THE LINEAGE LINK AND BIRTH OF MUHAMMADP.B.U.H |
Abdul Muttalib was well known for his
generosity, reliability and wisdom. He was a handsome person. He had many wives but only
one son. His cousin Umayyah, was the head of the clan of Abdu Shams. He was blessed with
many sons. Abdul Muttalib prayed that if Allah would bless him with ten sons and let them
all grow to manhood, he would sacrifice one of them at the Holy Kabah for Allah. His prayer was answered: He was blessed
with nine more sons. When all his sons were grown up his vow began to dominate his
thoughts. Abdullah was the one he loved most. He was endowed with remarkable beauty. Abdul
Muttalib was a man of his word. He gathered his ten sons together, told them of his pact
with Allah, and called on them to help him to keep his word. He asked them to make each his mark on an
arrow. He went to the Sanctuary and took his stand beside Hubal. He drew out a large knife
that he had brought with him, and prayed to Allah. The lots were cast, and it was
Abdullahs arrow that came out. Fatima the mother of Abdullah was a woman
of Quraysh. She belonged to the powerful clan of Makhzum. When Abdul Muttalib began to
tell them of his vow, he was cut short by Mughirah, the chief of Makhzum. He told him,
"Thou shalt not sacrifice Abdullah, but offer a sacrifice in his stead, it may be
that his ransom be all the property of the sons of Makhzum, we will redeem him".
Abdullahs brothers turned to their father and begged him to let their brother live
and to offer some other sacrifice by way of expiation. Abdul Muttalib agreed to consult a
wise woman in Madinah who could tell him whether an expiation was possible in this case,
and if so what form it should take. Abdul Muttalib rode to Madinah only to
learn that the wise woman he wanted to consult had gone to Khaybar. Next morning the woman
was consulted, who said: "Word hath come to me, what is the blood-money amongst
you"? He answered that it was ten camels "Return to your country" and put
your man and ten camels side by side and cast lots between them. If the arrow fell against
your man, add more camels and cast lots again; and if need be add more camels until your
Lord accepts them and the arrow-falls against them, then sacrifice the camels and let the
man live". The arrow fell against Abdullah, they went on adding camels, ten at a
time, and casting lots with the same result until the number of camels had reached one
hundred. Only then did the arrow fall against them. Abdul Muttalib left for Makkah and offered
sacrifice of one hundred camels in the name of Allah in place of his son. Years later when
Abdullahs only son Muhammad (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace) was blessed with Prophethood and the Holy Quran was
revealed upon him, Allah fixed the number of camels to one hundred as Diyyat - the blood
money for the murder of a human being on the provision that it should not have been
planned deliberately on tribal grounds. When Abdullah grew up to adulthood, Abdul
Muttalib arranged that he should marry Aminah The marriages took place according to plan,
and the two couples stayed for some days in the house of Wahib. The year of the marriages
was 569 AD. Abdullah had gone for trade to Palestine
and Syria with one of the caravans; and on his way home he had lodged with his
grandmothers family in Madinah, and there he had fallen ill. His wife Aminah was
conscious of a light within her, and one day it shone forth from her so intensely that she
could see the castles of Bostra in Syria. She heard a voice say to her, "Thou
carrieth in thy womb the lord of this people; and when he is born say, I place him
beneath the protection of the One, from the evil of every envier; then name him
Ahmad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)".
Some weeks later the child was born. Aminah was in the home of her uncle at that time. She
sent word to Abdul Muttalib, asking him to come to see his grandson. His grandfather, Abdul Muttalib named him
Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
meaning the praised one. This was an unusual name in Arabia. Aminah did not feel the
weight of the child during her pregnancy. Muhammad (may
Allah bless him and grant him peace) came to this world already circumcised. After the birth of Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) his head
was shaved, as was the custom, and gold, equivalent to the weight of his hair, was given
in alms to the poor. Though this weight was not much, the Quraysh were strict observers of
this tradition. If anywhere in the world you observe this custom of charity, consider it
the same tradition initiated by the Arabs. After shaving his head, Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was handed
over to the governess. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace) of Islam had two governesses, one has been seldom mentioned in
history, possibly because she was the "Kaneez" (servant) of Prophets (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) uncle Abu
Lahab. He is considered very detestable for he was one of the greatest enemies of Islam.
He did all he could, to cause harm to the Prophet (may
Allah bless him and grant him peace), his followers and his work. Of Abu Lahab,
Allah says in the Holy Quran; 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Abu Lahab used to stone the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). The stones
would hit his face and chest and injure him. The Prophet
(may Allah bless him and grant him peace) would wipe clean the blood from his
face by the edge of his cloth and would pray to Allah for Abu Lahabs guidance. Abu
Lahabs wife, Umm-e-Jamil also followed her husband. During the night she
would scatter thorns in the way of the Prophet (may Allah
bless him and grant him peace) to injure his feet. The Holy Quran recalls
her as a woman who is always collecting thorns. When Abu Lahab will be thrown into hell,
she will accompany him. Some Islamic historians name this first
governess of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him
peace) as Thobia. She was negligent in her duties and in feeding
him in time. She was soon relieved. The Prophet (may Allah
bless him and grant him peace) repaid her well in spite of her negligence. When
he had grown up he bought her from Abu Lahab to be freed. When the need for another
governess arose, a group of women belonging to Banu Saad tribe had
entered Makkah. These women, within few hours, took the children in need of breast feeding
with them back to the desert. But none, knowing the Muhammad
(may Allah bless him and grant him peace) to be an orphan, accepted him. Only
one woman, named Halimah Saadia Muhammad
(may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was handed to the care of Halimah to
act as a foster mother as was the custom in Arabia. The tribes of Quraysh that were
settled in Makkah led lives based on nomadic traditions. They used to entrust their young
ones to governesses so that their children could be brought up in the cradle of the
desert. This custom had two reasons, firstly the
climate of Makkah at that time was not favourable to the growth of the children and many
would die young. This precept was quite true as in Makkah, the children were exposed to
various diseases, whereas the desert was devoid of such problems. The second reason was
the establishment of tribal relationships, which such arrangements could foster easily.
Governesses would keep children from different tribes along with their children in their
homes. Such infants being fed by the same breast would grow up like foster brothers. This
relationship was so sacred that often foster brothers were considered real brothers in
many matters. Halimah Saadia later stated: "We had no spring harvest that year as
there was no rain and we had nothing to earn. I suggested to my husband that we go to
Makkah to bring a child and rear him to earn our living". "My husband accepted the proposal and
I along with my young baby in my lap, rode the dromedary and we headed to Makkah. My child
cried with hunger and there was no milk in my breasts. Due to drought, even the dromedary
had no milk, therefore, we went hungry most of the time. When we reached Makkah, our
fellow women of Banu Saad, were returning with the children of rich
people with appropriate rewards. We could not have a baby from a well-off family, instead
there was only an orphan child of a poor family which could not reward us well". "Instead of returning empty handed, I
thought it better to take him with us, thinking he might be able to acknowledge us when he
grows up (as he belongs to the Quraysh tribe) as a respectable man, and remember our old
relationship". "My husband accepted this suggestion
and we began preparations to return. We had hardly covered the half distance from Makkah,
when I observed to my utmost surprise that my both breasts were filled with milk so both
the children had their full shares". "When we reached home, my husband
pointed at the teats of the dromedary and said, "Look, Halimah, they are filled with
milk". We, who were weak with hunger, milked her to our hearts content. We
spent that night very comfortably. Next day my husband said to me, "O Halimah, the
child you have brought is very auspicious and he will definitely change our fortune". Halimah had a good-natured daughter, named
Sheema. It was she who developed a strong liking for the baby Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and looked after him.
Halimah used to take the baby Muhammad (may Allah bless him
and grant him peace) to meet his mother twice a year. When at the age of two,
he had been weaned off, she set off to Makkah again since now the time had come for his
return. Then there was a severe plague in Makkah and on Halimahs advice, Aminah
allowed Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
to stay on at the desert safe from the danger of the epidemic. So baby Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) returned to
the desert with Halimah to spend some more days in that fresh and open atmosphere. Of
those early days and the Prophets (may Allah bless
him and grant him peace) childhood, Halimah says: "He did justice right from the
beginning. He sucked milk only from one side leaving the other for his foster brother
Abdullah. His growth was better than any other child and he seemed bigger than his age.
Every one was struck with the innocence and charm of his personality. His face radiated
like the full Moon in darkness. He went out to play with other children, but would not
take part in untidy activities. He was very helpful and co-operative from the very
beginning. At the age of three he began to go out with his foster-brother, Abdullah to
help him graze the sheep". |
Muhammad
(may Allah bless him and grant him peace) would later in his life herd the
sheep of his tribe and other Makkans. At these times he would ponder over the purpose of
human life and meaning of the universe. Later he used to make proud references to those
wonderful days and thanked Allah for his enriching experiences. When Muhammad
(may Allah bless him and grant him peace) reached the age of three, Halimah
thought it best to return him to his mother. Taking him along she arrived at Makkah but in
the congested streets somehow lost him. Extremely distressed she rushed to chief Abdul
Muttalib and reported the matter to him. Abdul Muttalib was taken aback and praying for
the speedy recovery for the lost child he dashed to the Holy Kabah. Hardly had he
reached there when Waraqah bin Nawfal and another youth of Quraysh met him. They were
carrying the Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him
peace). They said that they had found him wandering in the streets of Makkah.
Abdul Muttalib thanked them. He perched Muhammad (may Allah
bless him and grant him peace) on his shoulder and started going round the Holy
Kabah, praying for the health and safety of his grandson. After a while he sent the
child to his mother who was anxiously awaiting his return. The boy lived happily in Makkah with his
mother for about three years, winning the affection of his grandfather and his uncles and
aunts, and his many cousins with whom he played. Particularly dear to him were HamzahR.A and Safiyyah, the children of Abdul Muttalibs last
marriage that had taken place on the same day as that of Muhammads (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) parents. HamzahR.A was his age, Safiyyah a little younger. When Muhammad
(may Allah bless him and grant him peace) began living with his mother in their
Makkan residence Umm-e-Aiman, a nurse, was engaged to look after him. When he reached the
age of six, his mother decided to take him to Madinah where she wanted to show him his
fathers grave and visit her relatives. During his stay there Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) learnt how
to swim and made many friends. The son and mother stayed about a month in
Madinah. On their way back to Makkah, at Abwa, Aminah already weakened from the journey
fell seriously ill and died. It was customary in Arabia that close
relatives would fall into continuous conversation with a dying loved one to give him
comfort from the fear of death. Aminah too, before her death was surrounded by her people
who were continually talking to her. She replied to them in undertones and soon became
unconscious. When the young Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) saw his mother in this
state, he put his head on her bosom and whispered plaintively, "Mother.....
......Mother........ why dont you answer?" But the noble soul had parted for
good. The near relative of Aminah did the
corpse-laving and Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant
him peace) saw his mother wrapped in shroud. She was buried in the graveyard at
a village, named Abwa. The
grave of Aminah In 1995, I have visited the grave of the
Muhammads (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
mother. From Madinah I travelled to Badr which is 140 Kilometres. From Badr I went to
Masturah which is about another 70 Kilometres. From Masturah I drove by Jeep right through
the heart of the desert till I reached the village of Abwa, where I found the grave
unattended by any Auqaf authority. The grave was well maintained and the earth around was
clean. I had reached the grave just before mid-night. It was 14th of the lunar month and
the full moon had lit the vast lands of desert with its majestic light. For me it was a
soul-stirring event. It was customary to bury the dead in a
bier. Wood was scarce in Arabia and extremely expensive thus Aminah was buried without a
bier. After the burial of Aminah, people noticed
on their way back that Muhammad (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace) was not with them. When they returned to the graveyard, they
found him sitting beside her grave uttering, "Mother, Mother, where are you? Why
dont you come home, can you not see I have none but you in this world"? Muhammad
(may Allah bless him and grant him peace) who had now lost both his parents
started spending his days in solitude. When asked to play with children of his age, he
always declined. Full of grief over his mothers death, he desisted from food. Nurse
Umm-e-Aiman endeavouring her utmost to console him and dry away his tears somehow managed
to take him back to Makkah and handed him over to Abdul Muttalib, his paternal
grandfather. Abdul Muttalib was an old man of one
hundred and eight years and used to live in Makkah. He took Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) to his home and cared
for him for two years. Abdul Muttalib became so fond of his grandson that he took him
everywhere. He even took him to Al-Nadwah, the legislative Assembly of Makkah, in which
only male members of the Quraysh tribe above forty years of age were allowed. At first
other members of Al-Nadwah opposed his entry but later on they grew so attached to the
child that they showered him with kindness and courtesy. The Prophets (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) infancy was marked with
tragedy. He lost his grand father when he was only eight. When Abdul Muttalib died at the
ripe age of one hundred and ten, Abu Talib who was his uncle took him under his care and
became his new guardian. Abu Talib had a son named Talib. In Arabia people were named
after their progeny; Abu Talib meant father of Talib. Abu Talibs real name was
Manawf. Abu Talib had a large family. He could not
offer dress or shoes or provide for another mouth to feed from his income. Consequently,
Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
was compelled to earn at the young age of eight. He started looking after sheep in the
blazing deserts of the peninsula to help out his uncle. Hard work at such a tender age
created a strong calibre and developed his intellect too. It later enabled him to bear the
burden of Prophethood. When he took sheep and cattle for grazing, he used to be thoroughly
engrossed in meditation and deep thought. The desert is a place par excellence for such
training. Until and unless one spends time in the
deserts of the Peninsula, one is unable to understand the attributes acquired
in thought and composure through the vastness and silence of these deserts. The cacti and
other plants of these deserts are radically different from those of Europe. There is
hardly a plant in these deserts without a fragrance - even the acacia thorns bear an
agreeable fragrance. It is even said that if the non-fragrant flowers of Europe are
cultivated in the hot deserts of this Peninsula, after a couple of generations, they
develop pleasant odours and small plants transform into big trees. Muhammad
(may Allah bless him and grant him peace) had to take sheep for grazing every
morning. He would remain out in the desert till evening. He often fixed his vision into
the great vistas of the horizons. He would bring sheep back to the city before sunset and
would go to his uncle for the night. It is said that orphans mature early
intellectually and become conscious of the world at a greater pace than other children.
They neither have a shoulder to cry on for emotional support nor anyone to remove the
shade of grief from their faces. They have no parents to buy clothes or shoes for them.
Even at festive occasions like Eid; no one embraces an orphan or bestows a kiss on his
forehead. An orphan who is made to labour at the age of eight, becomes well aware of the
bitter realities of life. He does not trust anyone but his judgement. He has no choice but
to find his way out of the maze of hardships. It is understandable that the Prophets (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) infancy was
marked with periods of contemplation and meditation. Extreme hardships, loneliness and
sense of responsibility made Muhammad (may Allah bless him
and grant him peace) solemn and understanding. This can also explain that when
he was only twelve his Uncle Abu Talib decided to take him along on a trade mission to
Syria. Like other nobles of Makkah, Abu Talib too
was a trader by profession. It was customary with Quraysh to undertake a trade journey to
Syria once a year. On one such journey, the caravan of Abu Talib landed near the city of
Bostra in Syria close to the monastery of a hermit named Bahira. Bahira had never stepped out of his
monastery. He had also never indulged in conversation to any traveller of caravans, but
that day, he stepped out of his hermitage. He saw caravan approaching near his hermitage.
He particularly observed, a small low-hanging cloud moving slowly above the heads of
caravan people. The cloud was always between the sun and one or two of the travellers. As
soon as they halted the cloud ceased to move, remaining stationary over the tree beneath
which they took shelter, while the tree itself lowered its branches over them. They were
doubly in the shade. Bahira sent a word to the caravan: "Men of Quraysh, I have
prepared food for you". "Men of Quraysh," he said,
"Let none of you stay behind". Despite what Bahira had said they left Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) behind to
look after their camels and baggage. "There is not one that hath been left
behind," They answered, "Only a boy, the youngest of us all has been left
behind". "Treat him not so" said Bahira, "But call him to come, and
let him be present with us at this meal. One glance at the boys face was enough to
explain the miracles to Bahira. There between his shoulders, was the very mark he expected
to see the seal of Prophethood as it was described in his book. He told Abu Talib about his dream that,
"A caravan would come with a boy who would be commissioned by Allah for Prophecy
among the Arabs and would instruct them in Arabic". "Henceforth you would not be
compelled to adopt Judaism or Christianity as Allah is going to appoint a Prophet for
you". Bahira also warned Abu Talib, "Take your nephew back to Makkah immediately
and protect him from the Jews. If they recognised those signs in him which I have seen,
they might do some mischief to him, for your nephew has all the signs of the "Awaited
Prophet" as given in our religious books. The Prophet would communicate to that
nation in their native language and would spread his message among them". Abu Talib took Bahiras warning
seriously and completing his business quickly took Muhammad
(may Allah bless him and grant him peace) back to Makkah. In Syria, Bahira means a
paragon of beauty or genius or the old sage. Bahira was stated to be the embodiment of
Christianity. An Arab biographer Ibn-Hasham however writes that contrary to
the common belief, Bahira was not a Christian but a Manichaean priest. He followed a
person called "Mani" who claimed prophesy during the Sasanid period.
The Sasanid King Bahram (I) had him crucified at the door of a city "Jindy
Shapur" of the Iranian Province Khostan in the year 376 AD. Christians
recall him as a heretic because of the introduction of preferment ideas in religion. Mani
and his followers including Bahira believed that Allah is not constrained to a particular
nation, rather He is for every nation of the world, which, in turn, is His creation. He
may send his prophets to any nation as He pleases. Abu Talib knew some of the Hunafa, and one
of them was Waraqah. He was the son of his second cousin Nawfal, of the clan of Asad.
Waraqah had become a Christian; and there was belief among Christians of those parts that
the coming of a Prophet was imminent. Abu Talib was convinced about his nephew. Therefore
he wasted no time to return to Makkah. The first war in which Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) took part
was the war between a tribe in the South of Makkah and an alliance of ten tribes of
Quraysh. The reason was that the former tribe had broken its contract of
no-war during the months when it was strictly prohibited. The economic
sustenance of the Makkans depended on conducting business at the market place of Ukaz. If
the contract of forbidden months was not enacted, then people would neither come for
pilgrimage nor for the Ukaz fair. In other months of the year, the caravans
were bound to offer tribute so as to escape highway robbery. During the month of
Haram none had the right to receive tribute and if some one broke the
contract, the Quraysh tribes were always prepared to fight back against the transgressors. It is not known when this war between the
Quraysh alliance and the other tribe started. Muhammad (may
Allah bless him and grant him peace) took part in this war and was beside his
Uncle Abu Talib. Some historians opine that as Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was still
quite young, he carried only his uncles quiver and gave him arrows by his hand so
his uncle could hurl them at their enemy. Others say that Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) carried a sword in his
hand and even injured Boobr, the chieftain of the treacherous tribe. |