Muhammad: Seal of the Prophets — Page 10
MUHAMMAD : SEAL OF THE PROPHETS 10 trade with their money and share the profits on his return. Thus the leading men of Mecca were not mere camel caravaners but capitalists. They went down in person to meet the Indian ships in Aden, purchased the articles and transported them first to Mecca, and then to Syria, Gaza or Egypt. In Damascus or in Egypt t hey bought goods of local manufacture and brought them back to Mecca, where they sold them to the Arab tribes at the fairs held in connection with the annual pilgrimage. A branch caravan route led from Mecca to the Lower Euphrates, passing south of the Nef ood sand desert and gave the Meccans an additional commercial advantage. But the main trade route was that which bore the commerce of the east from Aden to Syria and to Egypt. Of the sons of Abd Manaf, the eldest, Abd Shams, was extremely active in business and made a considerable fortune. Constantly preoccupied with his moneymaking ventures, he did not undertake any public duties in Mecca, owing to his frequent long absences on business journeys. As a result of his unwillingness to assume local responsibility, Hashim, the second son of Abd Manaf, undertook the family duties. He also had made a good deal of money and was well off. Installed in the office of entertaining the pilgr ims, Hashim fulfilled it with princely munificence. He appealed to Quraish as his grandfather Qusai had done: ‘Ye are the neighbours of God, and the keepers of His House. Pilgrims to the Temple are His guests; and it is meet that ye entertain them above al l other guests. Ye are especially chosen unto this high dignity; wherefore honour His guests and refresh them. For, from distant cities, on their lean and jaded camels, they