Let us briefly take a look into the life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) during his childhood. God, the Exalted, created and cultivated a spiritual and ethical character in him that would be competent to take on the great responsibility entrusted to him. According to one narration, Prophet Muhammad’s father passed away before he was born, and according to a different narration a few months after he was born; so his excellency never got to see his father. As was traditionally practiced by noble families of that time in Arabia that would leave their children with chaste and gracious women to raise them in the deserts among Arab tribes, this dear cherished child was entrusted to a noble, gracious woman called Halimeh Al-Sa’diyyeh-- who was from Bani Sa’d tribe. She took the Prophet to her tribe and looked after the dear child, this priceless jewel, for six years. She breastfed him and educated him. Hence, the Prophet grew up in the deserts. Sometimes Halimah would take the child to visit his mother—Lady Aminah-- so she could see him, then they would return. After six years, when the child had been excellently grown, physically and spiritually,—he had grown physically strong, handsome, vigorous, efficient; and spiritually calm, patient, well-behaved, kind and open-minded: qualities which are necessary for life in those circumstances—he was returned to his mother and family.
His mother took his son to Yathrib to visit the grave of Abdullah [his father] who had passed away and was buried in that city. Yathrib was later named Medina. They went to a neighborhood of Yathrib. On the way back, in an area called Abwa’, his mother also passed away and the child was orphaned. So, the spiritual aptitude of this child—who was to nurture and edify a world within his existential and ethical capacity and lead it— increased day after day.
Umm Ayman—the woman who took care of Prophet after the passing of Aminah-- took him to Medina and left him with Abdul Mutallab- the Prophet’s grandfather. Abdul Muttalib looked after and cared for this child as the sweet love of his life. The elderly grandfather of about 100 years of age—who was the chief of Quraish and very much respected and honored—cherished and loved the child so much so that Muhammad would never suffer from lack of affection—and he never did.
The astonishing fact is that this child endured hardships due to the loss of his parents so that his aptitude and preparedness would increase. When he was eight, Abdul Muttalib passed away, too. It has been narrated that just before his death, Abdul Muttalib entrusted the child to his honorable and virtuous son, Abi Talib.
Abdul Muttalib asked Abi Talib to make a pledge to his father to look after and support Muhammad as much as he, himself, cared for and supported him. Abu Talib agreed and took the child to his home and cared for him as the love of his life. For about forty years, Abu Talib and his wife-- who was the lioness of Arabs, Fatimah Bint Assad, the mother of Imam Ali (a.s.)-- supported and assisted this lofty human [Muhammad] as if they were his own parents.
Since he was a child, he opted for serving as the shepherd for the sheep of Abu Talib. These are factors in developing his personality. As a child, he also chose to go on trips for commerce with Abu Talib. His commercial travels were repeated as he grew into a young man, met and married lady Khadijah (a.s.), and later he reached the age of forty when he became a prophet.
