Chief of the Prophets

Chief of the Prophets — Page 36

Chapter Three 36 This was the third loss that he had to bear in the first eight years of his life. The Guardianship of Abū Ṭālib According to the will of ‘Abdul-Muṭṭalib, Muḥammad’s paternal uncle, Abū Ṭālib, was to be his guardian after his death. Abū Ṭālib was so attached to him that he would often sleep next to him. The Journey to Syria and the Christian Monk Muḥammad sa was about 12 years old when Abū Ṭālib decided to go to Syria with a trade caravan. Muḥammad sa clung to his uncle and pleaded to go along. Abū Ṭālib agreed as he did not want to break the heart of his nephew. The caravan of Abū Ṭālib reached Baṣrah, which is to the south of Syria. Baḥīrā, a Christian monk, lived there who saw a vision that convinced him that the prophet whose advent was mentioned in the Divine scriptures was present in the caravan. He identified Muḥammad sa and told Abū Ṭālib to protect Muḥammad sa from the evil designs of the Jews and the Christians. Grazing Goats In those days, the assets of the noble Arabian families consisted of camels, sheep, and goats, which were often tended by their children. After the return of Muḥammad sa from Syria, his uncle sometimes asked him to graze his goats. In the time of his prophethood, Muḥammad sa used to say that pasturing of goats was a tradition of the prophets, which probably meant that the task of prophets has similarities with the task of a shepherd in its nature. Allah, the Exalted, arranged for him to work as a shepherd from an early age; thus, symbolically preparing him for his role as a shepherd for the whole world.