Life and Teachings of the Prophet Muhammad
2. The Life of the Prophet Muhammad
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different tribes ran to the Kabah before dawn next morning. Each
one tried to be the first to enter the House of God. But the first
one to pass through the gate was Muhammad. On seeing him they
all said, “There goes al-Amin. We shall agree with his verdict.”
Then he was asked to give his decision on the matter. He took a
sheet of cloth and spread it on the ground, and placed the Black
Stone in the middle of it and then he asked the chiefs of all tribes
to hold different ends of the sheet and lift it up. They carried the
stone to the site of construction. Then Muhammad picked up the
stone from the sheet and set it in place. Thus a bloody clash was
averted and the dispute resolved to everybody’s satisfaction.
The life of Muhammad, may peace be upon him, before
prophethood has been recorded in detail in several books.
However, the following events are worth mentioning. A covenant
known as the Alliance of Fudul (Hilf al-Fudul) had been entered
into by three men, Fadal bin Fadalah, Fadal bin Vida and Fadal bin
Harith. This was to ensure that no oppressor ever lived in Makkah.
(Sirat ibn Hisham)
This Alliance ceased to exist after the death of its architects.
Muhammad was 15 years of age when a civil war broke out
involving the tribes of Quraysh and Qais. It is known as the Fijar
War. In view of the widespread disturbances some people thought
of reviving the Alliance of Fudul, to restore tribal harmony and
ensure peaceful co-existence.
