CHAPTER THREE3 Personality and Spiritual Quest
Abd al-Muttalib, Muhammad's grandfather, had seen his riches dwindle
during the last years of his life, and Abu Talib, who was now his nephew's
guardian, was also going through particularly difficult financial and com-
mercial circumstances. Therefore, Muhammad had started to earn his
own living very early, and he was always trying to help the members of his
family.
The Monk Bahira
\Vhen 1fuhammad was twelve years old, Abu Talib decided to take him
along in a merchant caravan heading for Syria. They stopped in Busra,
near the dwelling of a Christian monk called Babira. Muslim tradition
reports that the hermit Bahita, just like Wataqah ibn Nawfal and most of
the Christians, Jews, and hunaf« in the peninsula, was expecting the immi-
nent coming of a new prophet and was continually watching for signs of
this. I \X!hen he saw the caravan approaching, it seemed to him that a cloud
was accompanying the group and shielding them from the heat. Deter-
mined to learn more, he decided to invite all the travelers to partake of a
meal, which v,-as unusual among the hermits of the area. Aftet catefully
obsetving each member of the group, he fixed his gaze on young Muham-
mad; he went to bim, took him aside, and asked him a number of ques-
tions about his family situation, his social position, his dreams, and so 00.
He finally asked if he could have a look at his back, and young
Muhammad agreed. Between the boy's two shoulder blades, the monk