Muhammad Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==== Childhood and early life ==== {{See also|Mawlid|Family tree of Muhammad}} {{Muhammad timeline in Mecca}} [[File:Siyer-i_Nebi_223b.jpg|thumb|The birth of Muhammad in the 16th-century [[Siyer-i Nebi]]]] Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim<ref name="auto">[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Muhammad Muhammad] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170209125352/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Muhammad|date=9 February 2017}} [[Encyclopedia Britannica]]. Retrieved 15 February 2017.</ref> was born in [[Mecca]]<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rodinson |first1=Maxime |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LqR_mU0qpE4C&pg=PA38 |title=Muhammad: Prophet of Islam |publisher=Tauris Parke Paperbacks |year=2002 |isbn=978-1-86064-827-4 |page=38 |author-link1=Maxime Rodinson |access-date=12 May 2019}}</ref> about the year 570,{{sfn|Conrad|1987}} and [[Mawlid|his birthday]] is believed to be in the month of [[Rabi' al-Awwal]].{{sfn|Esposito|2003}} He belonged to the [[Quraysh]] tribe's [[Banu Hashim]] clan, which was one of the more distinguished families in the city, although the clan seems to have experienced a lack of prosperity during his early years.{{sfn|Buhl|Welch|1993}}{{efn|See also {{qref|43|31|b=y}} cited in EoI; Muhammad.}} The name Muhammad means "praiseworthy" in Arabic and it appears four times in the [[Quran]].<ref name=":4">Jean-Louis Déclais, ''Names of the Prophet'', [[Encyclopedia of the Quran]].</ref> He was also known as al-Amin ({{literal translation|faithful}}) when he was young; however, historians differ as to whether it was given by people as a reflection of his nature{{sfn|Esposito|1998|p=6}} or was simply a given name from his parents, i.e., a masculine form of his mother's name "Amina".{{sfn|Buhl|Welch|1993|p=361}} Muhammad acquired the ''[[Kunya (Arabic)|kunya]]'' of Abu al-Qasim later in his life after the birth of his son Qasim, who died two years afterwards.{{Sfn|Rodinson|2021|p=51}} Islamic tradition states that Muhammad's birth year coincided with Yemeni King [[Abraha]]'s unsuccessful attempt to conquer Mecca.<ref>Marr J.S., Hubbard E., Cathey J.T. (2014): The Year of the Elephant. <!-- figshare. --> {{doi|10.6084/m9.figshare.1186833}} Retrieved 21 October 2014 (GMT).</ref> Recent studies, however, challenge this notion, as other evidence suggests that the expedition, if it had occurred, would have transpired substantially before Muhammad's birth.{{sfn|Conrad|1987}}{{Sfn|Reynolds|2023|p=16}}{{Sfn|Johnson|2015|p=286}}{{sfn|Peters|2010|p=61}}{{Sfn|Muesse|2018|p=213}}{{sfn|Buhl|Welch|1993|p=361}} Later Muslim scholars presumably linked Abraha's renowned name to the narrative of Muhammad's birth to elucidate the unclear passage about "the men of elephants" in Quran 105:1–5.{{Sfn|Reynolds|2023|p=16}}<ref>{{harv|Gibb et al.|1986|p=102}}</ref> ''The Oxford Handbook of Late Antiquity'' deems the tale of Abraha's war elephant expedition as a myth.{{Sfn|Johnson|2015|p=286}} <!------------ PLEASE NOTE: The consensus to include images of Muhammad emerged after extensive months-long discussions and efforts on both sides to balance multiple competing interests. Please do not remove or reposition these images because you feel they are against your religion. Please do not add more images or reposition the current ones to prove a point. To avoid pointless revert-warring, blocking and page protection, please discuss any prospective changes on the talk page. Thank you for contributing to Wikipedia. -------------> Muhammad's father, [[Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib|Abdullah]], died almost six months before he was born.<ref name="Meri2004">{{cite book |last=Meri |first=Josef W. |author-link=Josef W. Meri |title=Medieval Islamic civilization |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H-k9oc9xsuAC |access-date=3 January 2013 |volume=1 |date=2004 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-96690-0 |page=525 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114153019/http://books.google.com/books?id=H-k9oc9xsuAC |archive-date=14 November 2012 }}</ref> Muhammad then stayed with his foster-mother, [[Halimah bint Abi Dhuayb]], and her husband until he was two years old. At the age of six, Muhammad lost his biological mother [[Aminah|Amina]] to illness and became an orphan.{{sfn|Watt|1971}}{{sfn|Watt|1960}} For the next two years, until he was eight years old, Muhammad was under the guardianship of his paternal grandfather, [[Abd al-Muttalib]], until the latter's death. He then came under the care of his uncle, [[Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib|Abu Talib]], the new leader of the Banu Hashim.{{sfn|Watt|1974|p=7}} The historical record of Mecca during Muhammad's early life is limited and fragmentary, making it difficult to distinguish between fact and legend.{{sfn|Watt|1974|p=8}} Several Islamic narratives relate that Muhammad, as a child, went on a trading trip to Syria with his uncle Abu Talib and met a monk named [[Bahira]], who is said to have then foretold his prophethood.{{sfn|Roggema|2008|p=38–46}} There are multiple versions of the story with details that contradict each other.{{sfn|Roggema|2008|p=46}} All accounts of Bahira and his meeting with Muhammad have been considered fictitious by modern historians{{sfn|Roggema|2008|p=52}}{{sfn|Gabriel|2007|p=56}}{{sfn|Watt|1974|p=9}}{{sfn|Buhl|Welch|1993|p=362}}{{sfn|Anthony|2020|p=73}} as well as by some medieval Muslim scholars such as [[al-Dhahabi]].{{sfn|Anthony|2020|p=73}} Sometime later in his life, Muhammad proposed marriage to his cousin and first love, [[Fakhitah bint Abi Talib|Fakhita bint Abi Talib]]. But likely owing to his poverty, his proposal was rejected by her father, Abu Talib, who chose a more illustrious suitor.{{sfn|Rodinson|2021|p=49}}{{sfn|Brown|2011|p=100}} Life took a favorable turn for Muhammad at the age of 25 when he was asked for marriage by [[Khadija bint Khuwaylid|Khadija]], a wealthy 40-year-old businesswoman. He accepted her offer and remained monogamous with her until her death.{{sfn|Rodinson|2021|p=50, 55}}{{sfn|Buhl|Welch|1993|p=362}} <div class="depiction">[[File:Mohammed kaaba 1315.jpg|thumb|left|Miniature from [[Rashid-al-Din Hamadani]]'s ''[[Jami al-Tawarikh]]'', {{c.|lk=no|1315}}, illustrating the story of Muhammad's role in re-setting the [[Black Stone]] in 605 ([[Ilkhanate]] period)<ref>{{cite journal |last=Ali |first=Wijdan |author-link=Wijdan Ali |date=August 1999 |journal=Proceedings of the 11th International Congress of Turkish Art |title=From the Literal to the Spiritual: The Development of the Prophet Muhammad's Portrayal from 13th Century Ilkhanid Miniatures to 17th Century Ottoman Art |number=7 |url=http://www2.let.uu.nl/Solis/anpt/ejos/pdf4/07Ali.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041203232347/http://www2.let.uu.nl/Solis/anpt/ejos/pdf4/07Ali.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 December 2004 |page=3 |issn=0928-6802 }}</ref>]]</div> In 605, the Quraysh decided to roof the [[Kaaba]], which had previously consisted only of walls. A complete rebuild was needed to accommodate the new weight. Amid concerns about upsetting the deities, a man stepped forth with a pickaxe and exclaimed, "O goddess! Fear not! Our intentions are only for the best." With that, he began demolishing it. The anxious Meccans awaited divine retribution overnight, but his unharmed continuation the next day was seen as a sign of heavenly approval. According to a narrative collected by [[Ibn Ishaq]], when it was time to reattach the [[Black Stone]], a dispute arose over which clan should have the privilege. It was determined that the first person to step into the Kaaba's court would arbitrate. Muhammad took on this role, asking for a cloak. He placed the stone on it, guiding clan representatives to jointly elevate it to its position. He then personally secured it within the wall.{{sfn|Glubb|2001|p=79-81}}{{sfn|Wensinck|Jomier|1990|p=319}} Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page