PROPHET Muhammad (SAW) was born in the city of Mecca in a country used to be named Hejaz (present-day Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) on a Monday, the 12th day of the third lunar month (Rabil-Awal) in the year known as Amul-Fil. The date was equivalent to the 22nd of April, 570AD.
His father, Abdullahi ibn Abdul Muttalib, had died on his trip from Sham. He was buried in Medinah where he died. Aminat bint Wahab was the Prophet’s (SAW) mother. The Prophet’s lineages got intersected at the fifth generation: Muhammad ibn Abdul-Lahi, ibn Abdul Muttalib, ibn Hashim, ibn Abdul Munaf, ibn Qusayy, ibn Kilaab, being his father’s lineage. His mother’s lineage also ran thus: Muhammad ibn Aminat, bint Wahab, ibn Abdul-Manaf, ibn Zuhra, ibn Kilaab in the fifth generation.
It was recorded that upon the Prophet’s birth, his grandfather, Abdul-Muttalib, took baby Muhammad round the Kaabah in seven consecutive cycles after which the grandfather named him Muhammad. The name was significant. There are two morphological units to the name with each having distinct but related semantics: the first unit Muha (to bring to an end things that are evil and sinful), and the second unit Madd (making redemption as replacement to evil and sinful ways of life possible).
Baby Muhammad was made to go through nine women as foster mothers, the prominent among them being Halimatu Saadiyyah with whom Muhammad, as an infant, spent four years, after which he was returned to Aminat, his mother. Two years later, Aminat got ill and died. She was buried in a town known as Abwa. Muhammad was six years old at the time his mother died. Abdul Mutallib, his grandfather, had to take over his care for another two years, when the grandfather also passed away. His uncle, Abu-Talib, stepped in as the guardian. Abu-Talib showered lots of care and affection on his nephew Muhammad all through the tutelage years up to when Muhammad (SAW) was called to prophethood.
The Prophet (SAW), in his boyhood, was renowned for his truthfulness and contentment. He was peace-loving, amiable and reliable. These attributes were not lost on the people of the city of Mecca. At that time, the young man Muhammad was bestowed with the appellation Al-Amin (the trustworthy). The Muslim Ummah must take lots of morals from the Prophet (SAW). Parents need to instill these positive traits in the children in order for them to emulate and bestow to succeeding generations. The duty becomes more significant for the singular fact that the Prophet (SAW) could achieve all this even at the time he had not been called to prophethood by Allah (SWT).
His uncle, Abu-Talib, took young Muhammad, who was then 12 years old, to Sham on a journey. While in Sham, a synagogue priest, Bahira by name, on sighting Muhammad, was gifted to foresee certain divine signs and indications through the young boy. The priest urged Abu-Talib to return Muhammad to Mecca, because the Jewish priests would kill him once he was sighted. Priest Bahira went further to explain to Abu-Talib that all revelations made in the Book of Moses (AS) to describe a prophet of Allah (SWT) who would eventually come as the Seal of all Prophets raised for the mankind by Allah (SWT) were all obvious in Muhammad ibn Abdullahi. Abu-Talib promptly took Muhammad ibn Abdullahi back to Mecca. Much later, Muhammad had to follow two his kinsmen on a trade trip to Yemen. At the age of 25, Muhammad ibn Abdullahi returned to Sham for the second time. It was at the time he was an employee to Nana Khadijah who eventually got married to him. Nana Khadijat sent him to trade on her behalf in Sham.
Prior to the period Muhammad ibn Abdullahi had taken permission from his uncle, Abu-Talib, to engage in herding, he was keen on finding a succour to alleviate burdens of responsibilities on his uncle. More significant point is that virtually every prophet of Allah (SWT) took to herding as vocation.
Muhammad ibn Abdullahi was later employed in the service of a wealthy entrepreneur in Mecca whose name was Khadijat bint Khuwaylid. He was seconded to Sham on trade trip with a much more experienced fellow employee, Measarat, to serve as his trainer and guide. On their return from Sham, Khadijat bint Kwawaylid observed that her profits margin was exceedingly higher compared to previous margins. She rightly attributed the credit to Muhammad ibn Abdullahi’s shrewd business acumen, and his faithfulness to her. Maesarat too went on to attest to all this. Khadijat bint Khawaylid thus affirmed what was already trending in the public in the city of Mecca about Muhammad ibn Abdullahi as reagrds the appellation Al-Amin, the trustworthy. She decided to woo Muhammad ibn Abdullahi.
It was Abu-Taib who solemnised the matrimony between the couple. The event went down in history in Mecca as a remarkable one. Abu-Talib who played the role of the foster father-in-law, commissioned the Sadaaki (bride price) with 20 camels. Muhammad ibn Abdullahi was 25 years old at the time while Khadijat was 40.
Up to the time Muhammad ibn Abdullahi was raised by Allah (SWT) as a prophet at the prime age of 40, he cultivated the habit of visiting Mount Gar-Hirai on the outskirts of Mecca purposely to reflect very deeply about Allah (SWT) and creations.
On one particular day, Angel Jubril (AS) appeared to Muhammad ibn Abdullah physically and requested of him with a commanding voice: “Iqra ya Muhammad,” meaning “Start to read, Oh you Muhammad.” Muhammad ibn Abdullahi retorted, “Maana biqari’in,” which translates into, “I am unlettered, I cannot read.” With this, Angel Jubril (AS) fervently drew Muhammad ibn Abdullahi to himself before letting him go and repeated the same command he made early on. The reply also came as the initial one. At this point, Angel Jubril (AS) revealed the first five verses (Ayah) in the Noble Qur’an to the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), Surah Al-Alaq (Qur’an 96:1-5).
Thus, Muhammad ibn Abdullahi was called to prophethood on that day. The Prophet (SAW) descended the Mount Gar-Hirai on that day in great fear to meet his wife at home.
The Prophet (SAW) was calmed with great words of admonition and encouragement from Nana Khadijat, his wife. These lofty words of exhortation are: Allah (SWT) will never let you down; Allah (SWT) will never put you to shame because you always represent the truth; you always solve problems even before they come up; you persevere in the face of troubles and challenges; you always feed the needy; you never break the family ties; and you welcome strangers into your abode.
and then