Mohammed

Muhammad was the son of Abd Allah bin Muttalib who died before he was born and his mother Amina fell sick and died when he was only five or six years of age. As is customary with Arabian culture at this time, Muhammad's mother had a nurse named Halima, that she entrusted with the caretaking of her son. When Amina died on the return trip from Yathrib where she had been with Muhammad showing him his fathers grave, Halima returned to Mecca and placed the boy under the custody of his paternal grandfather. Abd Al-Muttalib was the well respected leader of the growing city of Mecca and often presided over the cities elite council of elders. It is here that young Muhammad learned much of his skill as a statesman in diplomatic affairs. Following the death of his grandfather in 578, Muhammad was taken under the wing of his uncle, Abu Talib. His uncle was a merchant of very modest means and thus Muhammad paid his keep by serving as a Shepard for him. During his teenage years, Muhammad would often travel with his uncle to various centers of trade where he developed the reputation amongst even the elders as, "El-Amin", or one you can trust. This was a sign of things to come and a clear sign of his character as a man of the people.
             One of the most legendary and prolific stories affiliated with the life of Muhammad is one that occurred to him when he was just six years of age. While sheparding for his uncle two angels supposedly came to him and opened his breast to examine his heart. Here they removed it from his body and as such vigorously washed it clean of any sin. Then the two angels tried to fill his body with the hearts of hundred of men, but could not do so because the strength of his heart was so strong and pure as to embody the strength of all other hearts combined. This is just one of many stories throughout Rodinson's account of Muhammad's life that must be taken with a grain of salt as they are most likely as pointed out by the author on numerous occasions the ending result of the succession of legends and myths associated with his life.