Hazrat Sayyedah Khadijah — Page 8
8 8 and bring back useful items to be sold in Makkah. She worked hard and soon she was regarded as an intelligent merchant woman of great dignity and wealth. At that time Muhammad saw was a young boy. His father had died before his birth and his mother died when he was six years old. After the death of his mother he went into the care of his grandfather Abdul Muttalib. Abdul Muttalib was eighty years old at that time. He was very fond of his grandson. He did not live long and died at the age of eighty-two. After his death, Abu Taalib, an uncle of Muhammad saw , became his guardian. Abu Taalib had many noble qualities and was a respected Quraish leader. He loved his nephew dearly. Muhammad saw , too, loved his uncle very much. It was during this period that Abu Taalib undertook a journey to Syria along with a trade caravan. He intended to leave his nephew behind for he was twelve years old at that time and could take care of himself. But when the car- avan was about to depart Muhammad saw clung to his uncle and insisted on going with him. Abu Taalib was moved and decided to take him along with the caravan. This was Muhammad’s saw first journey to a foreign land. A strange incident happened during this journey. It is related that when the caravan reached Bosraa, it camped near a monastery where a great scholar of Scriptures lived. His name was Baheerah. Monk Baheerah noticed many things in the appearance of Muhammad saw , which fitted the description of the Prophet that people were waiting for. He said to Abu Taalib to take good care of the young man and protect him from the mischief of the People of the Book. He told Abu Taalib that according to the Scriptures