Genealogy and Background
Ben Al-Hussaini
In the name of Allāh,
the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful;
All the praise and thanks is due to Allāh, the Lord of al-‘ālameen.
I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allāh, and that Muhammad, Sallallāhu 'alayhi wasallam is His Messenger.
Prophet’s Geneology
He
is Muhammad bin ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abdul-Mutallib (Shaibah) bin Hashim, (‘Amr) bin ‘Abd Manaf ( Al-Mughirah) bin Qusay (Zaid) bin Kilab bin Murrah bin Ka’ab bin
Luay bin Ghalib bin Fihr (Quraish and whose tribe was named after him) bin
Malik bin Nadr ( Qais) bin Kinanah bin Khuzaimah bin Mudrikah (‘Amir) bin Elias
bin Mudar bin Nizar bin Ma’ad bin ‘Adnan. [1]
‘Adnan
bin Add bin Humaisi’ bin Salaman bin Aws bin Buz bin Qamwal bin Ubai bin ‘Awwam
bin Nashid bin Haza bin Bildas bin Yadlaf bin Tabikh bin Jahim bin Nahish bin
Makhi bin Aid bin ‘Abqar bin ‘Ubaid bin Ad-Da’a bin Hamdan bin Sanbir bin
Yathrabi bin Yahzin bin Yahlan bin Ar’awi bin Aid bin Dehsan bin Aisar bin
Afnad bin Aiham bin Muksar bin Nahith bin Zarih bin Sami bin Mazzi bin ‘Awdah
bin ‘Aram bin Qaidar bin Ishmael son of Abraham. [2]
Beyond
Abraham, Ibn Tarikh (Azar) bin Nahur bin Saru’ (or Sarugh) bin Ra’u bin Falikh
bin ‘Abir bin Salikh bin Arfakhshad bin Sam bin Noah, bin Lamik bin Mutwashlakh
bin Akhnukh (Enoch)- who was said to be Prophet Idris-bin Yarid bin Mahla’il
bin Qainan bin Anushah bin Shith bin Adam [3]
How It All Began
Nearly four thousand years ago, in the
Sumerian town of Ur in the valley of the river Euphrates
lived a young man named Abraham (‘alaihissalam). The people of Ur had once
worshipped Allāh but as time passed they forgot the true
religion and started praying to idols, statues made of wood or clay and
sometimes even of precious stones.
Even as a small child Abraham
(‘alaihissalam) could not understand how his people, and especially his father,
could make these images with their own hands, call them gods, and then worship
them. He had always refused to join his people when they paid respect to these
statues. Instead he would leave the town and sit alone, thinking about the
heavens and the world about him. He was sure his people were doing wrong and so
alone he searched for the right way.
One clear night as he sat staring at
the sky he saw a beautiful shining star, so beautiful that he cried out: 'This
must be Allāh!' He looked at it in awe for some time,
until suddenly it began to fade and then it disappeared. He turned away in
disappointment saying:
“I love not things that set.” (Al-An’am, 6:77)
On another night Abraham
(‘alaihissalam) was again looking at the sky and he saw the rising moon, so big
and bright that he felt he could almost touch it. He thought to himself:
“This is my Lord.” (Al-An’am, 6: 78)
But it was not long before the moon set as
well. Then he said,
“Unless my Lord guides me, I surely
shall become one of the folk who are astray.” (Al-An’am, 6: 78)
Abraham (‘alaihissalam) then saw the
beauty and splendor of the sunrise and decided that the sun must be the biggest
and most powerful thing in the universe. But for the third time he was wrong,
for the sun set at the end of the day. It was then that he realized that Allāh is the Most Powerful, the Creator of the stars, the
moon, the sun, the earth and of all living things. Suddenly he felt himself
totally at peace, because he knew that he had found the Truth. When he said
unto his father and his folk:
What do you worship? They said: We
worship idols, and are ever devoted to them. He said: Do they hear you when you
cry? Or do they benefit or harm you? They said: Nay, but we found our fathers
acting in this manner. He said: See now that which you
worship, you and your forefathers! Lo! They are (all) an enemy to me, except
the Lord of the Worlds. Who created me, and He guides me, And Who feeds me and
waters me. And when I sicken, then He heals me. And Who causes me to die, then
gives me life (again) And Who, I ardently hope, will forgive me my sin on the
Day of Judgment. (Ash-Shuara,
26:.70-82)
One day, while all the townspeople were
out, Abraham angrily smashed all the idols with his right hand except for one,
which was very large. When the people returned they were furious. They
remembered the things Abraham had said about the idols. They had him brought
forth before everyone and demanded, ‘Is it you who did this to our gods, O
Abraham?' Abraham replied, ‘But this chief did it. Ask them, if they
are able to speak 'The people exclaimed, ‘You know they do not
speak.' ‘Do you worship what you yourselves have carved when Allāh created you and what you
are?' Abraham continued, ‘Do you worship instead of
Allāh that which cannot profit you at all,
nor harm you?' [Anbiya’21:51-
66)
Finally, Abraham (‘alaihissalam) warned
them:
Serve Allāh,
and keep your duty unto Him; that is better for you if you did but know. You
serve instead of Allāh only idols, and you only invent a lie.
Lo! Those whom you serve instead of Allāh
own no provision for you. So seek your provision from Allāh, and serve Him, and give thanks unto Him, (for) unto
Him you will be brought back. (Al-Ankabut, 29: 16-17)
The people of Ur decided to give Abraham
the worst punishment they could find: he was to be burnt to death. On the
chosen day all the people gathered in' the centre of the city and even the King
of Ur was there. Abraham (‘alaihissalam) was then placed inside a special
building filled with wood. The wood was lit. Soon the fire became so strong
that the people were pushed back by the flames. But Allāh said:
O fire, be coolness and peace for
Abraham. (Al-Anbiyā’, 21: 69)
The people waited until the fire had
completely died down, and it was then that they saw Abraham still sitting there
as though nothing had happened! At that moment they were utterly confused. They
were not, however, moved by the miracle that had just happened before their
very eyes. Still Abraham tried to persuade his own dear father, who was named
Azar, not to worship powerless, un-seeing, un-hearing statues. Abraham
explained that special knowledge had come to him and implored his father, ‘So
follow me and I will lead you on the right path. O my father! Don't serve the
Devil.' But Azar would not listen. He threatened his son with
stoning if he continued to reject the gods of Ur. He ordered Abraham
to leave the city with these words: 'Depart from me a long
while.' Abraham said, 'Peace be upon you! I shall ask my
Lord's forgiveness for you. Surely He was ever gracious to me.’ (Maryam, 19:43-47)
Imagine how terrible it must have been for
him to leave his home, his family and all that he knew, and set out across the
wilderness into the unknown. But at the same time, how could he have remained
among people who did not believe in Allāh
and who worshipped statues? Abraham always had a sense that Allāh cared for him and he felt Allāh near him as he traveled.
At last, after a long hard journey, he
arrived at a place by the Mediterranean Sea, not far from Egypt. There he
married a noble woman by the name of Sarah and settled in the land of
Palestine.
Many years passed but Abraham
(‘alaihissalam) and his wife were not blessed with any children. In the hope
that there would be a child, and in keeping with tradition, Sarah suggested
that Abraham should marry Hagar, her Egyptian handmaid. Soon after this took
place, Hagar had a little boy named Ishmael.
Sometime later Allāh promised Abraham (‘alaihissalam) another son, but
this time the mother of the child would be his first wife, Sarah. This second
son would be called lsaac. Allāh also told Abraham that from his two sons
- Ishmael and lsaac-two nations and three religions would be founded and
because of this he must take Hagar and Ishmael away from Palestine to a new
land.
These events were an important part of Allāh's plan, for the descendants of Ishmael would form a
nation from which would come a great Prophet, who would guide the people in the
way of Allāh. This was to be Muhammad, the Messenger
of Allāh (Sallallāhu
‘alayhi wasallam). From the descendants of Sarah's child, lsaac would emerge
Moses and Jesus.
Abraham, Hagar, and Ishmael left Palestine and they traveled for
many days until finally they reached the arid valley of Bacca (later to be called Makkah), which was on one of the great
caravan routes. There was no water in the valley and although Hagar and Ishmael
only had a small supply of water left, Abraham left them there knowing Allāh would take care of them.
Soon all the water was gone. The child
began to grow weak from thirst. There were two hills nearby, one called Safa
and the other Marwah. Hagar went up one hill and looked into the distance to
see if she could find any water, but found none. So she went to the other hill
and did the same. She did this seven times. Then sadly she returned to her son,
and to her great surprise and joy she found a spring of water bubbling out of
the earth near him. This spring, near which the mother and child settled, was
later called Zamzam. The area around it became a place of rest for the caravans
traveling across the desert and in time grew into the famous trading city of
Makkah.
From time to time Abraham traveled from
Palestine to visit his family and he saw Ishmael grow into a strong young man.
It was during one of these visits that Allāh
commanded them to rebuild the Ka’abah-the very first place where people had
worshipped Allāh.
They were told exactly where and how to
build it. It was to be erected by the well of Zamzam and built in the shape of
a cube. In its eastern corner was to be placed a black stone that had fallen to
earth from heaven. An angel brought the stone to them from the nearby hill of
Abu Qubais.
Abraham and Ishmael worked hard to rebuild
the Ka’abah and as they did so they prayed to Allāh
to send a Prophet from among their descendants.
And when Abraham and Ishmael were
raising the foundations of the House, (Abraham prayed): 'Our Lord! Receive this
from us; Thou, only Thou, art the All-hearing, the All-knowing; Our Lord! And
make us submissive unto Thee and of our seed a nation submissive unto Thee, and
show us our ways of worship, and turn toward us. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the
Relenting, the Merciful. Our Lord! And rise up in their midst a messenger from
among them who shall recite unto them Thy revelations, and shall instruct them
in the Scripture and in wisdom and shall make them grow. Lo! Thou, only Thou,
art the Mighty, Wise. (Al-Baqarah,,2:
127-129)
When the Ka’abah was completed, Allāh commanded Abraham to call mankind to pilgrimage to
His Holy House. Abraham wondered how anyone could hear his call. Allāh said, 'You call and I will bring
them.' This was how the pilgrimage to the Ka 'bah in Makkah
was established and when Muslims make the pilgrimage today they continue to
answer the age-old call of Abraham.
The Children of
Ishmael
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 Quraish. Its people
never moved away from Makkah. and always lived near the Ka’abah.
One of the duties of the leader of Quraysh
was to look after those who came on pilgrimage to the Ka’abah. The pilgrims
would come from all over Arabia and it was a great honor to provide them with
food and water.
As time passed, however, the Arabs
stopped worshipping Allāh directly and started bringing idols back
with them from the different countries they visited. These idols were placed at
the Ka 'bah, which was no longer regarded as the Sanctuary of Allāh, as Abraham had intended it. It was, however, still
respected by the Arabs. Around this time the well of Zamzam disappeared beneath
the sand.
Also at this time, Qusaiy, one of the
leaders of Quraysh, became ruler over Makkah. He held the keys of the temple
and had the right to give water to the pilgrims, to feed them, to take charge
of meetings, and to hand out war banners before battle. It was also in his
house that Quraysh settled their affairs.
After Qusaiy's death his son, ‘Abdul Manaf
who had become famous during his father's lifetime, took over the leadership of
Quraysh. After him came his son Hashim. It is said that Hashim was the first to
begin the two great caravan journeys of Quraysh, one in the summer to Syria and
the north, and one in the winter to Yemen and the south. As a result, Makkah
grew rich and became a large and important centre of trade.
The Prophetic Family
The
family of Prophet Muhammad (Sallallāhu
‘alayhi wasallam) is called the Hashimite family after his grandfather Hashim
Ibn 'Abd Manaf. Let us now speak a little about Hashim and his descendants:
1- Hashim: He was the one responsible for
providing food and water to the pilgrims. This had been his
charge when the sons of 'Abd Manaf and those of 'Abd Ad-Dar compromised on
dividing the charges between them. Hashim was wealthy and honest. He was the
first to offer the pilgrims sopped bread in broth. His first name was 'Amr but he was called Hashim because he had been in the practice of crumbling
bread (for the pilgrims).
He
was also the first man who started Quraish's two journeys of summer and winter.
It was reported that he went to Syria as a merchant. In Al-Madinah, he married Salmah,
the daughter of 'Amr from Bani 'Adi Ibn An-Najjar. He spent some time with her
in Al-Madinah then he left for Syria again while she was pregnant. He
died in Ghazza in Palestine in 497 CE. Later, his wife gave birth
to 'Abdul Muttalib and named him Shaybah because of the white hair
on his head, and brought him up in her father's house in Al-Madinah. None of his family in Makkah learned of
his birth. Hashim
had four sons: Asad, Abu Saifi, Nadla and 'Abdul Muttalib, and five
daughters Ash-Shifa, Khalidah, Da'ifa, Ruqyah and Jannah.
2- 'Abdul Muttalib: After the death of Hashim, the charge of the
pilgrims' food and water went to his brother, Al-Muttalib Ibn 'Abd Manaf (who was honest, generous and
trustworthy). When 'Abdul Muttalib reached the age of boyhood, his uncle
Al-Muttalib heard of him and went to Al-Madinah to fetch him. When he saw him,
tears filled his eyes and rolled down his cheeks, he embraced him and took him
on his camel. The boy, however, abstained from going with him to Makkah until
he took his mother's consent. Al-Muttalib asked her to send the boy with him to
Makkah, but she refused. He managed to convince her saying: "Your son is going to Makkah to
restore his father's authority, and to live in the vicinity of the Sacred
House."
There
in Makkah, people wondered at seeing
‘Abdul Muttalib and
they considered him the slave of Al-Muttalib. Al-Muttalib said: "He is my nephew, the son of my
brother Hāshim." The boy was brought up in
Al-Muttalib's house, but later on Al-Muttalib died in Bardman in Yemen, so
'Abdul Muttalib took over and managed to maintain his people's prestige and
exceeded his grandfather in his honorable behavior, which earned him deep love
and high esteem from the people of Makkah.
3- When Al-Muttalib died, Nawfal usurped ‘Abdul
Muttalib’s charges,
so the latter asked for help from the Quraish, but they abstained from
extending any sort of support to either of them. Consequently, he wrote
to his
uncle of Bani An-Najjar (his
mother's brothers) in Madinah to come to his aid. His uncle,Abu Sa’ad Ibn 'Adyy, the bother of
his mother
marched to Makkah as the head of eighty horsemen and camped in Abtah in Makkah.
‘Abdul Muttalib received the men and invited them to go to his house but Abu
Sa’ad said: "Not
before I meet Nawfal." He
found Nawfal sitting with some old men of Quraish in the shade of Al-Ka’abah.
Abu Sa’ad drew his sword and said: "I swear by Allāh
that if you don't restore to my nephew what you have taken, I will kill you
with this sword." Nawfal
was thus forced to give up what he had usurped, and the notables of Quraish
were made to witness to his words.
Abu
Sa’ad then went to 'Abdul Muttalib's house where he stayed for three nights,
made ‘Umrah (minor pilgrimage) and left back for Al-Madinah.
Later
, Nawfal entered into alliance with Bani 'Abd Shams Ibn 'Abd Manaf against Bani
Hāshim.
The tribe of Bani An-Najjār supported 'Abdul Muttalib. Khuza’a from Bani Najjar said to Nawfal: "He ('Abdul Muttalib) is our son as he is yours. We
have more reasons to support him than you."'Abd Manaf's mother was one of them. They
went into An-Nadwa House (a place they used to gather in to discuss serious
matters) and entered
into alliance with Bani Hāshim against Bani 'Abd Shams and Nawfal.
It was an alliance that was later to constitute the main reason for the
conquest of Makkah.
'Abdul-Muttalib
witnessed two important events in his lifetime, namely digging the Zamzam well
and the Elephant raid.
Digging the Well of Zamzam
The
well of Zamzam originated for when Isma’il and his mother Hājar (Hagar) were overtaken by thirst, Allāh the Almighty caused a stream of water to flow in the
empty desert. Hajar contained the flowing water by
building a mound around it and it turned into a well. But at the time of
leaving Makkah, the Jurhum tribe covered it with dust and so, for a long time
it could not be traced.
When
‘Abdul Muttalib assumed the task of giving water to the pilgrims he started
searching for it along with his elder son Harith, but their efforts proved
fruitless. One day, ‘Abdul Muttalib saw the location of the well of Zamzam in
his dream and started digging for it.
There
were two idols, ‘Isaf and Na’ilah kept at that spot. The
Quraish resented this disturbance and became hostile and ready to fight.
Despite they were only two, father and son, they prevailed over them and
continued digging the well. Due to the isolation, ‘Abdul Muttalib invoked Allāh the Almighty that in case He gave him ten sons, he
would sacrifice one of his sons in the name of God. After a short period, the
well appeared and he was also blessed with ten sons.
The Elephant Raid by Abrahah
The
King of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) had captured Yemen for a very short period. During
the lifetime of ‘Abdul Muttalib, Yemen was under the rule of the King of
Abyssinia. In those days Abrahah Ashram was the governor of Yemen on behalf of the king.
He built a temple in Yemen and persuaded the Arabs to perform Hajj at the
temple of Yemen instead of the Ka'bah. However, he was not successful in his
endeavor. In order to put him to disgrace, an Arab defecated in the temple to
desecrate it. Abrahah grew so furious that he invaded Makkah with the intention
of destroying the House of Allaah -- the Ka'bah. He used elephants in his
attack, so the people of Makkah called them the People of the Elephant and the year came to be known as the Year of the Elephant.
When
the Quraysh came to know of the attack, they were filled with fear, as they
were no match for such a large and strong army. They jointly requested their
chief, ‘Abdul-Muttalib to go to Abrahah and explore a way to avert the battle.
When ‘Abdul-Muttalib presented himself to Abrahah, he was greatly impressed and
held him in high esteem. ‘Abdul-Muttalib stated that Abrahah's army had
captured 200 camels, which belonged to him. Thereupon Abrahah remarked that he
took him to be a wise person but he obviously was mistaken. ‘Abdul Muttalib was
aware that Abrahah had come with the sole purpose of demolishing the House of Allāh — the Ka’bah. However, intentionally ignoring the topic, he
only spoke of his camels instead of saving the Ka’bah.
‘Abdul
Muttalib said: “I
am merely the owner of the camels, but this House also has an Owner and He will
save it."
The
answer enraged Abrahah and he burst out in anger saying he would see if the
Lord of the House would save it. His army was destroyed and left like an empty
field from which all the corn has been eaten up, and only the straw with stalks
and stubble was left. The complete rout of Abrahah's forces after ‘Abdul
Muttalib’s daring reply was a very significant event for Arabia, which put
great fear of Allāh in their hearts.
After
that fateful event, the rule of Yemen went out of the hands of the Abyssinian
king and Sayf
Ibn Dhi Yazin captured
the country. ‘Abdul Muttalib took some nobles of Quraysh and went to
congratulate Sayf on his victory. Sayf Ibn Dhi Yazin gave ‘Abdul Muttalib glad
tidings that the
last Prophet would
be raised from his (‘Abdul-Muttalib's) offspring. This prophecy found wide
currency and fame. All the members of the delegation thought that the last Prophet (Khatamal Nabi’) would be raised from their progeny.
Each of them contacted the soothsayers and monks hoping for good news but
returned disappointed.
‘Abdul
Muttalib invoked God that in case he was granted ten sons, he would sacrifice
one of them in the name of God. ‘Abdul-Muttalib had ten sons, Al-Hārith, Az-Zubayr, Abu Talib, 'Abdullāh, Hamzah, Abu Lahab, Ghidaq, Maqwam, Safar and
Al-‘Abbās. He
also had six daughters, who were Umm Al-Hakim, Barrah, 'Atikah, Safiyah, Arwa and
Umayma.
‘Abdullāh was
the father of Prophet Muhammad (Sallallāhu
‘alayhi wasallam); His mother was Fatimah, daughter of 'Amr Ibn 'A'idh Ibn 'Imran Ibn Makhzum
Ibn Yaqdha Ibn Murrah.
'Abdullāh was the most handsome of ‘Abdul Muttalib's sons, the
chastest and the most loved. He was also the son whom the divination arrows
pointed at, to be slaughtered as a sacrifice to Al-Ka'bah. When ‘Abdul-Muttalib
had ten sons and they reached maturity, he revealed to them his secret vow
which they silently and obediently accepted. Their names were written on
divination arrows and given to the guardian of their most beloved goddess,
Hubal.
The
arrows were shuffled and drawn. An arrow showed that it was ‘Abdullāh to be sacrificed. ‘Abdul Muttalib then took the boy
to Al-Ka'bah with a razor to slaughter the boy. Quraysh, his uncles from Makhzūm tribe and his brother Abu Talib, however, tried to
dissuade him from consummating his purpose. After much discussion they turned
to Saja', a famous soothsayer. She pointed out that blood money for their
(‘Abdul-Muttalib's) clan was ten camels. Thus, they should put ‘Abdullāh on one side and ten camels on the other and then
draw the lots.
In
case the camels were chosen they would be slaughtered, but if ‘Abdullāh was chosen they should add ten more camels and draw
again. They should keep adding to the number of the camels until the camels
were drawn. This exercise went on until the number of camels reached one
hundred. ‘Abdul-Muttalib drew the lots twice more for his personal
satisfaction, but each time it fill upon the camels. Hence, 100 camels were
slaughtered and ‘Abdullāh was saved. Since that time, the blood
money of a person who was killed was fixed at one hundred camels.
‘Abdul
Muttalib chose Aminah,
daughter of Wahab Ibn 'Abd Munāf Ibn Zahrah Ibn Kilāb,
as a wife for his son, 'Abdullāh. In the light of this ancestral lineage,
she stood eminent in respect of nobility of position and descent. Her father
was the chief of Bani Zahrah, to whom great honor was attributed. They were
married in Makkah, and soon after 'Abdullāh
was sent by his father to buy dates in Madīnah
where he died. According to another version, 'Abdullāh went to Syria on a trade journey and died in Al-Madīnah on his way back. He was buried in the house
of An-Nabigha
Al-Ju'di. He
was twenty-five years old when he died. Most historians state that his death
was two months before the birth of Prophet Muhammad (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam). Some others said that his death
was two months after the Prophet's birth. When Aminah was informed of her
husband's death, she composed a heart-rending elegy in his memory.
‘Abdullāh left
very little wealth -- five camels, a small number of goats, a woman servant
called Barakah Umm
Ayman, who would later serve
as the Prophet's nursemaid.
The Birth of the Prophet Muhammad (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam)
Muhammad (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam), the Sayyid of Prophets, was
born in Makkah, Arabia, on Monday, 12 Rabi' Al-Awal (2August A.D. 570).
According to the scholar Muhammad Sulaimân Al-Mansourpuri it was the same year
of the Elephant Event, the forty years of the reign of Kisra (Khosru Nushirwan), i.e. on the twentieth or twenty
second April, 571 A.D.
The
mother of Prophet Muhammad (Sallallāhu
‘alayhi wasallam) is Aminah, who
was the daughter
of Wahb Ibn Abdu Manaf of the Zahrah family. His father, 'Abdullah, was the son of Abdul Muttalib by his wife Fatimah, daughter of 'Amr Ibn 'A'idh Ibn 'Imran Ibn Makhzum
Ibn Yaqdha Ibn Murrah. Their genealogy has been traced
to the
noble house of Ishmael, the
son of Prophet Abraham in about the fortieth descend. His
mother, Amīnah, was descended from Qusay’s brother.
Ibn
Sa‘ad reported that Muhammad’s 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.
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
Allāh and thanked Him. ‘Abdul Muttalib called
the baby Muhammad, a name not then common among the Arabs.
The
first woman who suckled him after his mother was Thuyebah, the freed slave of Abu Lahab, with her son, Masrouh.
She had suckled Hamzah Ibn ‘Abdul-Muttalib before, and later Abu Salamah Ibn
‘Abd Al-Asad Al-Makhzumi.
Babyhood
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
purity of their language and for being free from those vices which usually develop
in sedentary societies.
It
was customary to send the sons of Quraish into the desert to be suckled by a
wet-nurse and spend their early childhood with a Bedouin
tribe. Apart from considerations of health, this represented a
return to their roots, an opportunity to experience the freedom that
accompanies the vastness of the desert. Prophet Muhammad (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) was accepted by Halimah, and spent four or five years with this
Bedouin family, tending the sheep as soon as he was old enough to walk,
learning the ways of the desert.
Halīmah bint Abi Dhuaib was from Bani Sa‘ad Ibn Bakr. Her husband was Al-Harith Ibn ‘Abdul ‘Uzza called Abi Kabshah, from the same tribe.
Muhammad
(Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) had several foster
brothers and sisters, ‘Abdullah
Ibn Al-Harith, Anīsah bint Al-Hārith, Hudhafah or Judhamah bint Al-Hārith (known as Ash-Shayma’), and she used to nurse the Prophet
(Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) and Abu Sufyan Ibn Al-Hārith Ibn
‘Abdul-Muttalib, the Prophet’s cousin. Hamzah Ibn ‘Abdul-Muttalib, the Prophet’s uncle, was suckled by the
same two wet nurses, Thuyeba
and Halīmah As-Sa‘diyah, who suckled the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam).
Traditions
relate how Halīmah and the whole of her household were
favoured by successive strokes of good fortune while the baby Muhammad lived
under her care. Ibn Ishaq states that Halīmah
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 Allah 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 Allāh (Sallallāhu
‘alayhi wasallam) 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 Allaah 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 go 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 Allāh Halīmah, you must understand that you have
been able to get a blessed child." And I replied: "By the grace of
Allāh, I hope so."
The
tradition is explicit on the point that Halīmah’s
return journey and her subsequent life, as long as the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) stayed with her, were 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 Halīmah’s fellow travellers. By the time they reached the
encampments in the country of the clan of Sa‘ad, 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 (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) stayed with Halīmah for two years until he was weaned as Halīmah 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 (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) stayed with us
until he was four or five years of age.
When,
as related by Anas bin Malik (radiyallahu’anhu) 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 has been murdered." They all rushed towards him and found him all
right only his face was white.
After
this event, Halīmah was worried about the boy and returned
him to his mother with whom he stayed until he was six.
It
was customary to send the sons of Quraish into the desert to be suckled by a
wet-nurse and spend their early childhood with a Bedouin
tribe. Apart from considerations of health, this represented a
return to their roots, an opportunity to experience the freedom that accompanies
the vastness of the desert. Prophet Muhammad(Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) was accepted by Halimah, and spent four or five years with this Bedouin
family, tending the sheep as soon as he was old enough to walk, learning the
ways of the desert.
When
he was six, not long after he had rejoined his mother, she took him on a visit
to Yathrib, where his father had died, and she herself fell ill with one of the
fevers prevalent in the oasis, dying on the journey
home. Muhammad (Sallallāhu
‘alayhi wasallam) now came under the guardianship of his
grandfather, Abdul
Muttalib, chief of the Hashimite clan. When the boy was eight years
old, Abdul
Muttalib died,
and thus he entered the care of the new Hashimite chieftain, his uncle Abu
Talib. Prophet Muhammad (Sallallāhu
‘alayhi wasallam) tended sheep, and when he reached the age of nine, he
was taken by his uncle on the caravan journey to Syria so that he could learn
the art of trade.
The Orphan’s Childhood
Muhammad (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) returned to live with his mother
in Makkah. 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 (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) 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 Makkah however, Aminah became ill and
died. She was buried in the village at al-Abwa not far from Yathrib. Muhammad (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) returned sadly to Makkah. 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, 'Abdul Muttalib,who loved him dearly and kept him by his
side at all times.
It was the custom of 'Abdul Muttalib to
sit on a blanket near the Ka’abah. 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 (Sallallāhu
‘alayhi wasallam), which shows how close they were to each other. Many times
'Abdul Muttalib was heard to say: 'This boy will be very important one day.'
Two years later 'Abdul Muttalib became ill
and Muhammad (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) stayed by him
constantly. 'Abdul
Muttalib told his son, Abu Talib, to adopt Muhammad (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) after his death, which he did. Abu Talib had many children of his
own, but Muhammad (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) immediately became
part of his family and the favorite child.
His cell had been used by generations of
monks before him and contained ancient manuscripts. When Muhammad was
twelve years old, he accompanied his Uncle Abu Talib bin Abdul Mutalib on a mercantile journey to Syria, and they
proceeded as far as Busra. The journey lasted for some months.
The 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 travelers. 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 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
Makkahans. 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 (Sallallāhu
‘alayhi wasallam) 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 (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) 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 (Sallallāhu
‘alayhi wasallam) said, 'There
is nothing in this world that I hate more'. They talked together about Allah, and about
Muhammad's life and family. What was said made Bahira certain that this was
indeed the Prophet who would follow Jesus.
Then the monk went to Abu Talib and asked
him how he was related to Muhammad (Sallallāhu
‘alayhi wasallam) Abu Talib told him that Muhammad (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) was his son. Bahira replied that
this could not be so because the boy was destined to grow up an orphan, and
Bahira was related to have said to Abu Talib: 'Return with this boy and guard him against the
hatred of the Jews, for a great career awaits your nephew."
There are many stories told about
Muhammad's 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 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 (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) went with some of the boys to a
wedding in Makkah. 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 (Sallallāhu
‘alayhi wasallam) for something much more important.
After
this journey, the youth of Muhammad (Sallallāhu
‘alayhi wasallam) seems to have been passed uneventfully, but all
authorities agree in ascribing to him such correctness of manners and purity of
morals as were rare among the people of Makkah. The fair character and the
honorable bearing of the unobtrusive youth won the approbation of the citizens
of Makkah, and by common consent he received the title of "Al Ameen," (The
Faithful).
In
his early years, Muhammad was not free from the cares of life. He had to watch
the flocks of his uncle, who, like the rest of the Bani Hashim, had lost the
greater part of his wealth.
From
youth to manhood he led an almost solitary life. The lawlessness rife among the
Makkahans, the sudden outbursts of causeless and bloody quarrels among the
tribes frequenting the
Fair of Okadh (The Arabian Olympia), and the immorality and skepticism of the
Quraish, naturally caused feelings of pity and sorrow in the heart of the
sensitive youth. Such scenes of social misery and religious degradation were
characteristic of a depraved age.
His marriage to Khadijah
When
Muhammad (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) was twenty five
years old, he traveled once more to Syria as a factor of a noble and rich
Quraishi widow named Khadijah; and, having proved himself faithful in the
commercial interests of that lady, he was soon rewarded with her hand in
marriage. This marriage proved fortunate and singularly happy. Khadijah was
much the senior of her husband, but in spite of the disparity of age between
them, the tenderest devotion on both sides existed. This marriage gave him the
loving heart of a woman who was ever ready to console him in his despair and to
keep alive within him the feeble, flickering flame of hope when no man believed
in him and the world appeared gloomy in his eyes.
Until
he reached thirty years of age, Muhammad (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) was almost a stranger to the
outside world. Since the death of his grandfather, authority in Makkah was
divided among the ten senators who constituted the governing body of the
Arabian Commonwealth. There was no such accord among them as to ensure the
safety of individual rights and property. Though family relations afforded some
degree of protection to citizens, yet strangers were frequently exposed to
persecution and oppression. In many cases they were robbed, not only of their
goods, but even of their wives and daughters. At the instigation of the
faithful Muhammad(Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam), an old league called
the Federation
of Fudul,
i.e., favors was revived with the object of repressing lawlessness and
defending every weak individual - whether Makkahan or stranger, free or slave -
against any wrong or oppression to which he might be the victim within the
territories of Makkah .
When
Muhammad (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) reached thirty-five
years, he settled by his judgment a grave dispute, which threatened to plunge
the whole of Arabia into a fresh series of her oft-recurring wars. In rebuilding the Sacred House of the
Ka'bah in A.D. 605, the
question arose as to who should have the honor of raising the black stone, the most holy relic of that House,
into its proper place. Each tribe claimed that honor. The senior citizen
advised the disputants to accept for their arbitrator the first man to enter
from a certain gate. The proposal was agreed upon, and the first man who
entered the gate was Muhammad "Al-Ameen." His advice satisfied all the contending parties.
He ordered the stone to be placed on a piece of cloth and each tribe to share
the honor of lifting it up by taking hold of a part of the cloth. The stone was
thus deposited in its place, and the rebuilding of the House was completed
without further interruption.
It
is related that, about this time, a certain Usman, Ibn Huwairith, supported by
Byzantine gold, made an attempt to convert the territory of Hijaz into a Roman dependency,
but the attempt failed, chiefly through the instrumentality of Muhammad.
These
are nearly all the public acts related by historians in which Muhammad (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) took part in the first fifteen
years of his marriage to Khadijah. As for his private life he is described to
have been ever helpful to the needy and the helpless. His uncle Abu Talib had
fallen into distress through his endeavors to maintain the old position of his
family. Muhammad, being rather rich at this time by his alliance with Khadijah,
tried to discharge part of the debt of gratitude and obligation which he owed to his uncle by
undertaking the bringing up and education of his son 'Ali. A year later he
adopted 'Akil, another of his uncle's sons.
Khadijah
bore Muhammad three
sons and four daughters.
All the males died in childhood, but in loving 'Ali he found much consolation.
About
this time, Muhammad (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) set a good example of
kindness, which created a salutary effect upon his people. His wife Khadijah
had made him a present of young slave named Zaid Ibn Harithah, who had been brought as a captive to Makkah and
sold to Khadijah. When Harithah heard that Muhammad (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) possessed Zaid, he came to Makkah
and offered a large sum for his ransom. Whereupon Muhammd said: "Let Zaid come here, and if he
chooses to go with you, takes him without ransom; but if it be his choice to
stay with me, why should I not keep him?' Zaid, being brought into Muhammad's presence,
declared that he would stay with his master, who treated him as if he was his
only son. Muhammad (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) no sooner heard this
than he took Zaid by the hand and led him to the black stone of Ka'bah, where
he publicly adopted him as his son, to which the father acquiesced and returned
home well satisfied. Henceforward Zaid was called the son of Muhammad.
Muhammd
(Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) was now approaching
his fortieth year, and his mind was ever-engaged in profound contemplation and
reflection. Before him lay his country, bleeding and torn by fratricidal wars
and intolerable dissensions; his people, sunk in barbarism, addicted to the
observation of rites and superstitions, were, with all their desert virtues,
lawless and cruel. His two visits to Syria had opened to him a scene of
unutterable moral and social desolation, rival creeds and sects tearing each
other to pieces, carrying their hatred to the valleys and deserts of Hijaz, and
rending the townships of Arabia with their quarrels and bitterness.
The Hunafa
The
Makkans claimed their descent from Abraham through Ishmael, and their Sacred
House, the Ka’abah, had been built by Abraham for the worship of the One
God. It was called the House of God, but the chief objects of
worship were 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 Hunafa, a
word originally meaning “those
who turn away” from
idol-worship. These Hunafa did not form a community, but rather each
sought the truth by the light of their own inner consciousness. Muhammad
son of Abdullah was one of these.
And
Allāh Almighty Knows best.
Footnotes
[1]
Ibn Hisham 1/1-2 and Tarikh At-Tabari 2/239-271
[2]
Ibn Sa’ad 1/56-57, Tarikh At-Tabari 2/272
[3]
Ibn Hisham 1/2-4, Tarikh At-Tabari 2/276. The sources differ over some of these
names.
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