The Last Prophet of Allah
by Ghulam Nabi Muslim
Birth and Boyhood of the Prophet [Muhammad (pbuh)] of Allah
Some five hundred and seventy years after Christ (peace be upon him) there lived in Mecca a handsome young man named Abdullah. He belonged to the clan of Hashim. His father, Abdul Muttalib, was the head of the clan. He was wise and pious and the Arabs respected him. Abdullah was the youngest of his several sons. He was married to a good lady named Amina. Her parents lived at Madina, about 300 miles to the north of Mecca. Once in his early youth Abdullah went to Madina. Madina was then called Yasrab. After a short illness there Abdullah breathed his last. Soon after his death, Amina gave birth to a son. This boy was named Muhammad (the Praised One) by his grandfather. The mother, however, called him Ahmad. Like all other children of Mecca, Muhammad was also put under the care of a nurse. Her name was Halima. She belonged to the tribe of Banu Saad. This tribe lived in the desert. So, Muhammad spent the first four years of his life among simple and brave desert folks. When four years old, Muhammad was brought back to his mother. Two years later, he lost his mother. His old grandfather now took him in his own care. But he too passed away when Muhammad was hardly eight. He, then, came under the protection of his uncle Abu Talib.
There were no schools in Mecca at that time. Muhammad, therefore, received no education. He was unable to read or write. Besides, Abu Talib was not a rich man and Muhammad had to tend his sheep and camels. Thus, from his early boyhood, Muhammad led a hard life. Abu Talib was a trader. He often went to Syria and other countries. He loved Muhammad dearly, and often took him with him. This gave Muhammad training and experience and it made him a successful trader in the years to come.
Muhammad grew up to be a strong, handsome and intelligent young man. He was very pious and virtuous. He always avoided bad company and was truthful and honest. Everybody trusted him. He was fair in his dealings. People often put their money and other valuable things in his safekeeping. He always returned them intact. For this reason, he was called Amin (the Honest), and Sadiq (the Truthful).
Once the building of Kaaba was damaged by a flood. It was pulled down and built again. The sacred Black Stone (Hajr-i-Aswad) was to be placed in the wall. Each tribe wished to have the honour of doing so. They were about to fight over it. Just then Muhammad came there. Although he was a youth of 21, yet they trusted his wisdom. They asked him to decide the point. He knew the danger. So, he spread a sheet of cloth and placed the stone on it. Then he asked the leaders of all the clans to lift the cloth along with the stone and carry it to its proper place. This they did joyfully. Then Muhammad took up the stone and placed it in its proper place in the wall. All were pleased and satisfied. Everybody praised the promising young man for his wisdom.
When he grew up he took to trade. He was very honest and fair in his dealings. He was loved by his fellow-traders. His fame spread far and wide. An Arab widow, Khadija by name, heard of his honesty and piety. She was very rich and often sent caravans of trade to other countries. She took Muhammad into her service and sent him to Syria. Muhammad did his duty very well. Khadija was highly pleased with him and soon afterwards they were married. Muhammad was then 25 years of age while Khadija was his senior by 15 years. They both loved each other and lived happily.
As time passed, Muhammad began to take more interest in his country-men. He believed in one God — Allah — and disliked idol-worship. He hated drinking, gambling and other evil practices of his people. The people of Mecca were very cruel to outsiders and often robbed them whenever they came to the sacred city.Muhammad felt it very much, so he collected some good men of the city and formed a party to protect the helpless visitors and pilgrims. This party was known as Hilf-ul-Fuzool. Its members took the following oath:
- We shall fight lawlessness in the country.
- We shall protect the travellers.
- We shall help the poor.
- We shall check the strong from being cruel to the weak.
He did not stop at this. He actually helped the poor, the aged and the widows. But he was not satisfied with the moral condition of the Arabs. He began to think over their evil ways and bad conduct. He grew silent and thoughtful. He often went to a hillock outside the city and sat there in a cave called Hira.
There he prayed to Allah and thought over the sad plight of the slaves, the poor, the orphans and the widows. He often stayed there for days on end.
As the time passed, he began to see dreams which always came out true. This happy experience went on till he was 40 years old.