The birth and youth of Al-Amiin

The lineage He is Muhammad, son of 'Abdullah, son of 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib, of the family of Haashim, of the tribe of Quraysh, a descendant of Ismaa'iil son of Ibraahiim. The Prophet ﷺ said that Allah chose Kinaana from among the descendants of Ismaa'iil, Quraysh from among Kinaana, Banu Haashim from among Quraysh, and chose him from among Banu Haashim (Muslim 2276).

The Year of the Elephant He was born in Makkah, on a Monday: asked about fasting on Monday, he replied: "That is the day on which I was born, and the day on which revelation began" (Muslim 1162). The year is the one in which Abraha, governor of Yemen, marched on Makkah with elephants to destroy the Ka'ba; Allah prevented him (Surah Al-Fiil, 105). It is placed around 570 or 571 CE; the exact day (the 12th, the 9th or another day of Rabii' al-Awwal) is disputed [À VÉRIFIER].

A protected orphan His father 'Abdullah died before his birth. As was the custom, he was entrusted to a wet nurse from the desert, Ḥaliima as-Sa'diyya, whose family experienced blessing. It was in the desert that the opening of his chest took place: Jibriil came, opened his chest, removed from it a part that was Satan's share, washed his heart with Zamzam water and put it back (reported by Muslim, from Anas) [À VÉRIFIER : numéro]. His mother Aamina died when he was about six; his grandfather 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib took charge of him, then died two years later; his uncle Abu Ṭaalib then raised him and protected him all his life [À VÉRIFIER : âges].

The shepherd and the merchant The Prophet ﷺ said: "Allah sent no prophet who did not tend sheep." He was asked: "And you?" He replied: "Yes, I used to tend them for the people of Makkah for a few qiraaṭ" (Bukhari 2262). As a young man, he took part in the pact of the virtuous (ḥilf al-fuḍuul), in which clans of Quraysh pledged to defend anyone wronged in Makkah [À VÉRIFIER : référence]. His honesty was so well known that he was called Al-Amiin, "the trustworthy".

The marriage with Khadiija Khadiija bint Khuwaylid, a noble and wealthy merchant, entrusted him with a caravan to Syria. Impressed by his honesty, she proposed marriage to him. According to the best-known view, he was twenty-five and she was forty [À VÉRIFIER : âge de Khadîja, d'autres disent vingt-huit ans]. They lived together for about twenty-five years; he married no other woman during her lifetime. They had children: Al-Qaasim, Zaynab, Ruqayya, Umm Kulthuum, Faaṭima and 'Abdullah. 'Aa'isha would later say that she had not been as jealous of any woman as of Khadiija, so often did he speak of her (Bukhari 3818).

The Black Stone When he was about thirty-five, Quraysh rebuilt the Ka'ba. When it was time to put the Black Stone back, the clans nearly came to blows over this honour. They agreed to let the first man to enter judge: it was Muhammad. He placed the stone on a cloak, had each corner held by a clan leader, then set it in place himself (Ibn Hishaam) [À VÉRIFIER : âge].

Exercise: note three qualities of the Prophet ﷺ before prophethood in this account. For each, write down a situation in your week where you could practise it.

The text: Surah At-Tawba (9), verse 128 لَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِنْ أَنْفُسِكُمْ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُمْ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ ﴿١٢٨﴾

Meaning: "A Messenger from among yourselves has come to you; your suffering weighs on him, he is eager for your good, and he is kind and merciful to the believers." "From among yourselves": the Arabs knew his lineage, his childhood and his honesty even before the revelation.

Arabic text: Tanzil Quran Text (Simple, version 1.0.2), © 2008-2010 Tanzil.net, Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence, reproduced without any change (http://tanzil.net). Each verse is on its own line, followed by its number; the basmala, which the Tanzil file places at the start of the first verse, is written on its own line.

Understanding the lesson

Explanation Before becoming a prophet, Muhammad ﷺ went through the trials of many people: he lost his father, then his mother, then his grandfather. Scholars see wisdom in this: he learned very early to rely on Allah alone, and he understood from within the suffering of the weak. Later the Qur'an would remind him: "Did He not find you an orphan, and give you shelter?" (meaning of verse 93:6). Allah also prepared him through work. Tending sheep teaches patience, watchfulness and gentleness towards those in one's care. Trading for Khadiija showed his honesty with money, where many people fail. The account of the Black Stone shows intelligence in the service of peace: instead of taking the honour for himself, he let all the clans take part. And his nickname, Al-Amiin, would later become an argument: those who would call him a liar had themselves called him "the trustworthy".

Lessons to draw from it • See the trials of childhood as preparation, not as fate. • Earn one's living honestly, even through humble work. • Be known for reliability before wanting to convince others. • Look for solutions that unite instead of dividing. • Honour one's spouse and keep the memory of their goodness.

Key points to remember • Birth: on a Monday (Muslim 1162), in the Year of the Elephant, around 570. • Orphan; Ḥaliima, 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib, Abu Ṭaalib. • Shepherd (Bukhari 2262); nicknamed Al-Amiin. • Marriage with Khadiija; Bukhari 3818. • The Black Stone put back without conflict.

The main message Allah prepared His Messenger through trial, work and honesty: the trust one earns in small things opens the door to great missions.