The Elephant Refuses To Move

Abrahah, who came from Abyssinia-a country in Africa-conquered Yemen and was made vice-regent there. Later, he noticed that at a certain time of the year large numbers of people would travel from all over Yemen and the rest of Arabia to Mecca. He asked the reason for this and was told that they were going on pilgrimage to the Ka’bah. Abrahah hated the idea of Mecca being more important than his own country, so he decided to build a church of colored marble, with doors of gold and ornaments of silver, and ordered the people to visit it instead of the Ka’bah. But no one obeyed him.

Abrahah became angry and decided to destroy the Ka’bah. He prepared a large army led by an elephant and set off towards Mecca. When the Meccans heard that he was coming they became very frightened. Abrahah’s army was huge and they could not fight it. But how could they let him destroy the Holy Ka’bah? They went to ask the advice of their leader, ‘Abd al-Muttalib. When Abrahah arrived outside Mecca, ‘Abd al-Muttalib went to meet him. Abrahah said, ‘What do you want?’ Abrahah had taken Abd al-Muttalib’s camels, which he had found grazing as he entered Mecca, so ‘Abd al-Muttalib replied, ‘I want my camel’s back.’ Abrahah was very surprised and said, ‘I have come to destroy your Holy Ka‟bah, the holy place of your fathers, and you ask me about some camels?’ ‘Abd al-Muttalib replied calmly, ‘The camels belong to me; the Ka‟bah belongs to Allah and He will protect it.’

 Then he left Abrahah and went back to Quraysh and ordered them to leave Mecca and wait for their enemies in the mountains. In the morning Abrahah prepared to enter the town. He put armor on his elephant and drew up his troops for battle. He intended to destroy the Ka’bah and then return to Yemen. At that moment, however, the elephant knelt down and refused to get up, no matter how much the soldiers tried to get it to move by beating it. But when they turned its face in the direction of Yemen it immediately got up and started off. In fact, it did the same in any other direction, but as soon as they pointed it towards Mecca it knelt down again.

Suddenly, flocks of birds appeared from over the sea. Each bird carried three stones as small as peas and they dropped them on Abrahah1s army. The soldiers suddenly fell ill. Even Abrahah was hit by the stones and fled in fear with the rest of his army back to Yemen, where he later died. On seeing their enemy flee the Arabs came down from the mountains to the Ka‟bah and gave thanks to Allah.

Quraysh gained great respect and became known as ‘the people of Allah’, and the year in which these events took place, 570A.D, was named the ‘Year of the Elephant’. In that year Allah had saved the Ka’bah and he would soon bring forth a Prophet from among Quraysh. In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful:

“Hast thou not seen how thy Lord dealt with the owners of the Elephant? Did He not bring their stratagem to naught, And send against them swarms of flying creatures, Which pelted them with stones of baked clay, And made them like green crops devoured (by cattle)? (Qur’an 105.1-5)

Lineage of the Prophet Mohammad (ﷺ)

Over the years Ishmael’s children themselves had children. His descendants increased and formed tribes which spread out all over Arabia. One of these tribes was called Quraysh. Its people never moved away from Mecca and always lived near the Ka’bah. Banu Hashim is one of the clans of the Quraysh tribe, and is an Adnanite tribe. It derives its name from Hashim ibn Abd Manaf, the great-grandfather of Muhammad ﷺ and along with the Banu Abd Shams, Banu Al-Muttalib, and Banu Nawfal clans comprises the Banu Abd al-Manaf section of the Quraysh.

Many have questioned the linage of the prophet Muhammad ﷺ stating that his linage was from Yemen and not was in no way a descendent of Ismail. Sheikh `Abd al-`Azîz b. `Abd Allah b. Muhammad Al al-Sheikh, Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia provides the following answer.

Allah sent to the Arabs a Messenger who was one of their number.

Allah says: “Allah did confer a great favor on the believers when He sent among them a Messenger from among themselves, rehearsing unto them the Signs of Allah, sanctifying them, and instructing them in Scripture and Wisdom, while, before that, they had been in manifest error.” [Quran –Sûrah Al-`Imrân: 164]

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Allah chose Kinânah from the progeny of Ishmael and chose Quraysh from the progeny of Kinânah and chose the tribe of Banû Hâshim from the progeny of Quraysh. Then he chose me from among Banû Hâshim.” [Sahîh Muslim (4/1789)]

When the Roman governor Heracles met the Quraysh nobleman Abû Sufyân who was an avowed enemy of Islam, he asked him a number of questions about Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Among the matters that Heracles asked about was the lineage of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

Abû Sufyân informed him that Muhammad (SWA) was a man of respectable lineage. To this Heracles said: “Likewise, the Messengers share the lineage of the people to whom they are sent.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (1/5-6) and Sahîh Muslim (3/1393-1397)]

The Prophet (peace be upon him) was of a most noble lineage which is expressed as follows:

Muhammad the son of `Abd Allah the son of `Abd al-Muttalib the son of Hâshim the son of `Abd Manâf the son of Qusayy the son of Kulâb the son of Murrah the son of Ka`b the son of Lu`ayy the son of Ghâlib the son of Fahr the son of Mâlik the son of al-Nadr the son of Kinânah the son of Khuzaymah the son of Mudrakah the son of Ilyâs the son of Mudar the son of Nizâr the son of Mu`idd the son of `Adnân.

To this point the lineage is unquestionably authentic. It is agreed upon by all the genealogical experts of the Arabs. Disagreement comes into play when we try to go further back than `Adnân.

What we know for sure is that `Adnân was from the descendants of Prophet Ishmael (peace be upon him) and Ishmael was of course the son of Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him).

The Prophet’s mother was Aminah the daughter of Wahb the son of `Abd Manâf the son of Zahrah the son of Kulâb the son of Murrah and continues back with the same lineage as that of the Prophet ﷺ

The House of Abdul-Muttalib of Banu Hashim comprised of nobility in pre-Islamic Mecca. This was based on their hereditary duty to act as stewards and caretakers of the pilgrims coming to Mecca to worship at the Kaaba.

One of the duties of the leader of Quraysh was to look after those who came on pilgrimage to the Ka’bah. The, pilgrims would come from all over Arabia and it was a great honor to provide them with food and water. The prophet Mohammad was thus born from the Banu Hashim tribe, the noblest of the branches of Quraysh. Quraysh in itself was the noblest of all Arab tribes and the purist in descent and the highest in status.

Another important element of the Prophet ﷺ is his election (iṣṭefā). He ﷺ says: “I am Muḥammad, son of ʿAbdillah, son of ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib. Allah created all creation, and drew me from the best of His creatures; and He made them of two branches, and made me from the best branch; and He created the tribes; and drew me from the best tribe; and He divided them into houses, and drew me from the best house amongst them, and I am the best one amongst them.” In the Qurʾān, a whole chapter is dedicated to the house of ʿImrān. ʿIṣā, Marīam, Zakariyā and Yahyā, peace be upon them all, were all from the house of ʿImrān. This house was the elected house from the tribe of Israʾīl, who were another elected tribe. The Prophet ﷺ was the Elect (al-Muṣṭafā). When he ﷺ would explain his noble lineage to his Companions, he ﷺ would always make sure to tell them that his stating this was not out of pride. He ﷺ would say: “I am the best of the sons of Adam, and I do not mention this out of pride (wa lā fakhr).’’

Allah has selected Prophets from amongst the best lineages of their People for a reason. This alone is a science – an entire topic for another discussion. But let us at least mention that one of the reasons why Allah, exalted is He, selects Prophets in this way is to help them spreading the Divine Message. A noble man, well-respected in his society, does not have any need to lie or to create a lie about himself to earn esteem for himself in people’s eyes and be followed by them. His family background already confers him with an honored status in his community and a position of authority. The family background and lineage of the Prophet ﷺ was the best and the highest as described even by Abu Sufyan, his enemy at the time. The same was true of the other Prophets amongst their respective communities, including the Prophet Jesus (pbuh), the Prophet Moses (pbuh), the Prophet David (phuh), peace be upon them all. Before the emergence of each of these Prophets, people in their communities were already anticipating that Prophets would emerge from their families because those families were the most noble, honorable, God-fearing and God-knowing in their societies. To understand this, think about how today a scholar who comes from a family of generations of scholarship will have a much easier time establishing his credibility and standing in his community than one who does not have such a family background.

The noble lineage of the Prophet ﷺ revealed the light of prophecy. Imām al-Busayrī writes:

His birth revealed the purity of his original element, how fine his origin, how pure his final end!

Maysara Al Dhabbi said he asked the Prophet ﷺ “Oh, Messenger of Allah, when did you become a prophet?” He ﷺ answered, “While Adam was still between the soul and the body.”

The Marriage of Abdullah to Amina (The prophet’s parents)

Abd al Muttalib started to make plans for Abdullah’s future when he was 18 years old and his father thought it was time for him to marry, so he started to search for a suitable match. After much consideration he came to the conclusion that Amina, the orphaned daughter of Wahb, would be the most compatible bride for his son. Amina was of noble birth, her father, Wahb had been the chief of the Zuhra, a branch of the Quraysh, but upon his death, her paternal uncle, Wuhayb had become its new chieftain and taken care of her. His own daughter, Halah, was of similar age and so the two girls had grown up together like sisters.

Among Amina’s many qualities she was known for her honorable, endearing character and to compliment these characteristics she was very intelligent. Years later, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, confirmed her status when he told his companions, “I have been chosen from the most choice.” During Abd Al Muttalib’s search for a suitable bride for his beloved son, it came to his notice that Wuhayb’s daughter, Halah, was also of marriageable age, so he asked his permission to marry her himself. A proposal such as this was indeed a great honor and through these kind of arrangements essential inter−tribal ties were often strengthened.

Upon his return, Abd Al Muttalib told Abdullah that he had found the perfect match for him. Abdullah was overjoyed when he heard all the wonderful things his father had to say about Amina and so preparations for a double wedding were made. As soon as the wedding preparations had been finalized, the bridal party set out for the house of Wahb. On the way to the celebration, people came out of their houses to greet the procession and wish them well. Abdullah had always been handsome, but that day he looked more handsome than ever. Kutaylah a cousin of Abdullah and the sister of Warrakah, a biblical scholar who studied the Bible under Jews and Christians and studied an Arabic translation of the New Testament. Waraka often told Kutayla about the coming of a prophet to the Arabs as foretold in the scriptures. As the procession grew near Kutaylah noticed something very special about Abdullah that day, she had seen a radiant light upon his face, the like of which she had never seen before. She thought back about what Waraka told here about the coming of a prophet and wondered ‘could Abdullah be the prophet foretold or perhaps the father of the prophet’.

As the party passed the homes of the Bani Asad Kutaylah called out to Abdullah and with the permission of his father he stopped to speak with her. Kutaylah on impulse asked Abdullah to marry her, offering him the same number of camels. Abdullah was astonished by the proposal but decline her offer and the bridal procession continued on its way.

In those days it was the custom to stay in the house of the bride for several days after the marriage and then take her to her new home shortly afterwards. However, a few days after Abdullah and Amina’s marriage, it was necessary for Abdullah to return home. On his way he met Kutaylah again and asked her why she did not again asked him to marry him. She said ‘the light that was with thee have left thee’.

Amina conceived on the first night of their marriage and the young couple were very happy together. Everything his father had told him proved to be true, and Abdullah was as delighted with Amina as she was with him. Two months after their marriage Abdullah joined a trading caravan destined for Al Shams. Today, Al Shams is a conglomerate of several countries known to us as Syria, Jordan and Palestine. On the return journey, Abdullah was taken seriously ill in Yathrib. Abdullah had many relatives in Yathrib and so the caravan left him in their care and continued on to Mecca without him.

The death of Abudullah

A messenger bearing news of Abdullah’s illness was sent on in advance of the caravan and as soon as Abd Al Muttalib heard the disturbing news he sent his eldest son, Harith, to Yathrib to bring Abdullah home. Harith was not destined to see his brother again as Abdullah died before he reached Yathrib and so he was buried near his cousins, the children of Adiyy, the son of Najjar in Yathrib. Harith returned to Mecca and conveyed the saddening news to his father and Amina whereupon great sorrow fell upon the entire family.

The Birth of The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

Allah, the Most High, made Amina’s pregnancy easy for her, in fact she commented that she didn’t feel any different from her usual self. Even while giving birth she felt no pain. However, as her pregnancy progressed Amina became aware of a light shining from within her. One night in particular, the light was so spiritually, intensely bright that she had the ability to see the castles and turrets of faraway Basra in Al Shams. During her pregnancy, Amina had many visions concerning her unborn baby. On one such occasion she heard a voice telling her, “You are carrying in your womb the master of this nation. When he is born say, ‘I place him under the protection of the One from the evil of every envier; and you shall name him Muhammad.'”

On Monday, the twelfth day of Rabi al-Awwal in the Year of the Elephant, Amina gave birth to a son. Ibn Sa‘d reported that Muhammad’s ﷺ mother said: “When he was born, there was a light that issued out of my pudendum (genital organs) and lit the palaces of Syria.” Ahmad reported on the authority of ‘Arbadh Ibn Sariya something similar to this. Ibn Sa’d narrated that when Aamina ﷺ gave birth to the Prophet ﷺ he had no meconium (fetal fecal According to narrations by Ibn Umar ﷺ and others Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was born circumcised and with his umbilical cord already cut off. Anas ﷺ related that the Prophet ﷺ said, “One of the signs of the honor I have been given by my Lord is that I was born circumcised, and no one saw my private parts.”. Ibn Abbas ﷺ also said that Aamina ﷺ said, “When I gave birth to the Prophet, with him came out a light that lit the space between the east and west. He then fell on the ground, and leaning on his hands, took a handful of soil, grasped it, then raised his head toward Heaven.”Al Tabarani narrates that when he fell to the ground, he had his fingers drawn together, with the index finger pointing, testifying to the oneness of Allah. On that day all the idols on Earth turned upside down. Quraish was suffering from a severe drought and great distress, but through this blessed event the earth turned green and the trees bore fruit, and blessing came to them from every direction. Because of these blessed signs, the year when Muhammad (ﷺ) was conceived was called the Year of Triumph and Joy.

Allah sends man many signs when one of His chosen Prophets is born and on that twelfth day of Rabi al-Awwal in the year 570 A.D, many such signs were seen. Some were seen by Jewish scholars who had read in their scriptures of a coming Prophet. One of these learned men in Yathrib, for instance, saw a brilliant new star he had never seen before as he studied the heavens that night. He called the people around him and, pointing the star out to them, told them a Prophet must have been born. That same night another Jew was passing by the meeting place of the leaders of Quraysh in Mecca. He asked them if a baby boy had just been born and told them that if it were true, this would be the Prophet of the Arab nation.

Amina sent news of the birth to her father-in-law, ‘Abd al-Muttalib, who was sitting near the Ka’bah at the time. He was very happy and began at once to think of a name for the boy. An ordinary name would not do. Six days came and went and still he had not decided. But on the seventh day, as he lay asleep near the Ka‟bah, ‘Abd al-Muttalib dreamt that he should give the baby the unusual name of Muhammad, just as Amina herself had dreamt. And the child was called Muhammad ﷺ, which means ‘the Praised One’. When ‘Abd al Muttalib told the leaders of Quraysh what he had named his grandson, many of them asked, ‘Why did you not choose the sort of name that is used by our people?’ At once he replied, ‘I want him to be praised by Allah in the heavens and praised by men on earth.

Halimah

It was customary for babies to be sent to the desert and raised by a wet-nurse. The deserts fresh air was good for young babies and was a place where children learnt to ride a horse and shoot a bow and arrow for hunting amongst other things, one of them being poetry and being able to speak eloquently.

Among the women who travelled to Mecca to fetch a new baby at the time Aminah’s son was born, was a Bedouin woman called Halimah.

With her was her husband and baby son. They had always been very poor but this year things were harder than ever because there had been famine. The donkey that earned Halimah on the journey was so weak from hunger that he often stumbled. Halimah’s own baby son cried all the time because his mother could not feed him properly. Even there she-camel did not give them one drop of milk. Halimah did not know what to do. She thought to herself, ‘How can I possibly feed another baby when I haven’t got enough milk even for my own son?’ 

At last they reached Mecca. All the other women of the tribe to which Halimah belonged, the Bani Sa’d, found a child to take back with them, but not Halimah. The only baby left was Muhammad ﷺ. Usually the father paid the wet-nurse but Mohammed‟s ﷺ father was dead. So no one wanted to take him, even though he was from one of the noblest families of Quraysh. Halimah did not want to take him either, but she did not want to be the only woman to go back to her tribe without a baby to bring up. She asked her husband whether she should take Muhammad ﷺ or not. He advised her to do so, adding, ‘Perhaps Allah will bless us because of him.’

They started on the return journey and as soon as Halimah began to feed Muhammad ﷺ her milk suddenly increased and she had enough for him as well as her baby son. When they were back home, everything began to change. The land became green, and the date trees, one of their main sources of food, gave lots of fruit. Even the sheep and their old she-camel began to give plenty of milk. Halimah and her husband knew that this good fortune had come because they had the new baby, Muhammad ﷺ, whom they had come to love as if he were their own son. When Muhammad ﷺ was two years old, Halimah took him back to his mother. She pleaded with Aminah to let her keep him for a little longer, and to her great joy the mother agreed. During his time with Halimah’s family in the desert, Muhammad ﷺ played with her children and together they would take the sheep out to graze. At other times, however, Halimah would often find him sitting alone. They saw in him remarkable qualities of kindness, honesty and good character.One day when Muhammand ﷺ was playing outside with other the other boys an Angil came to him.

It was narrated from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) that that Jibreel came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when he was playing with the other boys. He took hold of him and threw him to the ground, then he opened his chest and took out his heart, from which he took a clot of blood and said: “This was the Shaytaan’s share of you.” Then he washed it in a vessel of gold that was filled with Zamzam. Then he put it back together and returned it to its place. The boys went running to his mother – meaning his nurse – and said: Muhammad has been killed! They went to him and his colour had changed. Anas said: I used to see the mark of that stitching on his chest. (Narrated by Muslim (162)). 

Halimah and her husband were very worried by this event, and thus they immediately set out to Makkah to return the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) to his mother. His mother realised something had occurred, and reassured them that Shaytaan would never be able to get a hold of the Prophet ﷺ. She recounts the miraculous events during her pregnancy e.g. she did not feel any burden whatsoever during the pregnancy. Later he would look back with joy on the time he had spent with Halimah, and he always thought of himself as one of the Bani Sa’d.

Three years later Amina decided to take her son to visit his uncles in Yathrib. She told her maid, Barakah, to prepare everything they would need for the long journey, and then they joined one of the caravans going there. They stayed in Yathrib a month and Muhammad ﷺ enjoyed the visit with his cousins. The climate there was very pleasant and he learned to swim and to fly a kite. On their way back to Mecca, however, Aminah became ill and died. She was buried in the village at al-Abwa not far from Yathrib. Muhammad ﷺ returned sadly to Mecca with his mother’s maid He was now six years old and had lost both his father and mother. He was then adopted by his grandfather, Abd al-Muttalib, who loved him dearly and kept him by his side at all times. It was the custom of ‘Abd al-Muttalib to sit on a blanket near the Ka‟bah. There he was always surrounded by people who had come to speak to him. No one was allowed to sit on the blanket with him, however, except his grandson Muhammad ﷺ, which shows how close they were to each other. Many times ‘Abd al-Muttalib was heard to say: ‘My son is destined for greatness.’

Two years later ‘Abd al-Muttalib became ill and Muhammad ﷺ stayed by him constantly. ‘Abd al-Muttalib told his son, Abu Talib, to adopt Muhammad ﷺ after his death, which he did. Abu Talib had many children of his own, but Muhammad ﷺ immediately became part of his family and the favorite child. The time came for Quraysh to prepare a caravan to go to Syria. Abu Talib was going with them and he took Muhammad ﷺ along. It was Muhammad‟s ﷺ first journey to the north. After days of travel, the caravan arrived at a place near Syria where the Romans used to come to trade with the Arabs. Near this marketplace lived a Christian monk called Bahira‟. His cell had been used by generations of monks before him and contained ancient manuscripts.

Bahira’ saw the caravan in the distance and was amazed to see that over it was a large white cloud. It was the only cloud in a clear blue sky and it appeared to be shading one of the travellers. The monk was even more surprised to see that the cloud seemed to follow the caravan but disappeared when the person it was shading sat down under a tree. Bahira‟ knew from the scriptures that a prophet was expected to come after Jesus (phuh) and it had been his wish to see this prophet before he died. Realizing that what he had just seen was a miracle, he began to think that his wish might, after all, come true. The monk sent an invitation to the Meccans to come and eat with him. The Arabs were surprised because they often passed by and Bahira‟ had never invited them before. When the group was all together for the meal, the monk said, ‘Is this everyone?‟ ‘No’, someone said, ‘a boy was left watching the camels.’ Bahira‟ insisted that the boy should join them. The boy was Muhammad ﷺ. When he arrived Bahira‟ said nothing, but watched him all through the meal. He noticed many things about his appearance which fitted the description in the old manuscripts. Later on he took him aside and asked Muhammad ﷺ many questions. He soon found out how he felt about the idols in the Ka’bah. When Bahira tried to make him swear by them, as the Arabs used to do, Muhammad ﷺ said, ‘There is nothing in this world that I hate more’. They talked together about Allah and about Muhammad‟s ﷺ life and family. Then he asked Muhammad ﷺ if he could see his back and when Muhammad ﷺ removed his shirt he seen the mark between his should blades in the self same place as explained in his manuscripts. The mark like a portion of raised skin as left by a cupping glass, the seal of prophet hood. What was said and seeing the seal of prophet hood on Muhammad’s ﷺ back confirmed to Bahira that this was indeed the Prophet who would follow Jesus (phuh).

Then the monk went to Abu Talib and asked him how he how he was related to Muhammad ﷺ. Abu Talib said ‘ he is my son’ Bahira replied ‘ He is not thy son, it cannot be this this boys father is still alive’. ‘He is my brother’s son’ replied Abu Talib. ‘that is correct’ said Bahira and he told Abu Talib to watch over Muhammad ﷺ with great care.

There are many stories told about Muhammed‟s ﷺ youth. Some tell of how he used to take the family’s sheep to graze and was always kind to them. While they grazed he would sit thinking about the mysteries of nature. Unlike those around him he never worshipped the idols and never swore by them. He also wondered why people were always struggling for power and and money, and this saddened him and made him feel lonely, but he kept his feelings to himself. He was a quiet, thoughtful boy, and rarely played with other boys of his age. On one occasion, however, Muhammad ﷺ went with some of the boys to a wedding in Mecca. When he reached the house he heard the sounds of music and dancing but just as he was about to enter he suddenly felt tired and, sitting down, fell asleep. He didn’t wake up until late the next morning and thus missed the celebrations. In this way Allah prevented him from doing anything foolish for He was keeping Muhammad ﷺ for something much more important.

 The Prophets Marriage

Muhammad ﷺ was popularly known as ‘al-Ameen’ for his unimpeachable character by the Makkans and visitors alike. The title Al-Ameen means the Honest, the Reliable and the Trustworthy, and it signified the highest standard of moral and public life.

By the time Muhammad ﷺ was twenty-five he was famous for his honesty. He was respected by everyone, even the elders of Mecca. The purity of his nature increased with the years. It seemed he had an inner knowledge that other people did not have. He believed in one All as the Creator of the world-and he worshipped Him with all his heart and with all his soul. Muhammad ﷺ was the finest of his people, the most kind, truthful and reliable person in Mecca.

He spent many quiet hours in a cave in Mount Hira, not far from Mecca, thinking about Allah. Among Quraysh was a respected and wealthy woman named Khadijah. She was involved in trade and on hearing of Mohammed‟s ﷺ reputation, sent for him and asked him to take her goods and trade with them in Syria. Muhammad ﷺ agreed and left for Syria with one of Khadijah’s caravans.

With him went her slave, Maysarah, and they spent a great deal of time talking together. Maysarah soon came to admire Muhammad ﷺ and found him to be unlike any other man of Quraysh. Two unusual events took place during this journey which puzzled Maysarah very much. The first happened when they stopped to rest near a cell of a monk, the very same cell that Bahiera occupied when Muhammad ﷺ with just a boy. Muhammad ﷺ sat under a tree while Maysarah was busy with some work. The monk came up to Maysarah and asked, ‘Who is the man resting under the tree?’ ‘One of Quraysh, the people who guard the Ka‟bah’, said Maysarah. ‘No one but a Prophet is sitting beneath this tree’, replied the monk.

The second event occurred on the journey back to Mecca. It happened at noon, when the sun is at its hottest. Maysarah was riding behind Muhammad ﷺ and as the sun grew hotter he court a glims of two angels appear above Muhammad ﷺ and shield him from the sun’s harmful rays.

The trading was very successful and Muhammad ﷺ made more profit for Khadijah than she had ever received before. When they arrived back in Mecca Maysarah told Khadijah everything about the trip and what he had noticed about Mohammed‟s ﷺ character and behaviour and what the monk had told him. Khadijah was a widow in her forties and as well as being rich and highly respected she was also very beautiful. Many men wanted to marry her but none of them suited her Many men wanted to marry her but none of them suited her. When she met Muhammad ﷺ however, she thought he was very special.

She sent a friend to ask Muhammad ﷺ why he was not married. Muhammad ﷺ said that it was because he had no money, to which the friend replied: ‘Supposing a rich, beautiful and noble lady agreed to marry you?’ Muhammad ﷺ wanted to know who that could be. The friend told him it was Khadijah. Muhammad ﷺ was very happy, because he greatly respected Khadijah. He went with his uncles, Abu Talib and Hamzah, to Khadijah’s uncle, and asked his permission to marry her. The uncle gave his permission and soon after, Muhammad ﷺ and Khadijah were married.

Their marriage was a joyful one and Muhammad ﷺ. Their marriage was a joyful one and Muhammad ﷺ and Khadijah were well suited. Their life together, however, was not without some sadness. They were blessed with six children, two sons and four daughters. Sadly their first born, a son called Qasim, died shortly before his second birthday, and their last child, also a son, only lived for a short time. Happily, their four daughters-Zaynab, Ruqayyah, Umm Kulthum, and Fatimah-all survived.

For a few years Muhammad ﷺ lived a calm and quiet life as a merchant in Mecca. His wisdom benefited many people. One day after huge flood caused damage to the Ka’bah which had to be rebuilt. When it came to place the black stone in its place disagreements broke out amongst the tribes as to who’s right it should be. The disagreements went on for days and they began to prepare to fight each other when one of the elders suggested they appoint the next man that entered the gate of Mecca as arbitor amongst them which everyone agreed on. Not long after Muhammad entered the gate and they said ‘it is Al-‘amin, we except his recommendation’ they said. When the disagreement was explained to the prophet ﷺ, he asked that a large cloak be brought to him. He spread out the cloak on the ground and told each of the tribes to take hold of one end. He put the black stone in the centre of the cloak and told them to raise up the cloak all together and when it was at the correct height he himself placed the black stone into its position. This shows the respect and high esteem they held for Muhammed in trusting his good judgement and good sense and thus keeping the peace.

The Ka’bah was still called the house of Allah at the time but the chief objects of worship came to be a number of idols placed inside, sculptural depictions of deities they believed to be the daughters of God which acted as intercessors. The few who felt disgust at this idolatry which had prevailed for centuries longed for the religion of Abraham. Such seekers of the truth were known as Hunafaa, a word originally meaning “those who turn away” from idol-worship.  These Hunafaa did not form a community, but rather each sought the truth by the light of their own inner consciousness.  Muhammad ﷺ was one of these.

Muhammad ﷺ First Encounter with Jibreel (AS) (Gabriel)

The Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ first revelation started at the age of 40 in the month of Ramadan 610 (C.E).

Aisha, mother of the believers, reported: The beginning of the revelation to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was in the form of good dreams which came true like bright daylight; then, the love of seclusion was bestowed upon him. He used to go in seclusion in the cave of Hira where he used to worship Allah continuously for many days until he desired to see his family. He would take with him food for the stay and then come back to his wife Khadija to take his food again, until suddenly the truth descended upon him while he was in the cave of Hira.

The angel came to him and asked him to read. The Prophet replied, “I do not know how to read.” The Prophet added, “The angel caught me and pressed me so hard that I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read and I replied: I do not know how to read; thereupon he caught me again and pressed me a second time until I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read but I replied: I do not know how to read; thereupon he caught me for the third time and pressed me, and then released me and said: Read in the name of your Lord, who has created everything, who has created man from a clot. Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous, Who taught by the pen, taught man which he knew not.” Quran (96:1-5)