Marvelous Stories from the Life of Muhammad

Introduction

In the country of Arabia, about six hundred years after the life of Jesus, there lived a man called Muhammad, may Allah bless him. Muhammad had been a shepherd, and then a merchant. He could not even read or write, and yet he presented the world with a book — a book he had received from God — a book containing a new message and a new way of life for man; the laws of a new religion and the founding principles of a vast and powerful civilisation.

But now let us begin at the beginning: here is a story told by Muhammad’s grandfather, Abd al-Muttalib.

1

Abd Al-Muttalib and The Well of Zam-Zam

Late one night, long ago, an aged Arabic chief told this story to his little grandson, Muhammad. It all took place in Makka, an ancient city in the vast desert country of Arabia.

In Makka, there stands a sacred place called the Ka’ba. It has been sacred since the time of Abraham, perhaps even much earlier from the time of Adam. It was there, they say, that the Angel Gabriel presented the Prophet Abraham with a milk-white stone from Paradise. Since that time, the stone, according to the story, has been tarnished by the sins of man, and has turned black. So now it is called the Black Stone. Only a few pieces of it remain in the Ka’ba today, where Muslims from all over the world still come once a year on pilgrimage.

In the days of Abd al-Muttalib, Muhammad’s grandfather, all kinds of other objects were heaped in the Ka’ba. There were strange oddly shaped idols hewn out of red sandstone and other images carved into the shapes of men or godesses. There were magic statues called Hubal, Al-Lat, Al-’Uzza that were believed to have the power to make you rich, cure you of the plague, grant you a son, or bring you the princess of your dreams. Most of the pilgrims had forgotten about the One Almighty God, and had through the years become idolators, putting their faith and trust into a carved image made by man, rather than in the One God that created man in the first place.

They worshipped their odd-shaped images with sacrifices, strange rites and chants; and in the evenings while squatting in front of the Ka’ba, they drank and gambled or threw arrows and darts trying to foretell the future, while the crowds of eager listeners would gather around the storytellers.

These storytellers, the poets of Arabia, could neither read nor write, but they had marvellous memories and would spin long tales in beautiful poetry all about the Jinns — the spirits of the desert as they described them, the Jinns who create mirages in order to trick the traveller into thinking there is cool water ahead… or who cause the sands to sing mysteriously at night, with a sound like distant laughter. The storytellers would tell tales of battles and lost loves, as well as give the latest news from far-away places. They had the power to twist the truth or ruin a man’s whole life by a verse or clever piece of gossip. They were the newsmen of the desert.

Muhammad’s grandfather, Abd al-Muttalib, was a chief and belonged to an important family called the Quraysh, descended from the Prophet Abraham. Aged and respected, he had his own place in the Ka’ba, in front of the Sacred Well. Beside him sat his little grandson, Muhammad, the orphan. Other members of the clan would waggle their beards in disapproval at the way Abd al-Muttalib spoiled his grandson.

‘He is only six years old and instead of sending him off to bed, you allow him to stay up among adults into the dark hours of the night…’

Abd al-Muttalib felt it was no business of theirs; the boy had been left in his charge, after the death of his parents. So Muhammad, wrapped in his grandfather’s great cloak, would listen half the night to the many stories old Abd al-Muttalib liked telling to the family and friends who gathered around. Usually Muhammad fell asleep when the words were too difficult to understand, but tonight he knew that the stories his grandfather was telling were meant for his ears, too. And so he listened, his deep round eyes fixed on his grandfather’s weathered skin and white beard.

‘Now, when I was young and poor, and looked down upon by the wealthy members of my clan, my little son and I had the hard task of going from well to well, collecting water for the many pilgrims who came, as they still do, from far across the desert to worship at the Ka’ba. The wells around the Ka’ba were often empty or gave bad water. That was before the Sacred Well had been found. Now, before I go on, do you remember the story of this well — the sacred well of Zam-Zam?’

Muhammad smiled in response — he certainly did remember it. But Abd al-Muttalib continued anyway, because he loved to tell the story.

‘Hagar and her little son Ishmael, the son of Abraham, were brought to live in the valley of Makka, where there was no water and nothing grew. Soon they were wandering hopelessly under the hot desert sun. But it was not God’s will that they should perish. Lo! The Angel Gabriel appeared in a vision of light. He struck the sand and up gushed a crystal-clear spring of water right at the little boy’s feet. That spring was named the well of Zam-Zam. But in the course of time the well disappeared, and no one even knew where it had once been. Well now, my little son had heard the story as often as you have, and one day he asked me, Father, would a spring of water brought forth by the Angel Gabriel dry up and disappear forever?

‘I answered that if it was a sacred well, it certainly should not dry up. Then he asked me, If that were so, then, Father, where is it now?

‘Ah! That is what started us looking. We began digging and we dug for days and weeks. The winds kept shifting and the heavy sands filled in the holes we were digging again and again. Still we kept on and on, even though people — and members of my own clan — shrugged their shoulders in disgust or called out mockingly, You are looking for a needle in a sandstorm! But you see, I was convinced. I was so sure we would find the well that I made a promise to myself and to God:

‘If the sacred well of Zam-Zam is found, there will be no more laughter, there will be praise: and my name will be spoken with respect by the people of Makka and by my clan the Quraysh. Therefore, if I am blessed with ten sons, the tenth shall I offer up to the Almighty God.

‘And then a remarkable thing happened. My spade struck something hard, and I unearthed two huge pieces of gold in the shape of gazelles. Right underneath where they had lain the sand was dark and moist — and the waters of Zam-Zam rose before our very eyes and filled the hole where the gazelles had been. Of course, some people were more interested in the gold than in the well, but I told them that the gold belonged to the Ka’ba, and if you look when you leave, you will see, Muhammad, the two gold disks hanging over the entry of the Ka’ba. From that day on the sweet waters of Zam-Zam have gushed forth generously for the pilgrims. And you see that your grandfather is praised and respected!’

At this the others smiled and nodded.

‘And I was given a title: Keeper of the well of Zam-Zam, and my place is not out there, under the hot sun, but here in the shade of the Ka’ba, by the Sacred Well.’

Muhammad, instead of going to sleep, was more awake than ever. His grandfather, seeing this, continued with another story.

2

The Feast of the One Hundred Camels

‘And now, I shall tell you about the Feast of the One Hundred Camels. What a noble beast the camel is! How valuable to the Arab people, think of it! What animal can go for twenty-five days without water? Why, a man under such circumstances would have perished long before the twentieth!

‘Now tell me,