A story
Prophet Muhammad, the Trustworthy and Merciful
About one thousand four hundred and fifty years ago, in the city of Makkah, a baby boy was born. His name was Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. He came from the family of Prophet Ismail, the son of Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon them.
Muhammad's father, Abdullah, died before he was born. His mother, Aminah, died when he was only six years old. Then his loving grandfather, Abdul-Muttalib, took care of him. When his grandfather died too, his kind uncle, Abu Talib, took him into his home.
Even though he had lost so much, Allah was always taking care of him. Allah says in the Quran, meaning: "Did He not find you an orphan and give you shelter?" (Surah Ad-Duha, 93:6).
When he was a boy, Muhammad worked as a shepherd. He looked after sheep on the hills around Makkah. He was gentle and patient with them. Later, he said that every prophet had been a shepherd.
As Muhammad grew up, everyone in Makkah came to know him. He never told a lie. He always kept his promises. When people had something precious, they gave it to him to keep safe. So the people of Makkah gave him a special name: Al-Amin, which means "the trustworthy one."
One day, the tribes of Makkah were fixing the Kaaba. When it was time to put the sacred Black Stone back in its place, they began to argue. Every tribe wanted the honor. The argument grew louder and louder.
At last they agreed: the first man to walk through the gate would decide. And who walked in? Muhammad! "It is Al-Amin," they said happily. "We accept him."
Muhammad asked for a cloth. He placed the Black Stone in the middle of it. Then he asked a leader from each tribe to hold one edge. Together they all lifted it. Then Muhammad placed the stone in its spot with his own hands. Everyone was happy, and nobody fought. What a wise and peaceful idea!
When Muhammad was a grown man, he often went to a small cave on a mountain near Makkah. The cave was called Hira. There, in the quiet of the night, he would think about Allah, who made the sky and the stars.
One night in the month of Ramadan, when he was forty years old, the angel Jibril came to him in the cave. Jibril said, "Read!" Muhammad said, "I am not one who can read." Then Jibril recited the first words of the Quran, meaning: "Read in the name of your Lord who created" (Surah Al-Alaq, 96:1).
Muhammad went home, shaking, to his wife Khadijah. She covered him with a blanket and comforted him. She said that Allah would never let him down, because he was kind to his family, helped the weak, gave to the poor, and welcomed guests. Khadijah was the first person to believe in him.
Allah had chosen Muhammad to be His final messenger, for all people. He began to call people to worship Allah alone, to be honest, to free the weak from unfairness, and to be kind to everyone.
The Prophet loved children. He smiled at them and greeted them with "As-salamu alaykum." He let his grandsons, Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn, climb on his back while he prayed, and he would wait patiently until they climbed down. When he heard a baby crying during the prayer, he made the prayer shorter, so the mother would not worry.
He was kind to animals too. He told the story of a man who found a very thirsty dog. The man climbed down into a well, filled his shoe with water, and gave the dog a drink. Allah thanked him and forgave him (Al-Bukhari). The Prophet also told people not to load their camels too heavily, and to be gentle with every creature.
But many leaders in Makkah did not like his message. They were unkind to him and to the believers for many years. The Prophet was patient.
Then Allah gave permission for the believers to move to a city called Yathrib. This journey is called the Hijrah. The Prophet left Makkah at night with his best friend, Abu Bakr. They hid in a cave called Thawr.
Some people from Makkah came searching for them. They came right up to the cave. Abu Bakr whispered, "If one of them looks down at his feet, he will see us." The Prophet answered calmly, "Do not be sad. Allah is with us" (Surah At-Tawbah, 9:40). Many storytellers say that a spider spun a web across the cave, and a dove made a nest there, so the searchers thought nobody was inside. They turned around and left.
After three days, the Prophet and Abu Bakr continued their journey. When they reached Yathrib, the people came out to welcome them, singing with joy. The city was renamed Al-Madinah, "the city of the Prophet." There, among the green date palms, the Prophet built a simple mosque and helped the people live together as brothers and sisters.
Years later, the Prophet returned to Makkah with thousands of believers. This was the Conquest of Makkah. The people who had been unkind to him for so many years were now afraid. What would he do?
The Prophet asked them, "What do you think I will do with you?" They said, "You are a kind brother, the son of a kind brother." Then the Prophet said, "Go, you are free." He forgave them all.
So many people saw his mercy that they became Muslims.
Allah describes the Prophet in the Quran, meaning: "We have not sent you except as a mercy to all the worlds" (Surah Al-Anbiya, 21:107).
Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was the last of all the prophets. He brought the Quran, Allah's final message. And he showed us, every day, how to live: be honest like Al-Amin, be gentle with children and animals, be patient when things are hard, and forgive, even when you could get even.
Whenever we hear his name, we say, "Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam," which means "May Allah send peace and blessings upon him."
Muhammad's father, Abdullah, died before he was born. His mother, Aminah, died when he was only six years old. Then his loving grandfather, Abdul-Muttalib, took care of him. When his grandfather died too, his kind uncle, Abu Talib, took him into his home.
Even though he had lost so much, Allah was always taking care of him. Allah says in the Quran, meaning: "Did He not find you an orphan and give you shelter?" (Surah Ad-Duha, 93:6).
When he was a boy, Muhammad worked as a shepherd. He looked after sheep on the hills around Makkah. He was gentle and patient with them. Later, he said that every prophet had been a shepherd.
As Muhammad grew up, everyone in Makkah came to know him. He never told a lie. He always kept his promises. When people had something precious, they gave it to him to keep safe. So the people of Makkah gave him a special name: Al-Amin, which means "the trustworthy one."
One day, the tribes of Makkah were fixing the Kaaba. When it was time to put the sacred Black Stone back in its place, they began to argue. Every tribe wanted the honor. The argument grew louder and louder.
At last they agreed: the first man to walk through the gate would decide. And who walked in? Muhammad! "It is Al-Amin," they said happily. "We accept him."
Muhammad asked for a cloth. He placed the Black Stone in the middle of it. Then he asked a leader from each tribe to hold one edge. Together they all lifted it. Then Muhammad placed the stone in its spot with his own hands. Everyone was happy, and nobody fought. What a wise and peaceful idea!
When Muhammad was a grown man, he often went to a small cave on a mountain near Makkah. The cave was called Hira. There, in the quiet of the night, he would think about Allah, who made the sky and the stars.
One night in the month of Ramadan, when he was forty years old, the angel Jibril came to him in the cave. Jibril said, "Read!" Muhammad said, "I am not one who can read." Then Jibril recited the first words of the Quran, meaning: "Read in the name of your Lord who created" (Surah Al-Alaq, 96:1).
Muhammad went home, shaking, to his wife Khadijah. She covered him with a blanket and comforted him. She said that Allah would never let him down, because he was kind to his family, helped the weak, gave to the poor, and welcomed guests. Khadijah was the first person to believe in him.
Allah had chosen Muhammad to be His final messenger, for all people. He began to call people to worship Allah alone, to be honest, to free the weak from unfairness, and to be kind to everyone.
The Prophet loved children. He smiled at them and greeted them with "As-salamu alaykum." He let his grandsons, Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn, climb on his back while he prayed, and he would wait patiently until they climbed down. When he heard a baby crying during the prayer, he made the prayer shorter, so the mother would not worry.
He was kind to animals too. He told the story of a man who found a very thirsty dog. The man climbed down into a well, filled his shoe with water, and gave the dog a drink. Allah thanked him and forgave him (Al-Bukhari). The Prophet also told people not to load their camels too heavily, and to be gentle with every creature.
But many leaders in Makkah did not like his message. They were unkind to him and to the believers for many years. The Prophet was patient.
Then Allah gave permission for the believers to move to a city called Yathrib. This journey is called the Hijrah. The Prophet left Makkah at night with his best friend, Abu Bakr. They hid in a cave called Thawr.
Some people from Makkah came searching for them. They came right up to the cave. Abu Bakr whispered, "If one of them looks down at his feet, he will see us." The Prophet answered calmly, "Do not be sad. Allah is with us" (Surah At-Tawbah, 9:40). Many storytellers say that a spider spun a web across the cave, and a dove made a nest there, so the searchers thought nobody was inside. They turned around and left.
After three days, the Prophet and Abu Bakr continued their journey. When they reached Yathrib, the people came out to welcome them, singing with joy. The city was renamed Al-Madinah, "the city of the Prophet." There, among the green date palms, the Prophet built a simple mosque and helped the people live together as brothers and sisters.
Years later, the Prophet returned to Makkah with thousands of believers. This was the Conquest of Makkah. The people who had been unkind to him for so many years were now afraid. What would he do?
The Prophet asked them, "What do you think I will do with you?" They said, "You are a kind brother, the son of a kind brother." Then the Prophet said, "Go, you are free." He forgave them all.
So many people saw his mercy that they became Muslims.
Allah describes the Prophet in the Quran, meaning: "We have not sent you except as a mercy to all the worlds" (Surah Al-Anbiya, 21:107).
Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was the last of all the prophets. He brought the Quran, Allah's final message. And he showed us, every day, how to live: be honest like Al-Amin, be gentle with children and animals, be patient when things are hard, and forgive, even when you could get even.
Whenever we hear his name, we say, "Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam," which means "May Allah send peace and blessings upon him."
