Seerah · Chronology

Youth

583–610 · 10 events

Youth

583–610

583–595 arası Society #10

The years as a shepherd

Makkah

In his youth, to lighten his uncle's burden, he tended the sheep of the Makkans in the area of Ajyad. Years later he told his Companions: “Every prophet Allah has sent has tended sheep; I too used to tend the sheep of the Makkans for a few qirats.” Shepherding taught him patience, responsibility, and the habit of guarding what was entrusted to him; in these years he never worshipped idols, never drank wine, and kept away from the amusements of the Age of Ignorance.

585–590 civarı Expeditions and campaigns #11

The Fijar War

age 15 Nakhlah – Ukaz (between Makkah and Ta'if)

Fighting broke out between the Quraysh–Kinanah alliance and the tribes of Qays Aylan; because it took place in the sacred months it was called “Fijar” (the sinful war). While still a young man, the Prophet ﷺ was present on the battlefield with his uncles; he shot no arrows at anyone, but only gathered the arrows shot by the enemy and handed them to his uncles. These battles spanned a period of four years, in which the Quraysh finally prevailed and which ended in peace.

590 civarı Treaty #12

Hilf al-Fudul (the Pact of the Virtuous)

age 20 Makkah – the house of Abdullah ibn Jud'an

When a Makkan bully seized the goods of a merchant from Yemen and no one defended his rights, the clans of Hashim, Muttalib, Zuhrah and Taym gathered in the house of Abdullah ibn Jud'an and swore that they would stand by anyone wronged in Makkah, whoever he might be. The Prophet ﷺ took part in this pact, and after his prophethood he said: “I was present at that pact; if I were called to such a pact today, I would go.” Hilf al-Fudul shows that standing by the oppressed was part of his character even before Islam.

595 Society #13

Leading Khadijah's caravan to Syria

age 25 Makkah – Syria

Known as “al-Amin” (the trustworthy) for his honesty and reliability, the young Muhammad accepted the offer of Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, a wealthy and respected merchant of Makkah, and led her trading caravan to Syria. Khadijah's servant Maysarah accompanied him on the journey; the trade brought far more profit than expected. On their return, Maysarah told Khadijah of the extraordinary things he had seen and of Muhammad's honesty.

595 Family #14

Marriage to Khadijah

age 25 Makkah

Khadijah, a widow of forty, proposed marriage to Muhammad through her friend Nafisah bint Munyah. The marriage was contracted at a wedding attended by his uncles Abu Talib and Hamza and by Khadijah's uncle Amr ibn Asad; the dower was twenty camels. Throughout this marriage, which lasted twenty-five years, the Prophet ﷺ married no one else. Khadijah became his first supporter, the first Muslim, and the mother of six of his children; the Prophet ﷺ remembered her with longing for the rest of his life.

596–605 arası Family #15

His children: Qasim, Zaynab, Ruqayyah, Umm Kulthum, Fatimah, Abdullah

Makkah

Khadijah first gave birth to Qasim; the Prophet's ﷺ kunyah “Abu al-Qasim” comes from this son, but Qasim died at the age of two. Then Zaynab, Ruqayyah, Umm Kulthum and Fatimah were born. His youngest child, Abdullah (also called Tayyib and Tahir), died in infancy as well. All four daughters lived to embrace Islam; the three other than Fatimah died before their father. In the Madinan period the Prophet ﷺ also had another son, Ibrahim, by Mariyah.

600 civarı Family #16

Adopting Zayd ibn Harithah

Makkah

Zayd ibn Harithah had been kidnapped as a child and sold as a slave; Khadijah bought him from her nephew Hakim and gave him to her husband as a gift. When his father and uncle found him years later and wished to buy him back with a ransom, the Prophet ﷺ set Zayd free, but Zayd chose him over his own father. Thereupon he announced before everyone at the Kaaba that he had adopted Zayd; until the practice of adoption was abolished by Surah al-Ahzab, Zayd was known as “Zayd ibn Muhammad”. He is the only Companion mentioned by name in the Quran.

605 Society #17

The rebuilding of the Kaaba and the arbitration over the Black Stone

age 35 Makkah – the Kaaba

The Kaaba had been damaged by flooding, and the clans of the Quraysh rebuilt it by dividing the work among themselves. When it came to putting the Black Stone back in its place, every clan wanted this honour, and the dispute was about to turn into war. It was decided that the first person to enter the Kaaba would be the arbiter, and that person turned out to be Muhammad. He placed the stone on a cloth, had the chief of each clan hold one edge of the cloth, and set it in place with his own hands. This solution raised his standing in Makkah even further.

605–608 arası Family #18

Taking Ali into his home

Makkah

In a year of famine in Makkah, to ease the burden of his uncle Abu Talib, who was struggling to provide for his large family, the Prophet ﷺ took his uncle's young son Ali into his own home, while his uncle Abbas took in Ja'far. Ali thus grew up in the Prophet's ﷺ household and became one of the first to believe when Islam came. This was an expression of his gratitude to the uncle who had cared for him for so many years.

607–610 Worship #19

Seclusion in Hira

age 37 Makkah – the cave of Hira

As he approached the age of forty, the Prophet ﷺ, weighed down by the idolatry and injustices of his society, began to withdraw to the cave of Hira at the top of Mount Nur, north-east of Makkah, especially in the months of Ramadan. He would take provisions with him, spend days in reflection and worship, and on his return circle the Kaaba. This period of seclusion lasted about three years; during it, the dreams he saw came true like the light of dawn. In this way he was prepared for revelation.

About this chronology

The events are ordered by the dates widely accepted in the classical Seerah sources (Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Hisham, al-Waqidi, Ibn Sa’d) and in the Encyclopedia of Islam of the Turkish Diyanet Foundation (TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi). The year of some events in the Meccan period differs by a year or two between sources; in such cases the most common date is given, marked “civarı” (circa) where needed. Hijri years are shown for events of the Medinan period; ages follow the lunar calendar.

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