The Prophet from His Birth to His Mission
It is now time to speak about the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and to enter the realm of Islamic history. We shall begin by discussing his parents, then his birth and upbringing.
Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib
It was narrated that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: “I am the son of the two sacrifices.” The first sacrifice was Ishmael, son of Abraham, peace be upon them both, and the second was the Prophet’s father, Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib.
The story of the second sacrifice reveals some of the customs of the Arabs that were mentioned earlier. Among these customs was their practice of seeking closeness to their deities by offering sacrifices, which sometimes included human blood. This story also illustrates the custom of casting lots with arrows and following the decision indicated by those arrows.
The Qur’an recounts the story of the first sacrifice in the words of Almighty God:
“So We gave him good tidings of a forbearing son. And when he reached the age to work with him, he said: ‘O my son, indeed I have seen in a dream that I must sacrifice you, so consider what you think.’ He said: ‘O my father, do what you are commanded. You will find me, if Allah wills, among the steadfast.’ And when they had both submitted and he put him down upon his forehead, We called out to him: ‘O Abraham, you have fulfilled the vision.’ Indeed, We thus reward the doers of good. Surely this was a clear trial. And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice, and We left for him among later generations: Peace upon Abraham.”
(Al-Saffat 37:101–109)
As for the story of the second sacrifice, it is narrated in historical sources, especially in The Book of /Idols by Ibn al-Kalbi and The History of al-Tabari. The summary of this story is as follows:
The Story of Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib and the Sacrifice
Abd al-Muttalib was responsible for providing water to the pilgrims. He had to bring water from distant wells and prepare it in reservoirs so that the pilgrims could drink from them, as mentioned earlier. This task was extremely difficult, requiring many hands and great effort.
Because of this hardship, Abd al-Muttalib considered reopening and excavating the well of Zamzam. However, he faced great opposition and difficulties from Quraysh. Had it not been for his patience and determination, he would not have succeeded in carrying out this goal.
For this reason, he made a vow that if he were blessed with ten sons who would grow up and become strong enough to support and protect him, he would sacrifice one of them at the Ka‘bah as an offering to the gods of Quraysh.
When Allah granted him his wish and his sons reached maturity, Abd al-Muttalib intended to fulfill his vow. He gathered his sons before Hubal, the greatest idol worshiped by Quraysh, and asked the keeper of the divining arrows to cast lots among them.
The lot fell upon Abdullah, the youngest son of Abd al-Muttalib and the one most beloved to him. Abd al-Muttalib took Abdullah by the hand, took a knife, and went with him to sacrifice him before Asaf and Na’ilah, the two idols of Quraysh where offerings had previously been presented.
They advised him to go to a famous soothsayer in Khaybar and seek her judgment. She instructed him to repeat the casting of lots between Abdullah and ten camels. If the lot fell on the camels, they would become the ransom for Abdullah; but if it fell on Abdullah, ten more camels should be added, and this should continue until the gods accepted the ransom.
Abd al-Muttalib followed the soothsayer’s advice. The lot continued to fall on Abdullah until the number of camels reached one hundred. At that point, the lot finally fell upon the camels. Abd al-Muttalib sacrificed them and left their meat available for people, animals, and birds.
Thus, Abdullah was saved from being sacrificed. However, this event spread his name widely, granting him great fame. He became the focus of people’s attention, conversation, and affection.
Afterward, his father married him to Aminah bint Wahb. Abdullah lived with her for only a short period after their marriage, then left to travel as a merchant to Syria. He died on the journey before returning to his wife, but not before leaving within her a drop of his seed, which was destined to become…
Aminah bint Wahb
If Abdullah had fulfilled his mission in life through his marriage to Aminah and the formation of this unborn child, Aminah’s mission did not end there. Pregnancy, nursing, and caring for the child required that Aminah’s life continue for several more years.
The psychological observer understands Aminah’s joy in marrying Abdullah, a young man of noble character and widespread reputation. The observer also realizes that Abdullah’s death shortly after their brief union must have deeply broken Aminah’s heart. Yet history shows us Aminah’s calmness in the midst of sorrow and her acceptance of what had happened.
Aminah found comfort and consolation in her young child, but she soon passed away when her son was only six years old. Her death occurred at a place known as Al-Abwa’, between Mecca and Medina.
It appears that Allah willed to take responsibility for Muhammad’s upbringing Himself, separating him from his family so that he would grow under divine care, as preparation for the greater community whose leader he would become. This community would not be concerned with race or language; rather, the most honored among its people would be those most conscious of God.
The Qur’an expressed this meaning in the noble verse:
The Prophet, peace be upon him, also expressed this meaning by saying:
“My Lord disciplined me, and He perfected my discipline.”
The Birth of Muhammad
Muhammad was the fruit of this brief union. He was born on the ninth or twelfth day of the month of Rabi‘ al-Awwal (20 April, 571 CE). Muhammad never saw his father, as his father had died before his birth.
