Childhood and Youth

How to use it well

1. 1
   Nursing in the Desert

   Part 3 told how the Prophet ﷺ was born in Makkah in the Year of the Elephant, an orphan whose father had died before his birth, and how he was nursed.

2. 2
   Halimah and the Year of Drought

   The woman who nursed him was Halimah bint Abi Dhu'ayb.

3. 3
   The Blessings in Banu Sa‘d

   Halimah's account continues with what happened once she had taken the child.

4. 4
   The Foster Family

   Through Halimah, the Prophet ﷺ gained a foster family in Banu Sa'd who were regarded as his relatives for the rest of his life.

5. 5
   The Opening of the Chest

   It was during these years with Banu Sa'd that the event known as the opening of the chest (shaqq as-sadr) took place.

6. 6
   Aminah and the Journey to Yathrib

   The event frightened Halimah and her husband.

7. 7
   The Grave at al-Abwa’

   On the way back to Makkah, Aminah fell ill and died at al-Abwa', a place on the road between Makkah and Yathrib.

8. 8
   In the Care of ‘Abd al-Muttalib

   After the death of Aminah, the Prophet ﷺ came into the care of his grandfather 'Abd al-Muttalib.

9. 9
   The Death of ‘Abd al-Muttalib

   The Prophet ﷺ was eight years old when 'Abd al-Muttalib died.

10. 10
    Abu Talib

    The Qur'an later recalled the Prophet's ﷺ orphanhood and the care he received in it: "Did He not find you an orphan and give you shelter?" Ibn…

11. 11
    The Journey to Sham and the Monk Bahira

    The best-known event of the Prophet's ﷺ boyhood under Abu Talib's care is his journey with his uncle to Sham and his meeting with the Christian…

12. 12
    The Shepherd of Makkah

    Like the other boys of Makkah who were not of wealthy families, the Prophet ﷺ worked as a shepherd in his youth.

13. 13
    Kept Apart from the Ways of Jahiliyyah

    The biographers record that in his youth the Prophet ﷺ took no part in the idolatry and the vices that were common among the young men of Makkah.

14. 14
    The War of al-Fijar

    In the Prophet's ﷺ youth a war broke out between Quraysh, with their allies of Kinanah, and the tribes of Qays 'Aylan, among them Hawazin.

15. 15
    Hilf al-Fudul

    Shortly after the war of al-Fijar, several clans of Quraysh made a pact to defend anyone wronged in Makkah.

16. 16
    Trade and the Name al-Amin

    As he grew into a man, the Prophet ﷺ turned to trade, the main occupation of Quraysh.

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