22/11/2017
The History of Prophet Muhammed
One day, while travelling north, one of the Arab tribes from
Mecca met a hermit in the desert. Some of the men stopped to
speak with him. Hermits were known to be wise and the Arabs
often asked their advice. The hermit asked where they had
come from. When they replied that they were from Mecca, he
told them that Allah would soon send a prophet, who would
come from their people. They asked the name of this prophet
and the hermit answered that his name would be Muhammad
and that he would guide them to a new way of life.
Meanwhile in Mecca, Aminah, although saddened by the loss
of her husband, felt especially well and strong as she awaited
the birth of her baby. During this time she dreamt of many
things. On one occasion it was as if a great light were shining
out of her, and on another she heard a voice telling her that
she would have a boy and that his name would be Muhammad.
She never forgot that voice but she told no one about it.
On Monday, the twelfth day of Rabi al-Awwal in the Year of
the Elephant, Aminah gave birth to a son. 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.
Aminah 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
Aminah herself had dreamt. And the child was called
Muhammad (pbuh), 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.
Like many other women in Mecca, Aminah decided to send
her son away from the city for his early years to the desert
where it was more healthy. Women from the desert used to
come to Mecca to collect the new babies and they would then
keep them until they developed into strong children, for which
they were well paid by the parents.
Among the women who traveled 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
their 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 (pbuh). Usually the father paid the wet-nurse
but Mohammed’s 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 (pbuh) 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 (pbuh) 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 (pbuh),
whom they had come to love as if he were their own son.
When Muhammad (pbuh) was two years old, Halimah took
him back to his mother. She pleaded with Aminah, however, 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 (pbuh) 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. It
is said that on one occasion, two angels came to Muhammad
(pbuh) and washed his heart with snow. In this way Allah
made his heart pure for He intended Muhammad (pbuh) to be
greater than any man ever born and to become the Seal of the
Prophets.
In the Name of Allah the Beneficent, the Merciful
“Did We not expand thy breast for thee And eased thee of
thy burden Which weighed down thy back; And exalted thy
fame? So truly with hardship comes ease, Truly with hardship
comes ease. So when thou art relieved, still toil And strive to
please thy Lord. (Koran xciv.1-8)
When Halimah finally took Muhammad (pbuh) back to
Aminah, he was a healthy, strong boy. 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.
Muhammad (pbuh) returned to live with his mother in Mecca
when he was about three years old. Three years later Aminah
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
(pbuh) 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 (pbuh) 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 (pbuh), which shows how close they were to each
other. Many times 'Abd al-Muttalib was heard to say: 'This boy
will be very important one day.'
Two years later 'Abd al-Muttalib became ill and Muhammad
(pbuh) stayed by him constantly. 'Abd al-Muttalib told his son,
Abu Talib, to adopt Muhammad (pbuh) after his death, which
he did. Abu Talib had many children of his own, but
Muhammad (pbuh) 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 (pbuh) along. It was Mohammed’s 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 monk called
Bahira’. His cell had been used by generations of monks before
him and contained ancient manuscripts.
The Prophet's Marriage
By the time Muhammad (pbuh) 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 God-Creator of the world-and
he worshipped Him with all his heart and with all his soul.
Muhammad (pbuh) was the finest of his people, the most kind,
truthful and reliable person in Mecca. He was known among
Quraysh as 'the trustworthy' (al-Amin) because of the good
qualities Allah had given him. 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 reputation, sent for him and asked him to take
her goods and trade with them in Syria. Muhammad (pbuh)
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 (pbuh). He thought he was quite different from all
the other men of Quraysh.
Two unusual events took place during this journey which
puzzled Maysarah very much. The first happened when they
stopped to rest near the lonely home of a monk. Muhammad
(pbuh) 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 (pbuh) and as the sun grew hotter he saw two
angels appear above Muhammad (pbuh) and shield him from
the sun's harmful rays. The trading was very successful and
Muhammad (pbuh) 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 character and behavior.
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. When she met Muhammad (pbuh), however, she thought
he was very special. She sent a friend to ask Muhammad
(pbuh) why he was not married. Muhammad (pbuh) 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 (pbuh) wanted to know who that could be.
The friend told him it was Khadijah. Muhammad (pbuh) 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 (pbuh) and Khadijah
were married.
Their marriage was a joyful one and Muhammad (pbuh)
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 (pbuh) lived a calm and quiet
life as a merchant in Mecca. His wisdom benefited many
people. One such time was when Quraysh decided to rebuild
the Ka’bah. It was a difficult decision for them because they
had to knock it down before rebuilding it and the people were
afraid that Allah might be angry with them for knocking down
His sanctuary. At last one of the wise old men of Quraysh
decided to begin, then everybody followed him. They worked
until they reached down to the first foundation that Abraham
had built. As soon as they began to remove the stones of this
foundation, however, the whole of Mecca began to shake.
They were so afraid that they decided to leave these stones
where they were and build on top of them. Each tribe brought
stones and they built the Ka'bah up until they reached the
place where the black stone was to be set. They then began to
argue about who should have the honor of carrying the black
stone and lifting it to its place in one of the corners of the
Ka'bah.
They almost came to blows but fortunately one of the men
offered a solution. He suggested that they should be guided by
the first person to enter the place of worship. They all agreed
and as Muhammad (pbuh) was the first to enter everyone was
pleased, because they all trusted him. They told him the cause
of the argument and he asked them to bring a large cloak.
They did as he asked, and after spreading the cloak on the
ground he placed the black stone in the centre of it. Then he
asked a man from each tribe to hold one edge of the cloak and
together to raise it to the height where the stone should be
see. When this was done, he took the stone off the cloak and
put it into place himself. This story shows how all Quraysh
respected and trusted Muhammad (pbuh) and how, by his
wisdom and good sense, he was able to keep the peace.
GLOSSARY
Abd Allah Abd al-Mulib's youngest son. Father of the Prophet
Abd Allah Ibn One of the rulers of Yathrib before the
Ubayy Hijrah. He became a Muslim but secretly
plotted with the Meccans against the Prophet.
Abd Al- Son of Hashim. He took the place of his
Muttalib father as the head of Quraysh. He dug the well of Zamzam.
Abd Allah Ibn : Was sent with Amr Ibn al-'Ass to
Abu Rabiah Abyssinia.
Abdu Manaf Son of Qusayy; took over as leader of the Quraysh after his father's death.
Abrahah King of Yemen who came to Mecca with a big army to destroy the Kabbah.
Abraham The founding father of the three
(Ibrahtm) monotheistic (worshipping one God only) religions-Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
The descendants of his son Ish maci (fsma'ii) formed the tribe of Quraysh, which is the tribe of the Prophet Muhammad
Abo Bakr A rich and much respected merchant of Mecca. The first man to believe in the Prophet and embrace Islam. He was the Prophet's closest friend and companion.
Abu Dujanah One of the great Ansar warriors. lt was he
who died Shielding the Prophet with his
ownbody during the battle of Uhud
Abujahl One of the important men of Quraysh. Violently opposed to
Islam, he did many things to harm the Prophet. He was killed at Badr. ABU LAHAB: One of the Prophet Mohammed’s uncles, who was a great enemy of Islam. He is referred to in the Koran in Surah cxi.
Abu Sufyan One of the leaders of Quraysh who led the unbelievers in their fight against the Prophet. He finally became a Muslim. His wife was Hind.
Abo Talib The Prophet's uncle, father of 'Ali, one of the respected men of Quraysh He took care of the Prophet after his grandfather died and
continued to protect him until his own death.
'Addas A Christian servant of one of the big tribes of Ta'if and the only person from this town to believe in the Prophet ~ at the time of
his first visit there.
Adhan Call to prayer.
'Aisah The Prophet's wife and daughter of Abu Bakr.
Al-'Abbas One of the uncles of the Prophet ~. Converted to Islam and joined the Muslims just as they were about to enter Mecca.
Ali Son of Abu Tilib. First cousin of the Prophet. 'Ali later married Fatimah, the youngest daughter of the Prophet.
Allahu Akar Phrase meaning 'God Allah is Great'.
Alms Money, clothes or food given to the poor.
Aminah Aminah bint Wahb. The motherof the Prophet.
'Amro Ibun An important and clever man from
Al'ass Quraysh; was sent to Abyssinia to bring back the first Muslim emigrants. Later became one of the great Warriors of Islam.
Ansar The inhabitants of Medinah who became Muslims and asked the Prophet to come and live with them.
Apostle Person sent to teach men about God.
Wa Aleikum Phrase used by the Muslims in greeting,
Assalamu meaning: 'May the Peace, Mercy and Grace
Rahmatullah of Allah be upon you.
Wa
Barakatuiiu
Bah1ira A monk who lived in the desert on the Quraysh caravan route to Syria.
Bani Hashim The branch of Quraysh to which the Prophet belonged.
Bani Qurayzah A Jewish tribe who were living in Yathrib at the time the Prophet arrived there. Several times they betrayed their Covenant with the Prophet, forcing him to fight them.
Bedouin Nomadic Arabs of the desert, usually shepherds.
Bilal The Slave of Umayyah ibn Khalaf. He became a Muslim against the will of his master and was persecuted cruelly but never lost his faith. Later he became the first mu'adhdhin (the person who calls the
adhan).
Bismillah The phrase meaning 'In the Name of Allah the Merciful, The Compassionate'.
B***y Things captured from an enemy in war.
Buraq Animal ridden by the Prophet Muliammad ~ on his ascent to heaven (the Isra' and Mi'raj).
Caravan A group of travellers, usually merchants with their goods.
Clan Large family or tribe.
Congregation Gathering of people for prayer.
Convert To change from one state into another, usually said of religion.
Copt An Egyptian Christian.
Descendants People originating from a certain person (children, grandchildren, etc.).
Destined Fated, already decided by God.
Famine Scarcity of food.
Hiurah The flight from Mecca to Medinah; emigration
Hind Abu Sufyin's wife.
Imam A man who leads the Muslims in prayer.
Ishmael The first son of Abraham from his wife
(Isma'il) Hagar. Settled in Mecca where he helped his father rebuild the Kabah. From his descendants came Quraysh.
Islam Religion revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.
Ja'far Ibn Abu A cousin of the Prophet and brother of Ali,
Tallb he was the spokesman of the Muslims who emigrated to yssinia.
Khadijah The Prophet Mohammed’s first and only wife until her death. She was the first to believe in the Prophet and to accept as true
the Message he brought from Allah.
Khalid Ibn Al- A great warrior, very skilled at warfare. He
Walid planned the defeat of the Muslims at Uhud, but later converted to Islam and fought even more strongly for his new faith.
Martyr One who dies in the cause of God.
Maysarah Khadijah's slave. Accompanied the Prophet on his journey with Khadijah's caravans.
Minaret Tower from which the call to prayer is made.
Mosque Building in which Muslims pray.
Muslim One who submits to God, usually referring to the followers of the Prophet Muhammad.
Oasis A small area in the desert where water and trees are to be found.
Paradise Place to which the souls of good people go after death Pilgrimage Journey to a holy place, e.g. Hajj
WRITTEN BY: NURULAKIKH BABAORO
