The near death experience of the father of Prophet Muhammad[PBUH]& His Birth[2]

One day, Abdul-Muttalib[grandfather of Prophet Muhammad(PBUH)] saw in his dream the location of the well of Zamzam and started digging for it. In that spot two idols Isaf and Nailah were being kept. The Quraish resented this disturbance and became hostile and ready to fight. Although they were only two, father and son, they dominated the scene and continued digging the well. Realizing his isolation Abdul-Muttalib invoked Allah the Almighty that in case He gave him ten sons, he would sacrifice one of them in the name of Allah. After a short period the well appeared and he was also blessed with ten sons.

The appearance of the Zamzam well established the prestige of Abdul-Muttalib over the Quraish and all of them acknowledged his leadership and virtues. When his sons had grown, he got ready to fulfil his vow. He went to the Ka'bah along with all his sons and drew lots before Hubal. By chance the arrows of chance chose his youngest son, Abdullah who was very dear to Abdul-Muttalib. Since Abdul-Muttalib was adamant in fulfilling his vow, he left for the altar along with Abdallah.

All his brothers, sister and his chiefs of the Quraish tried hard to hold Abdul-Muttalib back from implementing his plan but he remained unshaken. After much discussion they turned to Saja', a famous soothsayer who pointed out that blood money for their [Abdul-Muttalib's] clan was ten camels. Thus they should put Abdullah on one side and ten camels on the other and then draw the lots.

In case that the camels were chosen they would be slaughtered, but if Abdullah is chosen they should add more camels and draw again. They should keep adding to the number of the camels until the camels were drawn. This exercise went on until the number of camels reached one hundred. Abdul-Muttalib drew the lots twice more for his personal satisfaction but each time it fell upon the camels. Hence one hundred camels were slaughtered and Abdullah was saved. Since that time, the blood money for one killed was fixed at one hundred camels. The table of genealogy of Abdul-Muttalib is given on the facing page.

The Birth of the Extraordinary and Exceptional Man on Earth

Only a few days before the year of Elephant, Abdul-Muttalib married his son, Abdullah to Aminah bint Wahab belonging to a noble family of the Quraish in Yathrib[Al-Madinah]. Abdullah was then 24 years of age. On the same occasion Abdul-Muttalib himself married Halah bint Wuhaib, a relative of Aminah. Hmazah was born from his marriage to Halah bint Wuhaib.

A few days after the marriage, Abdul-Muttalib sent Abdullah to Syria along with a trade caravan. On his return, Abdullah fell sick and stayed in Yathrib[Al-Madinah] with his relatives and sent his father news about his illness. Abdul-Muttalib sent his son Harith to bring Abdullah back to Makkah under his care and protection. But Abdullah died before Harith reached Al-Madinah and was already buried in the graveyard of his relatives, Banu Najjar.

Harith came back to Makkah empty-handed and gave Abdul-Muttalib this soul shattering news. Abdullah had left behind a few camels, goats and a slave-girl, Umm Aiman. Aminah was then pregnant and so the Prophet[PBUH] became an orphan while still in the womb of his mother.

He[PBUH] was born 52 or 55 days after the event of the year of Elephant. His mother had dreamt an angel telling her that the baby to be born had been named Ahmad. Thus she named him Ahmad, while Abdul-Muttalib named his grandson Muhammad. According the report of Abul-Fidah, when the people asked Abdul-Muttalib as to why he gave his grandson a new name, setting aside all the names current in his family, he replied: “It is because I have a longing that my grandson should be praised and commended by one and all in the world.”

Husseini Yushau BabalWaiz is the Director of Media and Marketing at the Center for Media & Peace Initiative. He authored three books including “Islam Promotes Tolerance & Prohibits Terrorism”. This is the second in the brief series on the life history of Prophet Muhammad that commenced last week. Given the fact that we are in the month in which the Prophet was born, it will run for the whole month. And it is also to commemorate the 70th Maulid or Birthday celebration of our beloved Prophet[PBUH], which was initiated by the author's grandfather Sheikh Ahmad BabalWaiz in Ghana in 1945, it will be held tomorrow, January 3rd 2015 in Kumasi Ghana.

References:
Bidayah Wal Nihayah[The Beginning & The End], by Imam Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Qisasul Anbiyah[Stories of the Prophet], by Imam Hafiz Ibn Kathir