Why Allah Chose an Orphan as His Last Prophet and Messenger

 Why Allah Chose an Orphan as His Last Prophet and Messenger\

Faiyaz M. Khan

In Islam, a child whose father has died is an orphan; however, at the age of six the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, had lost both of his parents, as well as his grandfather when he was eight. These events would have had an emotional impact on the Prophet’s, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, life – he would have to become resilient and independent to survive. In a tribal society where family connections secured one’s status, it would have been a hard life, especially after the death of his grandfather, who was a noble chief of Quraysh. This is highlighted by the fact he was “offered to many nurses but they refused him,”[1] and even Halimah as-Sa’diyah declined to accept him at first; and only did so out of desperation as there were no other babies left.[2]

Without a doubt one of the main reasons why Allah chose an orphan as His last prophet and messenger is to showcase Allah’s divine providence in supporting, caring and protecting the young child throughout his life until he was appointed a prophet. This is illustrated from the “countless blessings”[3] Halimah and her family received daily while the “blessed child”[4] was in her care. Nadwi also concurs with this assessment as he states that Muhammad, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, “thrived under Allah’s care and grew up to be healthy and strong.”[5] It cannot be random chance that this child was guided to good and shielded from harm and evil. The little boy never worshipped idols, and even as a teenager never participated in any filthy customs of jahiliyyah, like drunkenness and gambling which were prevalent in his society. It is as if a higher power was guiding him, protecting him and ensuring that in years to come no-one could raise a finger and accuse him of any wrongdoing. Then many years later Allah revealed in Surah ad-Duha, confirming this in the verse: “Did He not find you as an orphan then shelter you?”[6] In their respective commentaries As-Sa’di and Usmani assert that Allah provided support and shelter to the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, throughout his life: starting with Halimah, his nanny; then his grandfather, Abdul Muttalib; then his uncle, Abu Talib; then his wife, Khadijah; and finally the Ansar of Madinah.[7] All of them were at the right place at the right time to offer their help and support to the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam. This was no coincidence.

One of the purposes of studying sirah is to observe how Allah sheltered His chosen one from the time he was born. Moreover, it is yet another proof for the existence of God, for the great love and care Allah has for humanity’s salvation, and the dire need of man for divine guidance through God’s prophets and messengers.

---

[1] Sayyed Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi, Muhammad the Last Prophet: A Model for All Time, ed. Iqbal Ahmed Azami (Leicester: UK Islamic Academy, 1993), 22.

 

[2] Ibid.

 

[3] Ibid.

 

[4] Ibid.

 

[5] Ibid., 23.

[6] Quran 93:6.

 

[7] Abdur-Rahman Nasir as-Sa’di, Tafseer as-Sa’di, trans. Nasiruddin al-Khattab, ed. Huda Khattab (Riyadh: International Islamic Publishing House, 2018), 10:412; Shabbir Ahmad Usmani, The Noble Qur’an: Tafseer-e-Usmani, trans. Mohammad Ashfaq Ahmad (New Delhi: Islamic Book Services, 1999), 3:2591, fn. 4.