Chapter 3.
Death of Mother and grandfather and Security of Abu Talib
When Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was six years old, his mother Amena took him to Madinah with her. She stayed there in the Najjar family, who were related to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) from his paternal side. Umm Ayman, a maid and caretaker of the Prophet (pbuh), was with her.
Hazrat Amena stayed there for a month. While returning to Makkah she breathed her last at a place called Abwa.
She was buried there. Umm Ayman brought Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to Makkah.
After the death of Prophet Muhammad’s mother, his grandfather ‘Abdul Muttalib took him under his guardianship. He always kept him close. When he died
at the age of eighty-two, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was eight years old. When his bier was being carried to the
graveyard, the Prophet (pbuh) followed weeping out of love for his dead guardian.
At the time of his death, ‘Abdul Muttalib entrusted the responsibility of the Prophet’s guardianship to his son Abu Talib.
Abu Talib loved the Prophet (pbuh) very dearly and preferred him even to his children. He used to take him to sleep in his bed with him and kept him in his company when he went out.
When Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was approximately ten, he used to take a herd of goats out in the field to graze. This was, in fact, a prelude to his ultimate career as a caretaker of the world.
During the days of prophethood he used to talk about his experience of this simple and interesting engagement.
Once when the Prophet (pbuh) went to a forest with his Companions, they started picking berries and eating them. The Prophet instructed them to pick berries which were black in color saying that they were more tasteful. He added that he had learned it from his boyhood
experience when he used to bring his herd there for grazing.
Abu Talib was a trader. The Quraysh used to go to Syria once a year for trade. The
Prophet (pbuh) was about twelve when Abu Talib planned to travel to Syria on a
business trip. He did not wish to take Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) with him for the fear of the hardships of the
journey, or for some other reason. But when Abu Talib was about to leave, the Prophet (pbuh) grabbed him and held him tight out of love for him. Abu Talib did not like to disappoint his nephew and decided to take him along.
(Muhammad - The Last Prophet, 19-20)
