Death of his mother (~6 years old)
Aminah took her young son to Medina to visit his late father's relatives. On the return journey, she fell ill and died at a place called Abwa. The boy returned to Mecca with their freed slave Umm Ayman.
Care under his grandfather (~6–8 years old)
Abdul Muttalib, the patriarch of the Hashim clan and a respected figure in Mecca, took the orphan into his own care. He was deeply attached to the boy, but died when Muhammad ﷺ was about eight.
Care under his uncle Abu Talib (~8 years onward)
Abu Talib, his father's full brother, took responsibility for him. Though Abu Talib was not wealthy, he cared for Muhammad ﷺ as one of his own children for the rest of his life — and would later defend him publicly against the entire Quraysh leadership.
Trade journey to Sham
On a trade journey to Sham (greater Syria) with Abu Talib, the caravan halted near the cell of a Christian monk named Bahira. Reports preserved by Ibn Ishaq describe Bahira recognising signs of prophethood in the young Muhammad ﷺ and warning Abu Talib to keep him from foreign threats. The detail is widely transmitted but, as classical scholars note, has chains worth scholarly scrutiny.
Marriage to Khadijah (~25 years old)
Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, a wealthy Meccan widow who ran her own trade caravans, hired Muhammad ﷺ to lead a journey to Sham on her behalf. Her servant Maysarah travelled with him and returned reporting his honesty, his quiet wisdom, and unusual signs of providence on the road. Khadijah, impressed, sent a proposal of marriage. He accepted. She was about forty; he was about twenty-five. They were monogamously married for twenty-five years until her death.
Reflection
The Prophet's pre-prophetic life was structured around loss met with care. His upbringing under uncles and grandparents, and the steadiness of his marriage to Khadijah, prepared him for a mission that would require all of these reservoirs of patience and trust.
Primary sources
- Ibn Hisham, As-Sirah an-Nabawiyyah
- Ibn Sa'd, Tabaqat al-Kubra
- Various transmissions in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim