Q1(a) Write about the life of the Prophet up until the first revelation.

[10]
Q2(b)-Why was his relationship with his wife Khadija important for him? [4]

a) Mohammad (saw) was born in 571 AD in Makkah in the family of Banu Hashim of the
tribe of Quresh. This year was also known as the year of elephants because in this
year the king of Yemen, Abraha, attacked Makkah with the intention to destroy the
holy Kaaba along with an army of elephants. He failed because Allah sent small
birds with stones in their feet and beaks which destroyed the army. It was a very
historic event in the history of Arabs.His father’s name was Abdullah and his
mother was Amina. His grand-father was Abdul Muttalib who was a highly respected
person of makkah.According to the tradition of Makkah, Mohammad (saw) was given to
a lady Halima in order to learn language skills and living in a natural atmosphere
of villages in order to get strong body and good health. He lived with her for four
years.he was a very skilled merchant. Until the age of twenty-five, Prophet
Muhammad SAW spent a life of extreme poverty. Only for a few coins, he used to
graze the animals of the people of Makkah. Sura Al duha says:
“And we found you poor and
made you rich”.
In the age of twenty-five, he married to Khadija (ra). Khadija was a rich widow of
forty years. She was known in Makkah for her wealth, beauty and good character. Her
title was “Tahira”. She sent Mohammad (saw) to a trade journey and sent her slave
Maisara along with him. Mohammad (saw) came back with a good profit and the slave
also gave a positive report about his character. She sent her proposal of marriage
to Mohammad (sw). After taking consent from his family, he married Khadija(ra). The
marriage was a success. The Prophet (saw) had six children. Four daughters survived
but both the sons died in infancy.Investing the finance from khadija (ra), Mohammad
(sw) became a rich and a very respectable person of makkah. He was known for his
good nature and honest personality and Makkans called him “sadiq and ameen”,
truthful and trustworthy.He also took part in a peace agreement known as “Hlf –ul-
Fuzul” which took place in Makkah between the tribes in which they decided to have
peace among themselves and also to help the poor and needy.When he was about
thirty-five years old, he took part in another event. Due to a flood, the building
of the holy Kaaba fell down. The building was constructed but the placement of the
black stone became a point of conflict. Every family of Quresh wanted to take the
honour. Mohammad (saw) solved this problem. He placed the stone on a sheet of cloth
and every tribe took the stone to the right place and finally, Mohammad (saw)
placed it in the right place. This event shows that by nature Mohammad (saw) loved
peace.

When he was forty years old, he developed the tendency to seclude himself and stay
in a cave called “Hira” for sdome days. Soon he received his first revelation
there.

b)For Hazrat Khadija RA had qualities that were unmatched, as time would prove.
Maturity, wisdom, intelligence, loyalty, generosity and courage. Secondly, this was
the woman (like all of his other wives) who was chosen to be his wife by Allah in
His infinite wisdom. And his first wife at that.Without Hazrat Khadija's ]RA]
cousin, Waraqah, Hazrat Muhammad SAW had no systematic knowledge of Old
Testament.Without Hazrat Khadija RA's money, Hazrat Muhammad SAW couldn’t preach
Islam full time but must toil in his works.Without Hazrat Khadija RA, Hazrat
Muhammad SAW would probably ended up as just a nameless Arab traders among myriad
others.When his own uncles & people turned against him,Hazrat Khadija RA comforted
him and remained with him in the hardest moments of his life.