At a glance
Stage 1As a young man, the Prophet ﷺ earned his living as a shepherd and a trader, took part in a pledge to defend the wronged, and became known across Makkah as al-Amin.
- When
- c. 582 to c. 595 CE
- Where
- Makkah and the trade road to Ash-Sham
- Known as
- Al-Amin, the Trustworthy
- Key people
- the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, Abu Talib, Abdullah ibn Jud'an
- Key places
- Makkah, the hills around Makkah, the markets of Ash-Sham, the house of Abdullah ibn Jud'an
- Read time
- 3 minutes
Part oneA shepherd and a trader
When the Prophet ﷺ was a boy, one of his first jobs was looking after sheep. He took the flocks of the people of Makkah out to the hills and was paid a small wage. Later in life he spoke of this work with respect, and said that every prophet had been a shepherd. It is a trade that asks for patience and care for animals that cannot look after themselves. By birth he belonged to the Banu Hashim, one of the most honoured clans in Makkah, but he had no wealth of his own. In a town where money counted for a great deal, he had to earn his place by his character. In later years he taught that no meal is better than one earned by a person's own work.
From the hadith
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Allah did not send any prophet but shepherded sheep." His companions asked him, "Did you do the same?" The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, "Yes, I used to shepherd the sheep of the people of Mecca for some Qirats."
As he grew into a young man, he turned to trade, as most of the Quraysh did. Makkah's merchants sold leather and hides, and brought home cloth, grain and oil. Caravans left for Ash-Sham in the summer and for Yemen in winter, and he travelled with them. There were also seasonal fairs, at places such as Ukaz, where tribes from all over Arabia came together to buy, sell and listen to poetry. Years later, he would return to these fairs to call the tribes to Islam. A single caravan might carry the goods of dozens of Makkans, each of whom had put in a share, so one dishonest agent could ruin many families. In a trading town, a person's word was their capital. He kept his promises and never told a lie.
His reputation spread slowly, one honest deal at a time. The Quraysh began to call him al-Amin, the trustworthy, and they also called him as-Sadiq, the truthful. People left their valuables with him for safekeeping. Years later, when the Quraysh were his bitter opponents, they still trusted him with their belongings. When he left Makkah for Madinah in 622 CE, valuables were still in his house, and he asked his cousin Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) to stay behind a few days and return them to their owners.
He was also known for something he did not do. He did not take part in the idol worship all around him, and he lived plainly and did not boast.
When he was in his teens, a quarrel between tribes broke into fighting during one of the sacred months, which gave it the name of the Fijar War, the war of transgression. He went along with his uncles and helped them by handing them arrows. The Quraysh and their allies were on one side, and the Hawazin and theirs on the other. It was a short conflict, and it showed how fragile the sacred months could be.
Part twoThe Alliance of Virtue
Around 590 CE, when he was about twenty, a case of injustice shook Makkah. A merchant from Yemen had come to sell goods in the town, and one of the Quraysh leaders, al-As ibn Wa'il, took the goods and refused to pay for them. The merchant was a stranger with no clan to defend him. He climbed a hill overlooking the Kaaba at dawn and called aloud for help.
Several Quraysh clans were moved by this. They met at the house of Abdullah ibn Jud'an, ate together and made a pledge. They would stand with anyone who was wronged in Makkah, whether local or foreign, and they would not let an oppressor go unchallenged. They went to al-As and made him return what he owed. The pact became known as Hilf al-Fudul, the Alliance of Virtue.
The young Muhammad ﷺ was there and took part. Many years later, after he had become a prophet, he spoke of that pledge with approval, and said that even in Islam he would answer such a call. It shows what mattered to him from early on. He did not need a message from heaven to care about justice for a stranger.
He did not need a message from heaven to care about justice for a stranger.
More on How to Muslim
WatchLectures for this chapter
The mapWhere it happened
- Makkah
- the hills around Makkah
- Ukaz
- Ash-Sham
This map is a simple sketch to help you picture where events took place. Positions, distances and borders are approximate, so please use it for reference only, not as an accurate map.
SourcesSources for this chapter
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