1. Early Life of Muhammad Was Muhammad* special since Birth?

2. Birth of Muhammad Muhammad was born in 570CE, also known as the Year of the Elephant. Abyssinian leader Abrahah stormed into the outskirts of Mecca with a large army, along with one elephant, he wanted to destroy the Kaaba. According to Arabic tradition, the Abyssinians were stoned to death by a sea of birds which made the sky go black and were carrying stones in their beaks! The survivors fled!

3. Muhammad (pbuh) He was born to Father Abdallah and Mother Amina. Father died when he was born on a trip to Syria. Mother died when he was 6 years old. He was looked after by paternal grandfather Abd al-Muttalib (who died 2 years later) Then his paternal Uncle Abu Talib brought him up.

4. Halimah Custom of all great Arab families of Arab towns was to send their sons after the birth into the desert to be suckled and weaned and spend part of their childhood amongst Bedouin tribes. Hence, M* was sent to Halimah who was a respected wet nurse.

5. Muhammad as an Adult We actually know very little about Muhammad’s early life from historical records according to Esposito. Understanding the life of Muhammad and his role in forming early Islam is crucial for an appreciation of the development of early Islam.

6. Foretold His ministry was foretold by various religious men: Christian monks told his foster mother they wanted to take him to their king because they knew he was destined for greatness When his mother was pregnant a light cam from her which illuminated castles in Bushra, in Syria A monk in Bushra, called Bahira told Abu Talib of the boys importance Also when the Ka’ba was rebuilt M* had a tactful way of deciding how to put the black stone back into the Ka’ba so all clans were happy

7. Key Points on Adult Life before Prophethood He was a steward or business manager for the caravans of a wealthy widow. According to tradition, he married Khadijah who was 15 years older than him at the time.. During 15 years of marriage they had three sons (who died in infancy) and four daughters. He enjoyed great respect for his judgement and trustworthiness- as was reflected by his nickname al- Amin; the trusted one. Spent lots of time in solitude in a cave, looking for answers, being unhappy with the Meccan lifestyle.

8. Describe the Early Life of Muhammad.

9. Question: Even before 610CE; Muslims believe that Muhammad* was a special person. Discuss