Muhammad's Early Life

As you have learned,  around 570 C.E., an infant named Muhammad was born in Mecca. According to Muslim tradition, Muhammad's early life was ordinary.  Few people who were not members of his clan, the Hashim, noted his birth.  His father had died before his birth, and his clan was not very wealthy.  However, the Hashim had some prestige, as they belonged to the leading tribe in Mecca.

Following custom, Muhammad's mother sent her baby to live with a family of nomads in the desert.  There, the young boy learned about traditional Arab values, such as being kind to strangers and helping orphans, widows, and other needy members of society.

When Muhammad was about six, he returned to the city and to his mother.  They had little time together, because she soon died, so Muhammad was left in the care of his grandfather, a highly regarded leader of the Hashim clan.  Upon the grandfather's death, Muhammad's uncle, Abu Talib, a respected merchant, became head of the clan and took charge of the orphan.

As a boy, Muhammad tended his family's flocks of sheep and goats. When he was about 12 years old, he accompanied his uncle on a trading journey far north to Syria, where Muhammad gained his first experiences outside Arabia.

As Muhammad grew up, he took on more duties and made more trading journeys. He became a merchant who enjoyed a reputation throughout Mecca for his honesty. People called him al-Amin, which means “the Trustworthy.”

According to Muslim teachings, Muhammad was still a young man when he began managing caravans for a widow named Khadijah, who ran a trading business. Muhammad earned her great profits. Impressed with his abilities and honesty, Khadijah proposed marriage. Muhammad accepted her offer, and when he was about 25, they married. Muhammad and Khadijah had several children, but only their daughter Fatima had children of her own. She continued the bloodline of Muhammad.