26 III Ihr 1 ~llfPS 0/ the prophtt
bct\l.reen th e Quraysh dans: teach the heart not to gi\'l:' way to proud emo-
tio ns and arrogant iliinking; bring the mind to heart-soothing solutions
that make il possible co co ntrol o neself gently and wisely. In th e yea rs
before Revelation, the Messenger's EducatOr had g ranted him this partic-
ular quality, an alliance between a deep hean and a penetrating spirit. o f
knowing how to be reasonable in all circumstances, with oneself and
among other people.
S y the time Muhammad was thirty-fh'c, he had built such a reputation
for him self that m any among me Banu Hashim thought that he \.1)uld
soon take up the mantIc of his forefathers and resro re the g reatness of his
clan by becoming its leader. With his marriage, his own activities, and his
personal qualities, he became politically and financially prominent, and he
was alread y starting to rcce iyt: marriage proposals for his daughters, as for
instance fro m his uncle Abu Lahab, who wished to marx}' his twO sons,
Utbah and Utaybah, to Ruqa)'}'ah and Urn Kulthum. Clan ties were woven
in the expectation of the benefits that would accrue should Muhammad
become clan chief.
The Quest for Truth
Muhammad himself, howc\"er, was not concerned with such maners and
showed little interest in public affairs. D uring this tlme he started to spend
periods of retrea t in one of the caves ncar J\lecca, as Mecca's hflnqfo and
Christians already did. When the month of Ramadan came, he would go
to the cave o f Kin with some supplies and remain in seclusion, returning
periodicaUy [or additional food, for a period of about a month. To reach
that cave, he had to climb up a small mountain and go to the o ther side
of a second small peak, fuUowing a narrow path. The cave itself was totat-
ly secluded and so small th at it \.'Ould ha\'e been difficuh fo r e-en twO
people to be th ere together. Prom the mouth o f the cave, one could see
the Kaba rnr below and, a greate r chstance away, the barre n plain stretch-
ing out as far as the eye could see.
Away from o th er pl."Ople, facing nature, Muhammad was searching fo r
peace and meaning. He had never taken part in idol worship, had not
shared the beliefs and rites of the region's tri bes, and had remained aloof
fro m superstition and p rCfudlce. He had been protected from false gods,