The Sacrilegious War (Harb al-Fijar)
When he was twenty years old, a great war broke out between the Quraysh and Banu Kinanah on one side and Qais 'Ailan on the other. This war is known as the Harb al-Fijar, the sacrilegious war, because fighting took place during the sacred months in which warfare was forbidden. The Arabs considered the sacred months inviolable, yet the escalating tribal tensions were so fierce that even this ancient law was broken.
The young Muhammad ﷺ was present during this conflict. He was not yet twenty years old and did not fight himself, but collected the arrows that were shot at his uncles and handed them back. He witnessed firsthand how tribal conflicts led to endless bloodshed without justice, how the strongest claimed the right and the weaker stood powerless.
The Pact of the Virtuous (Hilf al-Fudul)
At the end of these wars, during the sacred month of Dhul-Qa’dah, there arose a need to establish a pact to suppress the violence and injustice and to protect the rights of the weak and the poor.
The direct cause of this pact is the well-known story of a merchant from the Zubaid tribe who came to Makkah to trade. He sold goods to Al-'As bin Wa’il As-Sahmi, who refused to pay for them. The merchant sought help from his Qurayshi acquaintances, but no one helped him. He climbed a hilltop and began loudly reciting verses of poetry in which he lamented the injustice done to him. This drew the attention of Az-Zubair bin 'Abdul-Muttalib, and as a result it was agreed to establish a pact. Al-'As bin Wa’il was compelled to return the money.
This pact is the Hilf al-Fudul (the Pact of the Virtuous). The tribal leaders gathered in the house of Abdullah bin Jad’an and swore that they would assist every stranger and inhabitant of Makkah who suffered injustice, until his right was restored.
The Prophet ﷺ said about this, shortly after his prophethood began: “I witnessed a pact in the house of Abdullah bin Jad’an. It was dearer to me than a herd of animals. Even now, in the period of Islam, I would respond positively and participate in such a discussion if I were invited.”
In our introduction to the Jahiliyyah era, we spoke of the dark practices of the Arabs, but this is an example of the good qualities of the Arabs, who in this manner set aside their tribalism and tribal pride. The Hilf al-Fudul shows that among the Arabs there also existed a longing for justice, a longing that the Prophet ﷺ would later embody in the most perfect manner.
The Prophet ﷺ as Shepherd and Merchant
The Prophet ﷺ was a shepherd in his early youth for the Bani Sa’d tribe and in Makkah. He ﷺ later said: “Allah has not sent a prophet who did not herd sheep.” The life of a shepherd taught him patience, care and the tending of those entrusted to him, qualities he would later need as leader of a community.
At the age of twenty-five, he worked as a merchant for Khadijah bint Khuwaylid ﵂ and went on trading journeys to Syria.
Khadijah: The First Believer
Khadijah bint Khuwaylid ﵂ was a respected and prosperous businesswoman of noble descent. She had been widowed twice before and was known for her sharp intellect and her impeccable reputation. In Makkah she was called At-Tahira, the Pure. She ﵂ hired men to conduct business on her behalf in exchange for a share of the profits.
When she ﵂ heard of the honesty and good manners of the Prophet ﷺ, she offered him a commission to travel with her servant Maysarah to Syria. Maysarah was not merely a trading companion but also her confidant. During the journey, Maysarah witnessed remarkable things: the shade of a cloud that shielded Muhammad ﷺ from the sun, and the blessing that rested upon every transaction.
When he ﷺ returned from the trading journey and after Maysarah told her ﵂ about his good manners, honesty, depth of thought and sincerity, her admiration grew. She ﵂ sent her friend Nafisa bint Munya to sound him ﷺ out about marriage. The Prophet ﷺ agreed. According to certain narrations, he ﷺ was twenty-five years old and she ﵂ was forty.
Khadijah ﵂ would be his only wife for twenty-five years. She was the first person to believe in him when the Revelation came. She was his support, his refuge and his counsellor. No woman in the history of Islam holds a position comparable to hers.
From their marriage, six children were born: two sons, Al-Qasim and Abdullah, who both died as children, and four daughters who would live to witness Islam. They were Zaynab, Ruqayyah, Umm Kulthum and Fatimah ﵂. All his sons would pass away during their childhood. All his daughters except Fatimah ﵂ would pass away during his ﷺ lifetime. Fatimah ﵂ died six months after his death. All his daughters witnessed Islam, embraced Islam and emigrated to Madinah.