THE BIRTH OF MUHAMMAD

~ A few days before the year of the Elephant, Abdul- Muttalib married his son, Abdullah to Âminah. She was the daughter of Wahb, who belonged to a noble family of the Quraish in Yathrib(Al- Madinah). Abdullah was 24 years old. At the same time Abdul – Muttalib married Hâlah, the daughter of Wuhaib, who was a relative of Âminah. Hamzah was born from this marriage between Abdul-Muttalib to Hâlah. ~ { }

“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 of his illness. Abdul- Muttalib sent his son Hârith 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 Najjâr.

Hârith 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. Âminah was then pregnant and so the Prophet became an orphan while still in the womb of his mother.

He was born 52 or 55 days after the event of the year of the 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 to the report of Abul–Fida, 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.’” { }

“From Hazrat Adam (alaihis’ salam) to Hazrat Isa (alaihis ‘salam) every Prophet would stress the greatness and virtues of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho alaihi wa Sallam) and every Book descending on every Messenger of Allah bore his Holy name and details about him. Details about the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho alaihi wa Sallam) find place in Taurah and Bible as well; even the Holy Scriptures of Hazrat Adam (A.S) and Hazrat Ibrahim (alaihis’salam) had descriptions about him.

Hazrat Amna revealed that she never felt any burden during pregnancy. All the idols bowed down during the night of the birth of Hazrat, and the seat of Satan got capsized, bringning*of news by the Satan from heaven got stopped; fourteen minarets of the palace of ‘Naushe-rawan’ fell down and the burning fire-temple of Persia got extinguished. Hazrat Amna describes that she found holy ladies coming down from heaven at the night when the holy birth of Hazrat Mohammad was to take place.

As the Messenger of Allah was born, the whole of East and West got illuminated. She found the holy child wrapped in silk. At the very birth, he was found circumcised. A voice sounding ‘Yar hamoka rab’boka ya Muhammad’ came from the invisible.

Abdul Muttalib narrates that the night Mohammad was born, he was himself inside the Holy Ka’aba and he observed all the four walls of Ka’aba performing prostration; Baitullah (the House of Allah i.e. Ka’aba) sounded with Allaho Akbar and ‘Hubul’ the biggest idol fell down, the stones of ‘Safa’ and ‘Merva’ mountains started fluctuating.

Now Abdul-Muttalib brought the holy child to Ka’aba, recited verses thanking at his birth and then handed him over to Hazrat Amna.

Hazrat Muhammad (Sallallaho alaihi wa Sallam) was born on the 12th of Rabi-ul-Aw’wal in the night of Monday.” [ ]


The History of Islam, Vol 1, Akbar Shah Najeebabadi, 2000, p93
Qissasul Anbiya, Stories of the holy Prophets, Badr Azimabadi,1996 p 124-125

The History of Islam, Vol 1, Akbar Shah Najeebabadi, 2000, p93