Chapter 1

How it All Began

About four thousand years ago, in the Sumerian town of Ur in the valley of the river Euphrates, lived a young man named Abraham (Ibrahim). The people of Ur had once worshipped Allah, but as time passed they forgot the true religion and started praying to idols, statues of wood and clay and sometimes even of precious stones.

Even as a small child Abraham could not understand how his people, and especially his father, could make these images with their own hands, call them gods, and then worship them. He had always refused to join his people when they paid respect to these statues. Instead he would leave the town and sit alone, thinking about the heavens and the world around him. He was sure his people were doing wrong and so alone he searched for the right way. One clear night as he sat staring at the sky he saw a beautiful shining star, so beautiful that he cried out: "This must be Allah!" He looked at it in awe for some time, until suddenly it began to fade and then it disappeared. He turned away in disappointment saying:

I love not things that set.
(Quran vi.77)

One another night Abraham was again looking at the sky and he saw the rising moon, so big and bright that he felt he could almost touch it. He thought to himself:

This is my Lord.
(Quran vi 78)

But it was not long before the moon set as well. Then he said,

Unless my Lord guide me, I surely Shall become one of the folk who are astray.
(Quran vi.78)

Abraham then saw the beauty and splendor of the sunrise and decided that the sun must be the biggest and most powerful thing in the universe. But for the third time he was wrong, for the sunset at the end of the day. It was then that he realised that Allah is the Most Powerful, the Creator of the stars, the moon, the sun, the earth and of all living things. Suddenly he felt himself totally at peace, because he knew that he had found the Truth.

When he said unto his father and his folk:
What do you worship?
They said: We worship idols, and are ever devoted to them.
He said: Do they hear you when you cry?
Or do they benefit or harm you?
They said: Nay, but we found our fathers
acting in this manner.
He said: See now that which you worshp,
You and your forefathers!
Lo! They are (all) an enemy to me, except
The Lord of the Worlds.
Who created me, and He guides me,
And who feeds me and waters me.
And when I sicken, then He heals me.
And Who causes me to die,
Then gives me life (again)
And Who, I ardently hope, will forgive me
my sin on the Day of Judgement.
(Quran xxvi.70-82)

One day, when all the townspeople were out, Abraham angrily smashed all the idols with his right hand except for one which was very large. When the people returned they were furious. They remembered the things Abraham had said about the idols. They had him brought forth before everyone and demanded, 'Is it you who did this to our gods, O Abraham'?. Abraham replied, 'But this their chief did it. Ask them, if they are able to speak.' The people exclaimed, 'You know they do not speak.' 'Do you worship what you yourselves have carved when Allah created you and what you make'?. Abraham continued, 'Do you worship instead of Allah that which cannot profit you at all, nor harm you?'
(Quran xxxvii.95-6)(Quran xxi.66)

Finally, Abraham warned them,
Serve Allah, and keep your duty unto Him; that
is better for you if you did but know.
You serve instead of Allah only idols, and you
Only invent a lie. Lo! those whom you serve instead
Of Allah own no provision for you. So seek your
Provision from Allah, and serve Him, and give thanks
Unto Him, (for) unto Him you will be brought back.
(Quran xxix.16-17)

The people of Ur decided to give Abraham the worst punishment they could find: he was to be burnt to death. On the chosen day all the people gathered in the center of the city and even the King of Ur was there. Abraham was then placed inside a special building filled with wood. The wood was lit. Soon the fire became so strong that the people were pushed back by the flames. But Allah said:

O fire, be coolness and peace for Abraham.
(Quran xxi.69)

The people waited until the fire had completely died down, and it was then that they saw Abraham still sitting there as though nothing had happened! At that moment they were utterly confused. They were not, however, moved by the miracle that had just happened before their very eyes. Still Abraham tried to persuade his own dear father, who was named Azar, not to worship powerless, Un-seeing, Un-hearing status. Abraham explained that special knowledge had come to him and implored his father, 'So follow me and I will lead you on the right path. O my father! Don't serve the Devil.' But Azar would not listen. He threatened his son with stoning, if he continued to reject the gods of Our. He ordered Abraham to leave the city with these words: 'Depart from me a long while.' Abraham said, 'Peace be upon you! I shall ask my Lord's forgiveness for you. Surely He was ever gracious to me.'
(Quran xix.43-7)

Imagine how terrible it must have been for him to leave his home, his family and all that he knew, and set out across the wilderness into the unknown. But at the same time, how could he have remained among people who did not believe in Allah and who worshipped status? Abraham always had a sense that Allah cared for him and he felt Allah near him as he traveled. At last, after a long hard journey, he arrived at a place close to Mediterranean Sea, near Egypt. There he married a noble woman by the name of Sarah and settled in the land of Palestine.

Many years passed but Abraham and his wife were not blessed with children. In the hope that there would be a child, and in keeping with tradition, Sarah suggested Abraham to marry Hagar, her Egyptian handmaid. Soon after this took place, Hagar (Hajar) had a little boy named Ishmael (Ismail). After Some time Allah promised Abraham another son, but this time the mother of the child would be his first wife, Sarah. This second son would be called Isaac (Ishaq). Allah also told Abraham that from his two sons -- Ishmael and Isaac --- two nations and three religions would be founded and because of this he must take Hagar and Ishmael away from Palestine to a new land. These events were an important part of Allah's plan, for the descendants of Ishmael would form a nation from which would come a great Prophet, who would guide the people in the way of Allah. This was to be Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam), From the descendants of Sarah's child, Isaac, would come Moses and Jesus.

So it was that Abraham, Hagar, and Ishmael left Palestine. They traveled for many days until finally they reached the arid valley of Bacca (later to be called Mecca), which was on one of the great caravan routes. There was no water in the valley and although Hagar and Ishmael only had a small supply of water left, Abraham left them there ,knowing Allah would take care of them. Soon all the water was gone. The child began to grow weak from thirst. There were two hills nearby, one called Safa and the other Marwah. Hagar went up one hill and looked into the distance to see if she could find any water, but found none. So she went to the other hill and did the same. She did this seven times. Then sadly she returned other son, and to her great surprise and joy she found a spring of water bubbling out of the earth near him. This spring, near which the mother and child settled, was later called Zamzam. The area around it became a place of rest for the caravans travelling across the desert, later it became the famous trading city of Mecca.

From time to time Abraham travelled from Palestine to visit his family and he saw Ishmael grow into a strong young man. It was during one of these visits that Allah commanded them to rebuild the Ka'bah - the very first place where people had worshipped Allah.

They were told exactly where and how to build it. It was to be erected by the well of Zamzam and built in the shape of a cube. In its eastern corner was to be placed a black stone that had fallen to earth from heaven. An angel brought the stone to them from the nearby hill of Abu Qubays.

Abraham and Ishmael worked hard to rebuild the Ka'bah and as they did so they prayed to Allah to send a Prophet from among their descendants.

And when Abraham and Ishmael were raising
The foundations of the House, (Abraham prayed):
'Our Lord! Receive this from us;
Thou, only Thou, art the All-hearing, the All-knowing;
Our Lord! And make us submissive unto
Thee and of our seed a nation submissive unotThee, and show us our ways of worship, and turn
toward us. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the
Relenting, the Merciful.
Our Lord! And raise up in their midst
a messenger from among them who shall recite unto
them Thy revelations, and shall instruct them in
the Scripture and in wisdom and shall make them
grow. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Mighty, Wise.
(Quran ii.I 27-9)

When the Ka'bah was completed, Allah commanded Abraham to call mankind to pilgrimage to his holy house. Abraham wondered how anyone could hear his call. Allah said, 'You call and I will bring them.' This was how the pilgrimage to the Ka'bah in Mecca was established and when Muslims make the pilgrimage today they continue to answer the age-old call of Abraham.

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Chapter 2

The Children of Ishmael

Over the years Ishmael's children themselves had children. His descendants increased and formed tribes which spread all over Arabia. One of these tribes was called Quraysh. Its people never moved away from Mecca and always lived near the Ka'bah.

One of the duties of the leader of Quraysh was to look after those who came on a pilgrimage to the Ka'bah. The pilgrims would come from all over Arabia and it was a great honour to provide them with food and water. As time passed, however, the Arabs stopped worshipping Allah directly and started bringing idols back with them from the different countries they visited. These idols were placed at the Ka'bah, which was no loner regarded as the Sanctuary of Allah, as Abraham had intended it. It was, however, still respected by the Arabs. Around this time the well of Zamzam disappeared beneath the sand.

Also at this time, Qusayy, one of the leaders of Quraysh, became ruler over Mecca. He held the keys of the temple and had the right to give water to the pilgrims, to feed them, to take charge of meetings, and to hand out war banners before battle. It was also in his house that Quraysh settled their affairs. After Qusayy's death, his son 'Abdu Manaf, who had become famous during his father's lifetime, took over the leadership of Quraysh. After him came his son Hashim. It is said that Hashim was the first to begin the two great caravan journeys of Quraysh, one in the summer to Syria and the north, and one in the winter to Yemen and the south. As a result, Mecca grew rich and became a large and important centre of trade.

One summer Hashim went north to buy goods to sell in Yemen. On his way he stopped in Yathrib to trade in the market and there he saw a beautiful woman. She was Salma, the daughter of the respected family of 'Amr ibn Zeid,. Hashim proposed to her and was accepted because he was an honourable and a distingusihed man. In time, Salma gave birth to a beautiful son and as some of his hair was white they called him Shaybah, which in Arabic means 'grey-haired'. Mother and son stayed in the cooler, healthier climate of Yathrib, while Hashim returned to Mecca, but he would visit them each time he took his caravan to the north. During one of these journeys, however, Hashim became ill and died.

Shaybah, a handsome, intelligent boy, grew up in his uncle's house in Yathrib. He was proud of being the son of Hashim ibn 'Abdi Manaf, the head of Quraysh, the guardian of the Ka'bah and protector of the pilgrims, even though he had not known his father, who had died while Shaybah was very young.

At Hashim's death his brother al-Muttalib took over his duties and responsibilities. He travelled to Yathrib to see his nephew, Shaybah, and decided that as the boy would one day inherit his father's place, the time had come for him to live in Mecca.

It was hard for Salma, Shaybah's mother, to let her son go with his uncle but she finally realized that it was for the best. Al-Muttalib returned to Mecca, entering the city at noon on his camel with Shaybah behind him. When the people of Mecca saw the boy they thought he was a slave and, pointing at him, called out "Abd al-Muttalib', 'Abd' being the Arabic meaning of 'slave'. Al-Muttalib told them that Shaybah was not a slave but his nephew who had come to live with them. From that day on, however, Shaybah was always affectionately called 'Abd al-Muttalib.

On the death of al-Muttalib, who died in Yemen where he had gone to trade, 'Abd al-Muttalib took his place. He became the most respected member of his family, loved and admired by all. He was, however, unlike those Arabs who had given up the teachings of Abraham.

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Chapter 3

The Promise at ZamZam

The well of Zamzam, which disappeared when the Arab placed idols at the Ka'bah, remained buried under the sand. Thus, for many years the people of Quraysh had to fetch their water from far away. One day 'Abd al-Muttalib was very tired from doing this and fell asleep next to the Ka'bah. He had a dream in which he was told to dig up Zamzam. When he woke up he was puzzled because he did not know what Zamzam was, the well having disappeared many years before he was born. The next day he had the same dream but this time he was told where to find the well.

'Abd al-Muttalib had one son at that time, and together they began to dig. The work was so difficult that 'Abd al-Muttalib made an oath to Allah that if one day he were to have ten sons to help him and stand by him, in return he would sacrifice one of them in Allah's honour. After working for three days they finally found the well of Zamzam. Pilgrims have been drinking from it ever since.

The years passed by and 'Abd al-Muttalib did have ten sons. They grew into fine, strong men and the time came for him to keep his promise to Allah. He told his sons about the promise and they agreed that he had to sacrifice one of them. To see which one it would be, they decided to draw lots, the custom of Quraysh for deciding important matters. 'Abd al-Muttalib told each son to get an arrow with their names written on it and then to bring it to him. This they did, after which he took them to the Ka'bah where there was a man whose special task was to cast arrows and pick one from among them. This man solemnly proceeded to do this. On the arrow which he choosen, was written the name of 'Abd Allah, the youngest and favourite son of 'Abd al-Muttalib. Even so, the father took his son near the Ka'bah and prepared to sacrifice him.

Many of the Quraysh leaders were present and they became very angry because 'Abd Allah was very young and much loved by everyone. They tried to think of a way to save his life. Someone suggested that the advice of a wise old woman who lived in Yathrib should be sought, and so 'Abd al-Muttalib took his son and went to see if she could decide what to do. Some of the Meccans went with them and when they got there the woman asked. 'What is the price of a man's life? They told her, 'Ten camels', for at that time if one man killed another, his family would have to give ten camels to the dead man's family in order to keep the peace among them. So the woman told them to go back to the Ka'bah and draw lots between 'Abd Allah and ten camels. If the camels were chosen, they were to be killed and the meat given to the poor. If 'Abd Allah was picked them ten more camels were to be added and the lots drawn again and again until they finally fell on the camels.

'Abd al-Muttalib returned to the Ka'bah with his son and the people of Mecca. There they started to draw lots between 'Abd Allah and the camels, starting with ten camels. 'Abd al-Muttalib prayed to Allah to spare his son and everyone waited insilence for the result. The choice fell on 'Abd Allah, so his father added ten more camels. Again the choice fell on 'Abd Allah, so they did the same thing again and again, adding ten camels each time. Finally they reached one hundred camels, and only then did the lot fall on the camels.

'Abd Allah was saved and everyone was very happy. "Abd al-Muttalib, however, wanted to make sure that this was the true result so he repeated the draw three times and each time it fell on the camels. He then gave thanks to Allah that He had spared 'Abd Allah's life. The camels were sacrificed and there was enough food for the entire city, even the animals and birds.

'Abd Allah grew up to be a handsome young man and his father eventually chose Aminah, the daughter of Wahb, as a wife for him. It was a good match, for she was the finest of Quraysh women and 'Abd Allah the best of the men. He spent several months with his wife but then he had to leave her and travel with one of the caravans to trade with Syria. On his way back to Mecca from Syria 'Abd Allah became ill and had to stop off in Yathrib to recover. The caravan, however, continued on its way and arrived back in Mecca without him. On hearing of 'Abd Allah 's illness, 'Abd al-Muttalib sent another son, al-Harith, to bring 'Abd Allah back to Mecca, but he was too late. When he arrived in Yathrib 'Abd Allah was dead.

Aminah was heart-broken to lose her husband and the father of the child she would soon give birth to. Only Allah knew that this orphan child would one day be a great Prophet.

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Chapter 4

The Elephant refuses to move

Abrahah, who came from Abyssinia - a country in Africa-conquered Yemen and was made vice-regent there. Later, he noticed that at a certain time of the year large numbers of people would travel from all over Yemen and the rest of Arabia to Mecca. He asked the reason for this and was told that they were going on pilgrimage to the Ka'bah.

Abrahah hated the idea of Mecca being more important than his own country, so he decided to build a church of coloured marble, with doors of gold and ornaments of silver, and ordered the people to visit it instead of the Ka'bah. But no one obeyed him.

Abrahah became angry and decided to destroy the Ka'bah. He prepared a large army led by an elephant and set off towards Mecca. When the Meccans heard that he was coming they became very frightened. Abrahah's army was huge and they could not fight it. But how could they let him destroy the Holy Ka'bah? They went to ask the advice of their leader, 'Abd al-MuttalibWhen Abrahah arrived outside Mecca, 'Abd al-Muttalib went to meet him. Abrahah said, 'What do you want?'

Abrahah had taken 'Abd al-Muttalib's camels, which he had found grazing as he entered Mecca, so 'Abd al-Muttalib replied, 'I want my camels back."

Abrahah was very surprised and said, 'I have come to destroy your Holy Ka'bah, the holy place of your fathers, and you ask me about some camels?''Abd al-Muttalib replied calmly, 'The camels belong to me; the Ka'bah belongs to Allah and He will protect it.' Then le left Abrahah and went back to Quraysh and ordered them to leave Mecca and wait for their enemies in the mountains.

In the morning Abrahah prepared to enter the town. He put armour on his elephant and drew up his troops for battle. He intended to destroy the Ka'bah and then return to Yemen. At that moment, however, the elephant knelt down and refused to get up, no matter how much the soldiers tried to get it to move by beating it. But when they turned its face in the direction of Yemen it immediately got up and started off. In fact, it did the same in any other direction, but as soon as they pointed it towards Mecca it knelt down again.

Suddenly, flocks of birds appeared from over the sea. Each bird carried three stones as small as peas and they droppwed them on Abrahah's army. The soldiers suddently fell ill. Even Abrahah was hit by the stones and fled in fear with the rest of his army back to Yemen, where he later died. On seeing their enemy flee the Arabs came down from the mountains to the Ka'bah and gave thanks to Allah.

After this, Quraysh gained great respect and became known as 'the people of Allah', and the year in which these events took place, 570 A.D., was named the 'Year of the Elephant'. In that year Allah had saved the Ka'bah and he would soon bring forth a Prophet from among Quraysh.

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

Hast thou not seen how they Lord dealt with the owners of the Elephant?
Did He not bring their stratagem to naught,
And send against them swarms of flying cretures,
Which pelted them with stones of baked clay,
And made them like green crops devoured (by cattle)?
(Quran CV. 1-5)

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Chapter 5

The Prophet is Born

One day, While travelling north, one of the Arab tribes from Mecca met a hermit in the desert. Some of the men stopped to speak with him. Hermits were known to be wise and the Arabs often took their advice.

The hermit asked where they had come from. When they replied that they were from Mecca, he told them that Allah would soon send a Prophet, who would come from their people. They asked the name of this prophet and the hermit answered that his name would be Muhammad and that he would guide them to a new way of life.

Meanwhile in Mecca, Aminah, although saddened by the loss of her husband, felt especially well and strong as the awaited the birth of her baby. During this time she dreamt of many things. On one occasion it was as if a great light were shining out of her, and on another she heard a voice telling her that she would have a boy and that his name would be Muhammad. She never forgot that voice but she told to one about it.

On Monday, the twelfth day of Rabi al-Awwal in the Year of the Elephant, Aminah gave birth to a son. Allah sends man many signs when one of His chosen Prophets is born. And on that twelfth day of Rabi al-Awwal in his year 570 A.D., many such signs were seen. Some were seen by Jewish scholars who had read in their scriptures of a coming Prophet. One of these learned men in Yathrib, for instance, saw a brilliant new star he had never seen before as he studied the heavens that night. He called the people around him and, pointing the star out to them, told them a Prophet must have been born.

That same night another Jew was passing by the meeting place of the leaders of Quraysh in Mecca. He asked them if a baby boy had just been born and told them that if it were true, this would be the Prophet of the Arab nation.

Aminah sent news of the birth to her father-in-law, 'Abd al-Muttalib, who was sitting near the Ka'bah at the time. He was very happy and began at once to think of a name for the boy. An ordinary name would not do. Six days came and went and still he had not decided. But on the seventh day, as he lay asleep near the Ka'bah, 'Abd al-Muttalib dreamt that he should give the baby the unusual name of Muhammad, just as Aminah herself had dreamt. And so the child was called Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam), which means 'the Praised One'. When 'Abd al-muttalib told the leaders of Quraysh what he had named his grandson, many of them asked, 'Why did you not choose the sort of name that is used by our people?
At once he replied, 'I want him to be praised by Allah in the heavens and praised by men on earth.'

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Chapter 5

A Time with Halima

Like many other women in Mecca, Aminah decided to send her son away from the city for his early years to the desert where it wasmore healthy. Women from the desert used to come to Mecca to collect the new babies and they would then keep them until they developed into strong children, for which they were paid by the parents.

Among the women who travelled to Mecca to fetch a new baby at the time Aminah's son was born, was a Bedouin woman called Halimah. With her was her husband and a baby son. They had always been very poor, but this year things were harder than ever because there had been famine. The donkey that carried Halimah on the journey was so weak from hunger that he often stumbled. Halimah's own baby son cried all the time because his mother could not feed him properly. Even their she-camel did not give them one drop of milk. Halimah did not know what to do. She thought to herself, 'How can I possible feed another baby when I haven't got enough milk even for my own son?

At last they reached Mecca. All the other women of the tribe to which Halimah belonged, the Bani Sa'd, found a child to take back with them, but not Halimah. The only baby left was Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam). Usually the father paid the wet-nurse but Muhammad's father was dead. So no one wanted to take him, even though he was from one of the noblest familes of Quraysh. Halima did not want to take him either, but she did not want to be the only woman to go back to her tribe without a baby to bring up. She asked her husband whether she should take Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) or not. He advised her to do so, adding, 'Perhaps Allah will bless us because of him.'

They started on the return journey and so soon as Halimah began to feed Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) her milk suddenly increased and she had enough for him as well as to her baby son. When they were back home, everything began to change. The land became green, and the date trees, one of their main sources of food, gave lots of fruit. Even the sheep and their old she-camel began to give plenty of milk. Halimah and her husband knew that this good fortune had come because they had the new baby. Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam), whom they had come to love as if he were their own son.

When Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) was two years old, Halimah took him back to his mother. She pleaded with Aminah, however, to let her keep him for a little longer, and to her great joy the mother agreed.

During this time with Halimah's family in the desert, Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) played with her children and together they would take the sheep out to graze. At other times, however, Halimah would often find him sitting alone.

It is said that on one occasion, two angels came to Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) and washed his heart with snow. In this way Allah made his heart pure for he intended Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) to be greater than any man ever born and to become the Seal of the Prophets.

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

Did We not expand thy breast for thee
And eased thee of thy burden
Which weighed down thy back;
And exalted thy fame?
So truly with hardship comes ease,
Truly with hardship comes ease.
So when thou art relieved, still toil
And strive to please thy Lord.
(Quran xciv. I-8)

When Halimah finally took Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam), back to Aminah, he was a healthy strong boy. Later he would look back with joy, the time he had spend with Halimah and he always thought of himself as one of the Bani Sa'd.

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