Chapter 2 - Birth of Prophet Muhammad

 Chapter 2

Prophet Muhammad is born (12 Rabi’ al-Awwal 53 AH /

17 June 569, a Monday, or 9 Rabi’ al-Awwal 51 AH/20 April 571, a Monday) 

From time to time, both before and after Abraham, Allah Rabbul Jalalluh had raised up prophets in the world – different prophets for different nations; for in those days the nations dwells in complete isolation, one from another – modern conveniences of transport and communication being then unknown – but when, in the infinite Wisdom of God, the time was ripe for merging all religious systems into one, under a single and universal brotherhood, Allah Rabbul Jalalluh, as promised through the prophecies of the former prophets raised up the World Prophet Muhammad.

The Quran teaches us that the advent of the World Prophet was foretold by all the prophets, and so that people might not be mistaken, it was said that the promised one should bear testimony to the truth of all the prophets, as the following verse of the Quran shows;

وَلَا يَأْمُرَكُمْ أَن تَتَّخِذُوا۟ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةَ وَٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ أَرْبَابًا ۗ أَيَأْمُرُكُم بِٱلْكُفْرِ بَعْدَ إِذْ أَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ ٨٠

“And when Allah made a covenant through the prophets; certainly what I have given you of Book and wisdom – then an apostle comes to you verifying that which is with you, you must believe in him and you must aid him.” 

(3:80)

That the holy  Rasulullahﷺ testified to all the previous prophets is shown by the fact that he has made a belief in them an essential of his faith. The definition of a faithful, accordingly, as given in the Quran, runs as follows;

وَٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ وَبِٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ هُمْ يُوقِنُونَ ٤

“And who believe is that which has been revealed before you, and they are sure of the hereafter” 

(2:4)

The Israelites and the Ishmaelites are from the common progenitor, Abraham. In His promise to Abraham, God has clearly said that from among both Israelites and Ishmaelites, prophets will be raised up. The Quran makes mention of this, and the Old Testament also records a promise to the same effect:

“And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee and make thy name great, and thou shall be a blessing” 

(Gen 12:2)

There is, moreover, a reference in the same book to Ishmael :

“And as for Ishmael, I have heard, Behold I have blessed him and will make him faithful, and will multiply him exceedingly “ 

(Gen: 17:20)

Mosses uttered another prophecy from God touching the advent of the Prophet Muhammad:

“I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put MY words into his mouth” 

(Deut: 18:18)

Here are two references that apply solely  to Rasulullahﷺ, the first:

“From among their brethren “  which means that the one Prophet would be raised from among the brethren of the Israelites, i.e Ishmaelite, and the second :

“like unto thee” which means that he should be a lawgiver like Mosses and they have been no prophet. save only the Prophet Muhammad who has been also a lawgiver. Our assertion is further borne out by the conversation between John the Baptist and those who ask him,

“What art thou”  And he confessed  “ I am not the Christ” and they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he said “ I am not” “Art thou that prophet?

He answered: “No” (John 1 -19-20)

The reference to “that prophet” clearly shows that the people were waiting for the advent of three prophets. First – Elias, who they thought would re-appear in person: second, Jesus and thirdly “that Prophet” clearly points to the holy Prophet of Islam, for the first two, according to the Israelite scriptures, had been fulfilled in the person of John and Jesus.

There are many other prophecies by the Israelites' prophets, such as David, Solomon, etc. as well as that by Jesus, the last of the Israelites, which runs “ If he loves me, keep any commandments, and  I will pray to the Father and He shall give you another comfRasulullah ﷺorter, that he may abide with you forever; even the spirit of truth 

(John 14: 15-17).

This in clear terms the advent of another prophet after Jesus, and the words, “that he may abide with you forever” indicate that there would be no other prophets after the promised one.

This is true only of the holy Rasulullahﷺ for in the Quran he is termed “The last of the Prophets.”

Ishmael, the eldest son of Abraham, had twelve sons. One of them, Kedar, settled in the Arabian province of Hijaz where his progeny spread, as is borne out even on the authority of the Old Testament. It is also proved that ‘Adnan, to whom the genealogy of  Rasulullahﷺ was traced, was of the offspring of Ishmael. In the ninth generation from Adnan is Nazir bin Kinana, who founded the dynasty of Quraish further down the lineage is Qusay, to whom was entrusted guardianship of the Kaabah, an office of high honor in Arabia. 

Thus the dynasty to which  Rasulullahﷺ belonged was one of the highest in honor, respect, and nobility. Abdul Mutalib, the grandfather of  Rasulullahﷺ, had ten sons, of whom one was Abdullah, the father of Rasulullahﷺ, and Abdullah the father of the holy Rasulullahﷺ. Abdullah married Aminah, a lady of another reputable family. The Holy Rasulullahﷺ never knew or saw his father, for shortly after his parent were married, Abdullah went on a commercial journey to Syria (Syam), and on his way back he was taken seriously ill and died at Madinah (Yathrib).  Unfortunately, his mother also died when he was only six years old, and so at this tender age, he was deprived of the care of both parents.

The following illustration is the line of descent of Rasulullah ﷺ.

Rasulullahﷺ was born on a Monday, the 12^th day of Rabiul Awal (April 571 A.C). It was in the vision that his mother received the joyful tidings that she was to give birth to a prophet. When he was born there were the usual signs that indicate that a prophet is born, and the most significant event worthy of mentioning is heavy rainfall at a more regular time, with the disappearance of famine. Another magnificent event was the destruction of the army of the Christian Byzantium, led by the Chief of Yemen Abraham Al Ashram from the Southernmost region of the Arabian or Hijaz peninsula. 

They had marched to Makkah o demolish the Kaabah so that the great church he had built in his capital Sana'a will become the center of piousness instead. The whole army encamped outside Makkah later was attacked by a plague of a virulent form of “smallpox” which caused great calamity for them where the major portion of the force was destroyed. The remaining of them took to flight in total confusion as mentioned in the Holy Al Quran:

“Hast thou not considered how thy Allah dealt with the possessor s of elephant? Did He not cause their war to end in confusion, and sent flocks of birds to prey on them, upon them, casting them with hard heated stone”

 Thus, Allah said,

﴿ أَلَمۡ تَرَ كَيۡفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِأَصۡحَـٰبِ ٱلۡفِيلِ • أَلَمۡ يَجۡعَلۡ كَيۡدَهُمۡ فِى تَضۡلِيلٍ۬ • وَأَرۡسَلَ عَلَيۡہِمۡ طَيۡرًا أَبَابِيلَ • تَرۡمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٍ۬ مِّن سِجِّيلٍ۬ • فَجَعَلَهُمۡ كَعَصۡفٍ۬ مَّأۡڪُولِۭ ﴾

(Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the Owners of the Elephant Did He not make their plot go astray and He sent against them birds, in flocks (Ababil). Striking them with stones of Sijjil. And He made them like `Asf, Ma'kul.)

 According to the custom of the Arab gentry, mothers did not suckle their babies, so Rasulullahﷺ was handed over to Halimatun Saqdiah, a nurse of the tribe of Bani Sa’ad. Two years later Halima brought him back to his mother, but Amina asked her to resume her charge, as Makkah at that time was stricken with the epidemic. Thus he remained in the charge of Halimatun Saqdiah until the age of six.

Although but a child, those few years spent in rural surroundings did much to mold his character; for the calm atmosphere and the natural environment made him realize the presence of the Supreme Being. Who rules over and controls all. So at the age of six, when he returned to his mother after a long, soon afterward she died on her way to Madinah whither she was going to visit the grave of her husband.

Muhammad was then cared for by his grandfather Abdul Muttalib, but he died two years later. Then at the age of eight, his guardianship passed to his uncle Abu Talib, the uncle and the nephew soon became so greatly attached to each other that it became impossible for Abu Talib to go anywhere, even on a commercial journey, without taking Muhammad with him. People were greatly impressed by his ways and manners. Once while traveling with his uncle they met a Christian ascetic, Bahira who beholding the boy saw in him the marks of greatness and foretold that one day he would be a prophet.

 

 In the red circle is the location of birth (Rasulullah ﷺ)