3. From Youth to Maturity

(Pre-Prophethood)

Muhammad lived a normal life among his people

He was sociable, well loved and highly respected

He had a reputation for meticulous honesty; so much so that he was called ‘al-ameen’ (the trustworthy and honest) by his society

Youth

He did not participate in any vice yet he never failed

to take part in any important matter which was of concern to his tribe or society

An example of this is his participating in forging an alliance (called ‘al-Fudool’) between the different clans of the Quraysh to protect anyone who had been wronged regardless of whether that person was a Makkan or not

Youth

As he approached adulthood he approached the task

of searching for an occupation with seriousness and dignity

The line of work that he decided upon was to try to find employment in trade and business

Youth

Muhammad had no money of his own to establish a

business and nor was Abu Talib a man of affluence to provide him with a good start

The only option was to prove himself as an agent, trading on someone else’s behalf

He had no difficulty in securing such a position because of his reputation for honesty and sound character

Business travel

At some point he would start to work for Khadijah

bint Khuwaylid, a rich widow, in the local markets

He proved himself well and she would later send him on a much larger trade mission to Syria

It was a successful trip and he brought in a handsome profit for Khadijah

Business travel

Muhammad thus gained a great deal of experience

in business in his early twenties

Khadijah on the other hand realised that she had working for her a man who combined honesty and integrity with a keen eye for business

Her admiration for him was increasing all the time

Business travel

Khadijah, being a wealthy widow, received one

marriage proposal after another

She realised, however, that it was her money that tempted her suitors

Hence she declined as many proposals as she received

Marriage

Her business association with Muhammad, however,

made her recognise that there was a man for whom money was not the greatest priority

After consulting with one or two of her trusted relatives, she sent a close friend of hers to make an indirect approach to Muhammad

When Khadijah was sure of Muhammad’s reaction, she then made her proposal that they should get married

Marriage

Most biographers of the Prophet put his age at the

time of marriage at 25, saying that Khadijah was 40

It was a happy marriage that gave Khadijah a man whom she could love, respect and trust

And Muhammad was a most caring and loving husband who attended to his family duties

Marriage

She gave him four daughters (Zaynab, Ruqayyah,

Umm Kulthum, Fatimah) and two sons (al-Qasim, Abdullah) who would pass away in childhood

Although polygamy was the norm in Arabia, Muhammad did not have a second wife while Khadijah was alive

The marriage gave Muhammad a settled life, but the real benefit of marrying Khadijah would not be fully apparent until after he began to receive his revelations and face opposition from his people

Marriage

(Source: ‘Muhammad – Man and Prophet’ by Adil Salahi)

End