The early life of the Prophet Muhammad
In this step you will walk through the life of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, from his birth to his passing. Knowing his life helps you love him, understand the Quran better, and see how Islam is lived in real situations. These lessons stay with what the Quran, authentic hadith, and well-established history tell us. Where a date or detail is not certain, you will see the word "around".
Born in Makkah
The Prophet was born in Makkah, a trading town in Arabia built around the Kaaba, the house of worship that the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son Ismail (Ishmael), peace be upon them, built for the worship of Allah (the Arabic word for God, the One God). The Quran recalls that moment:
And [mention] when Abraham was raising the foundations of the House and [with him] Ishmael, [saying], "Our Lord, accept [this] from us. Indeed You are the Hearing, the Knowing.
Quran 2:127 (Saheeh International translation of the meaning)
By the Prophet's time, many of the people of Makkah, the tribe of Quraysh, had turned to worshipping idols, even though they still honored the Kaaba.
Most historians date his birth to the Year of the Elephant, around 570 CE. That year an army led by Abrahah came with an elephant to destroy the Kaaba, and Allah stopped it, as Surah Al-Fil describes:
Have you not considered, [O Muhammad], how your Lord dealt with the companions of the elephant?
Quran 105:1 (Saheeh International translation of the meaning)
He was born on a Monday. When he was asked about fasting on Mondays, he said:
It is (the day) when I was born and revelation was sent down to me
Sahih Muslim 1162
An orphan cared for by Allah
He never knew his father, Abdullah, who died before he was born, according to most historians. As was the custom of the families of Makkah, he spent part of his early childhood with a wet nurse, Halimah, among the tribe of Banu Sa'd in the desert. His mother, Aminah, died when he was about six. His grandfather, Abd al-Muttalib, took him in, and after his grandfather died a couple of years later, his uncle Abu Talib raised him.
Allah later reminded him of this:
Did He not find you an orphan and give [you] refuge? And He found you lost and guided [you], And He found you poor and made [you] self-sufficient.
Quran 93:6-8 (Saheeh International translation of the meaning)
Scholars of tafsir explain that "lost" here means that before revelation he did not yet know the Book or the details of faith, and Allah taught him. If you sometimes feel alone in your faith, remember that the one Allah chose as His Messenger began life without his parents, and Allah took care of him.
Honest work and an honest name
As a young man he worked for his living. He once told his companions:
"Allah did not send a prophet except that he tended sheep." His Companions said: "And you?" He said: "Yes, I used to tend sheep for the people of Makkah in return for some Qirāts."
Sahih al-Bukhari 2262
A qirat was a small coin. He became known in Makkah for his honesty, and people called him al-Amin, the Trustworthy. Years later, when he gathered the clans of Makkah and asked whether they would believe him if he warned them of danger, they answered:
Yes, for we have not found you telling anything other than the truth.
Sahih al-Bukhari 4770
Even those who later rejected his message knew he did not lie.
Marriage to Khadijah
Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, may Allah be pleased with her, was a respected businesswoman of Makkah. He worked in her trade, and she came to know his honesty and good character. They married when he was about twenty-five. Their marriage was full of love and loyalty. He did not marry anyone else while she was alive (Sahih Muslim 2436), and long after her death he still spoke of her often and sent gifts to her friends (Sahih al-Bukhari 3818).
What did the people of Makkah call the young Muhammad because of his honesty?
Before prophethood, Muhammad was an orphan cared for by Allah, a hardworking shepherd, a loving husband, and a man everyone knew as truthful.
Next: the day in the cave of Hira when the first verses of the Quran came down, and how Khadijah stood by him.
Sources
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Up next: The first revelation in the cave of Hira
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