Lesson 88 Up to the Revelation

[10] The Prophet ’ s manners before prophethood

As we knew, Allah (SWT) blessed Hal î mah As- Sa`diyyah, who suckled the Prophet (SAWS), and her family.

Allah (SWT) turned their hardship into easiness, sated their sheep with food, and gushed out the milk from their udders in a year of barrenness and distress.

Allah (SWT) also blessed the Prophet ’ s uncle, Abu-Tâlib, when he was under his guardianship, although Abu-Tâlib was poor.

Allah (SWT) also assigned a cloud to shade the Prophet (SAWS) alone from the sun heat in his trip to Syria. It ran only over him excluding other people in the caravan.

Allah (SWT) inspired him to the right path, and guided him to virtues and noble deeds in everything.

When he was young, he (SAWS) used to hide himself far away from people to relieve himself. Allah (SWT) honored him with the salutation of stones and trees to him.

On hearing their salutations, the Prophet (SAWS) would turn to the right and left, but he could see noone.

Jewish and Christian scholars, monks and rabbis, knew the time of the Prophet (SAWS), from what is mentioned about him in Tawrâh (The Torah), and what ` Î sâ, Jesus (SAWS) had mentioned.

Therefore they were asking about his birth and his emergence. Many of them knew him when they saw him, or when they heard about his deeds or his description.

The Prophet (SAWS) grew up to be distinguished by his perfect morals, unconcerned with the trivialities that occupied his fellow children.

When he became a grown-up, he was the wisest, the most discerning, the most virtuous, the most truthful, the most honest, and the most righteous.

His people called him “ the trustworthy ”, and they saved their charges and deposits with him.

Allah (SWT) saved him from the evils of Al- Jâhiliyyah (The pre-Islamic period). He detested the idols since his childhood.

He had never sworn by them, respected them, attended their feasts, nor eaten from the offerings slaughtered on the altars (Al-Ansâb, stones erected for idols).

People used to slaughter sheep on stones, pour their blood on these stones, and then worship them.

The Prophet (SAWS) was a placid person, who sympathized with the poor. He never disgraced a poor person for their poverty, nor did he awe kings for their power.

He never drank wine, though it was a prevalent habit among his people then. He did not commit adultery, steal, or kill; but he adhered to the noble manners based on honesty, sincerity, and faithfulness.

In general, Allah (SWT) saved him from faults before prophethood as well as after it.

He (SAWS) wore turbans, shirts, drawers, and long loincloths. He wore cotton clothes, and sometimes wool or linen clothes.

. He wore slippers, sandals, and sometimes walked barefoot. He rode horses, mules, camels, and donkeys.

He slept on mattresses, straw mats, beds, or sometimes on the floor; and he sat on the floor. He mended his shoes, and patched his clothes. He slept on mattresses, straw mats, beds, or sometimes on the floor; and he sat on the floor. He mended his shoes, and patched his clothes.

He had sheep, slaves, and bond-maids only as far as his household needs. His way of eating was that he never refused the food available, nor sought unavailable food.

[11] The Prophet ’ s life before the revelation

You knew that he is Muhammad, son of `Abdul- Muttalib, son of Hâshim. His grandfather, Hâshim, was the master of Quraysh, the most honored Arab tribe.

They settled in Makkah and its suburbs. They earned money from trading in clothes, upholstery, and other consumer needs.

They had two commercial trips, to Syria in summer and to Yemen in winter. They possessed large numbers of camels and sheep, to ride, and benefit from their milk, wool, and hair.

When the Prophet (SAWS) was grown up enough to work and earn money to pay for his expenses, he started working as a shepherd;

for this was Allah ’ s custom with his messengers in order to teach them how to treat people kindly, just like being kind with sheep.

He earned money from grazing sheep, then afterwards from trading in Quraysh's trade. He (SAWS) worked only to fulfill his needs;

he was neither greedy nor did he renounce the world, to be prepared by Allah (SWT) for a prescribed mission, an utter devotion to call for Islam.

[12] The Prophet's worship before prophet- hood

Some of the Arabs before Islam followed Judaism, while others followed Christianity, both of which were changed and distorted from the original messages of Moses and Jesus..

The rest of the Arabs worshipped idols. Most of the people in Quraysh were doing so except a few of them who reproached their people for worshipping these idols.

Prophet, Muhammad son of `Abdullâh (SAWS), had a pure heart and virtuous soul by nature.

Allah created him that way in order to make him fully capable to receive his pure Sharia (Islamic law) and teach it to all mankind in the best and most perfect way.

For that reason, his pious soul was directed to the truth, not knowing other than it, and not accepting anything else.

His nature disdained falsity, and recognized the truth. Therefore, he did not follow any of the bad customs of his own people, neither did he beautify falsity nor demonize an accepted truth.

This was the nature of his father Ibrâh î m (SAWS) even before his prophethood. Likewise, it was the nature of all the Prophets (Peace be upon them).

Allah created them such as to devote themselves for His Almighty.

Even before their prophethood, their good spirits refused the false beliefs and the wrong customs and worship that prevailed among their people.

The Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) came into being devoted to Allah purely with all his heart.

Polytheism did not approach his pious heart. His nature despised the idols, and detested these false gods.

He did not attend the festivals made for them, and he did not approach or care about them.

He only worshipped the Creator of the universe, to Whom he devoted his sincere servitude through contemplation and glorification.

He (SAWS) used to circumambulate around the Ka`bah and make pilgrimage like all the people who made pilgrimage following the creed of Ibrâh î m (SAWS).

It was not confirmed by a single sound narration that he followed the worship of any other previous Prophet (SAWS).

It was reported that Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) used to seek seclusion in the Cave of Hirâ' for an entire month every year (this used to coincide with the month of Ramadan),

where he worshipped Allah by contemplation. He also used to feed the poor with the food he brought for the period of his seclusion.

It was reported that he (SAWS) took along provisions of cakes and oil, and when he run out of supplies he returned back to his family to take more provisions then he returned back.

When he completed his seclusions, he used to circumambulate around the Ka`bah seven rounds before returning back home.

Hirâ' is also called the mountain of light, and it is situated on the left side of the road to the mountain of `Arafah, and it contains the cave in which the Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) worshipped.

The cave's entrance is narrow. Its area is about 3 square meters. In that cave, the Prophet (SAWS) received the revelation for the first time.

It is said that his grandfather, `Abdul-Muttalib, used to worship in Hirâ'; and was followed, in worshipping there, by Waraqah ibn Nawfal and Abu Umayyah ibn ul-Uzzâ.

Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) liked seclusion from his childhood to his prophethood, when Allah (SWT) sent him as a mercy to mankind.

Right before his prophethood, Prophet Muhammad ’ s dreams became as obvious and clear as the morning light, they would come true when he wakes up, exactly as he saw them in his sleep. This was an early sign of his prophethood.