracted a blood-clot
out of it and said: “That was the part of Satan in thee.” And then he
washed it with the water of Zamzam in a gold basin. After that the heart
was joined together and restored to its place. The boys and playmates
came running to his mother, i.e. his nurse, and said: “Verily, Muhammad
(Peace be upon him) has been murdered.” They all rushed towards him and
found him all right only his face was white.
After this event, Haleemah was worried about the boy and returned him
to his mother with whom he stayed until he was six.
In respect of the memory of her late husband, Amina decided to visit
his grave in Yathrib (Madinah). She set out to cover a journey of 500
kilometers with her orphan boy, woman servant Umm Ayman and her father-in-law
‘Abdul-Muttalib. She spent a month there and then took her way back to
Makkah. On the way, she had a severe illness and died in Abwa on the road
between Makkah and Madinah.
‘Abdul-Muttalib brought the boy to Makkah. He had warm passions towards
the boy, his orphan grandson, whose recent disaster (his mother’s death)
added more to the pains of the past. ‘Abdul-Muttalib was more passionate
with his grandson than with his own children. He never left the boy a
prey to loneliness, but always preferred him to his own kids. Ibn Hisham
reported: A mattress was put in the shade of Al-Ka‘bah for ‘Abdul-Muttalib.
His children used to sit around that mattress in honour to their father,
but Muhammad (Peace be upon him) used to sit on it. His uncles would take
him back, but if ‘Abdul-Muttalib was present, he would say: “Leave my
grandson. I swear by Allâh that this boy will hold a significant position.”
He used to seat the boy on his mattress, pat his back and was always pleased
with what the boy did.
When Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was eight years, two months and ten
days old, his grandfather ‘Abdul-Muttalib passed away in Makkah. The charge
of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) was now passed on to his uncle Abu
Talib, who was the brother of the Prophet’s father.
Abu Talib tookthe charge of his nephew in the best way. He put him with
his children and preferred him to them. He singled the boy out with great
respect and high esteem. Abu Talib remained for forty years cherishing
his nephew and extending all possible protection and support to him. His
relations with the others were determined in the light of the treatment
they showed to the Prophet (Peace be upon him).
Ibn ‘Asakir reported on the authority of Jalhamah bin ‘Arfuta who said:
“I came to Makkah when it was a rainless year, so Quraish said ‘O Abu
Talib, the valley has become leafless and the children hungry, let us
go and pray for rain-fall.’ Abu Talib went to Al-Ka‘bah with a young boy
who was as beautiful as the sun, and a black cloud was over his head.
Abu Talib and the boy stood by the wall of Al-Ka‘bah and prayed for rain.
Immediately clouds from all directions gathered and rain fell heavily
and caused the flow of springs and growth of plants in the town and the
country.
When the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) was twelve years old,
he went with his uncle Abu Talib on a business journey to Syria. When
they reached Busra (which was a part of Syria, in the vicinity of Howran
under the Roman domain) they met a monk called Bahira (his real name was
Georges), who showed great kindness, and entertained them lavishly. He
had never been in the habit of receiving or entertaining them before.
He readily enough recognized the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and said
while taking his hand: “This is the master of all humans. Allâh will send
him with a Message which will be a mercy to all beings.” Abu Talib asked:
“How do you know that?” He replied: “When you appeared from the direction
of ‘Aqabah, all stones and trees prostrated themselves, which they never
do except for a Prophet. I can recognize him also by the seal of Prophethood
which is below his shoulder, like an apple. We have got to learn this
from our books.” He also asked Abu Talib to send the boy back to Makkah
and not to take him to Syria for fear of the Jews. Abu Talib obeyed and
sent him back to Makkah with some of his men servants.
Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was hardly fifteen when the ‘sacrilegious’
wars — which continued with varying fortunes and considerable loss of
human life for a number of years — broke out between Quraish and Banu
Kinana on the one side and Qais ‘Ailan tribe on the other. It was thus
called because the inviolables were made violable, the prohibited months
being included. Harb bin Omaiyah, on account of his outstanding position
and honourable descent, used to be the leader of Quraish and their allies.
In one of those battles, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) attended on his
uncles but did not raise arms against their opponents. His efforts were
confined to picking up the arrows of the enemy as they fell, and handing
them over to his uncles.
At the conclusion of these wars, when peace was restored, people felt
the need for forming confederacy at Makkah for suppressing violence and
injustice, and vindicating the rights of the weak and the destitute. Representatives
of Banu Hashim, Banu Al-Muttalib, Asad bin ‘Abd Al-‘Uzza, Zahrah bin Kilab
and Taim bin Murra were called to meet in the habitation of an honourable
elderly man called ‘Abdullah bin Jada‘an At-Taimy to enter into a confederacy
that would provide for the above-mentioned items. The Messenger of Allâh
(Peace be upon him) shortly after he had been honoured with the ministry
of Prophethood, witnessed this league and commented on it, with very positive
words: “I witnessed a confederacy in the house of ‘Abdullah bin Jada‘an.
It was more appealing to me than herds of cattle. Even now in the period
of Islam I would respond positively to attending such a meeting if I were
invited."
In fact, the spirit of this confederacy and the course of deliberations
therein marked a complete departure from the pre-Islamic tribal-pride.
The story that led to its convention says that a man from Zubaid clan
came as a merchant to Makkah where he sold some commodities to Al-‘As
bin Wail As-Sahmy. The latter by hook or by crook tried to evade paying
for the goods. The salesman sought help from the different clans in Quraish
but they paid no heed to his earnest pleas. He then resorted to a mountain
top and began, at the top of his voice, to recite verses of complaint
giving account of the injustices he sustained. Az-Zubair bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib
heard of him and made inquiries into the matter. Consequently, the parties
to the aforesaid confederacy convened their meeting and managed to force
Az-Zubaidy’s money out of Al-‘As bin Wa’il.
Muhammad (Peace be upon him), had no particular job at his early youth,
but it was reported that he worked as a shepherd for Bani Sa‘d and in
Makkah. At the age of 25, he went to Syria as a merchant for Khadijah
(May Allah be pleased with her) Ibn Ishaq reported that Khadijah, daughter
of Khwailid was a business-woman of great honour and fortune. She used
to employ men to do her business for a certain percentage of the profits.
Quraish people were mostly tradespeople, so when Khadijah was informed
of Muhammad (Peace be upon him), his truthful words, great honesty and
kind manners, she sent for him. She offered him money to go to Syria and
do her business, and she would give him a higher rate than the others.
She would also send her hireling, Maisarah, with him. He agreed and went
with her servant to Syria for trade.
When he returned to Makkah, Khadijah noticed, in her money, more profits
and blessings than she used to. Her hireling also told her of Muhammad’s
good manners, honesty, deep thought, sincerity and faith. She realized
that she homed at her target. Many prominent men had asked for her hand
in marriage but she always spurned their advances. She disclosed her wish
to her friend Nafisa, daughter of Maniya, who immediately went to Muhammad
(Peace be upon him) and broke the good news to him. He agreed and requested
his uncles to go to Khadijah’s uncle and talk on this issue. Subsequently,
they were married. The marriage contract was witnessed by Bani Hashim
and the heads of Mudar. This took place after the Prophet’s return from
Syria. He gave her twenty camels as dowry. She was, then, forty years
old and was considered as the best woman of her folk in lineage, fortune
and wisdom. She was the first woman whom the Messenger of Allâh (Peace
be upon him) married. He did not get married to any other until she had
died.
Khadijah bore all his children, except Ibrahim: Al-Qasim, Zainab, Ruqaiyah,
Umm Kulthum, Fatimah and ‘Abdullah who was called Taiyib and Tahir. All
his sons died in their childhood and all the daughters except Fatimah
died during his lifetime. Fatimah died six months after his death. All
his daughters witnessed Islam, embraced it, and emigrated to Madinah.
When the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) was thirty five, Quraish
started rebuilding Al-Ka‘bah. That was because it was a low building of
white stones no more than 6.30 metres high, from the days of Ishmael.
It was also roofless and that gave the thieves easy access to its treasures
inside. It was also exposed to the wearing factors of nature — because
it was built a long time ago — that weakened and cracked its walls. Five
years before Prophethood, there was a great flood in Makkah that swept
towards Al-Ka‘bah and almost demolished it. Quraish was obliged to rebuild
it to safeguard its holiness and position. The chiefs of Quraish decided
to use only licit money in rebuilding Al-Ka‘bah, so all money that derived
from harlotry, usury or unjust practices was excluded. They were, at first,
too awed to knock down the wall, but Al-Waleed bin Al-Mugheerah Al-Mukhzumi
started the work. Seeing that no harm had happened to him, the others
participated in demolishing the walls until they reached the basis laid
by Abraham. When they started rebuilding its walls, they divided the work
among the tribes. Each tribe was responsible for rebuilding a part of
it. The tribes collected stones and startwork. The man who laid the stones
was a Roman mason called Baqum. The work went on in harmony till the time
came to put the sacred Black Stone in its proper place. Then strife broke
out among the chiefs, and lasted for four or five days, each contesting
for the honour of placing the stone in its position. Daggers were on the
point of being drawn and great bloodshed seemed imminent. Luckily, the
oldest among the chiefs Abu Omaiyah bin Mugheerah Al-Makhzumi made a proposal
which was accepted by all. He said: “Let him, who enters the Sanctuary
first of all, decide on the point.” It was then Allâh’s Will that the
Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) should be the first to enter the
Mosque. On seeing him, all the people on the scene, cried with one voice:
“Al-Ameen (the trustworthy) has come. We are content to abide by
his decision.” Calm and self-possessed, Muhammad (Peace be upon him) received
the commission and at once resolved upon an expedient which was to conciliate
them all. He asked for a mantle which he spread on the ground and placed
the stone in its centre. He then asked the representatives of the different
clans among them, to lift the stone all together. When it had reached
the proper place, Muhammad (Peace be upon him) laid it in the proper position
with his own hands. This is how a very tense situation was eased and a
grave danger averted by the wisdom of the Prophet (Peace be upon him).
Quraish ran short of the licit money, they collected, so they eliminated
six yards area on the northern side of Al-Ka‘bah which is called Al-Hijr
or Al-Hateem. They raised its door two metres from the level ground to
let in only the people whom they desired. When the structure was fifteen
yards high they erected the roof which rested on six columns.
When the building of Al-Ka‘bah had finished, it assumed a square form
fifteen metres high. The side with the Black Stone and the one opposite
were ten metres long each. The Black Stone was 1.50 metre from the circumambulation
level ground. The two other sides were twelve metres long each. The door
was two metres high from the level ground. A building structure of 0.25
metre high and 0.30 metre wide on the average surrounded Al-Ka‘bah. It
was called Ash-Shadherwan, originally an integral part of the Sacred Sanctuary,
but Quraish left it out.
A RAPID REVIEW OF MUHAMMAD'S BIOGRAPHY BEFORE COMMISSIONING
OF THE PROPHETHOOD:
Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was, in his youth, a combination
of the best social attributes. He was an exemplary man of weighty mind
and faultless insight. He was favoured with intelligence, originality
of thought and accurate choice of the means leading to accurate goals.
His long silence helped favourably in his habit of meditation and deep
investigation into the truth. His vivid mind and pure nature were helpfully
instrumental in assimilating and comprehending ways of life and people,
individual and community-wise. He shunned superstitious practices but
took an active part in constructive and useful dealings, otherwise, he
would have recourse to his self-consecrated solitude. He kept himself
aloof from drinking wine, eating meat slaughtered on stone altars, or
attending idolatrous festivals. He held the idols in extreme aversion
and most abhorrence. He could never tolerate someone swearing by Al-Lat
and Al-‘Uzza. Allâh’s providence, no doubts, detached him from all abominable
or evil practices. Even when he tried to obey his instinct to enjoy some
life pleasures or follow some irrespectable traditions, Allâh’s providence
intervened to curb any lapse in this course. Ibn Al-Atheer reported Muhammad
(Peace be upon him) as saying: “I have never tried to do what my people
do except for two times. Every time Allâh intervened and checked me from
doing so and I never did that again. Once I told my fellow-shepherd to
take care of my sheep when we were in the upper part of Makkah. I wanted
to go down to Makkah and entertain myself as the young men did. I went
down to the first house of Makkah where I heard music. I entered and asked:
‘What is this?’ Someone answered: ‘It is a wedding party.’ I sat down
and listened but soon went into deep sleep. I was awakened by the heat
of the sun. I went back to my fellow-shepherd and told him of what had
happened to me. I have never tried it again.”
Al-Bukhari reported on the authority of Jabir bin ‘Abdullah that he said:
“While the people were rebuilding Al-Ka‘bah, the Prophet Muhammad (Peace
be upon him) went with ‘Abbas to carry some stones. ‘Abbas said: ‘Put
your loincloth round your neck to protect you from the stones.’ (As he
did that) the Prophet (Peace be upon him) fell to the ground and his eyes
turned skyward. Later on he woke up and shouted: ‘My loincloth... my loincloth.’
He wrapped himself in his loincloth.” In another report: “His loins were
never seen afterwards.”
The authorities agree in ascribing to the youth of Muhammad (Peace be
upon him) modesty of deportment, virtuous behaviour and graceful manners.
He proved himself to be the ideal of manhood, and to possess a spotless
character. He was the most obliging to his compatriots, the most honest
in his talk and the mildest in temper. He was the most gentle-hearted,
chaste, hospitable and always impressed people by his piety-inspiring
countenance. He was the most truthful and the best to keep covenant. His
fellow-citizens, by common consent, gave him the title of Al-‘Ameen
(trustworthy). The Mother of believers, Khadijah (May Allah be pleased
with her) once said: He unites uterine relations, he helps the poor and
the needy, he entertains the guests and endures hardships in the path
of truthfulness.
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