The Prophet's early life
Islamic Studies · Key Stage 1 · The School
Born in Makkah
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was born in Makkah. This was a long time ago. His father died before he was born. His mother died when he was young. His grandfather cared for him first. Then his uncle looked after him. He grew up without much money.
Al-Amin, the trustworthy one
As he grew up, people trusted him. They called him al-Amin. That means "the trustworthy one". They gave him their valuables to look after. They knew he would keep his word. He never lied, even as a young man. People noticed this long before he became a prophet.
A quiet, thoughtful man
He did not like the way some people in Makkah behaved. Many worshipped statues they had made themselves. He found this strange. He went to a quiet cave to think. The cave was called Hira. It sat on a mountain outside the city. He went there often, alone, for many nights.
The first message
One day, in the cave, something happened. The angel Jibril came to him. Jibril told him to read. He said he could not read. Jibril held him tightly and said it again. This happened three times. Then the first words of the Quran came. Muhammad ﷺ was forty years old. He hurried home, shaking, to his wife Khadijah.
Kind before he was known
People trusted him before he was a prophet. He was kind before he was known for anything. His honesty was not new when the revelation came. It had been there the whole time. Being good does not wait for anyone to notice. It starts on its own, quietly, before anyone is watching.