Stories from Early Islam — Page 10
10 practised among some families. It was among such people that the Holy Prophet of Islam was born. He was born at Makkah in Arabia in 570 A. D. Makkah was a trading centre where caravans stopped on their way from Syria to Yemen and to the far east. It was also regarded as a holy place because of the Ka’abah. The Ka’abah, according to the Holy Qur’an, is the first House of worship that was built for mankind. People from all parts of Arabia used to come to Makkah to pay a visit to this House. There was also a holy well called ‘Zamzam’ close to the Ka’abah. The Holy Prophet Muhammad belonged to a noble family of Arabia called the Quraish. His father’s name was Abdullah and his mother’s Amina. His father died a few months before the child was born and his mother died when he was six. He was left in the care of his grandfather, Abdul Mutalib. Two years later his grandfather also died. Thereafter, he was brought up by his uncle Abu Taalib. Trade was the main occupation of the people of Makkah in those days. When Muhammad grew up, he was employed by Khadijah, a rich widow of Makkah, as her trade agent. She was very impressed by his honesty and offered him her hand in marriage. Khadijah at the time of marriage was forty years old, while he was only twenty-five.