As Muhammad entered his early twenties, he developed a sterling reputation throughout Makkah for his **honesty, generosity, and impeccable manners**. In an era where drinking and visiting prostitutes were common pastimes for young men, Muhammad stood apart, never indulging in such activities. His upright nature was so well known that his uncle, Abu Talib, sought an opportunity to help his nephew rise professionally.

The Marriage to Khadijah

Abu Talib heard about an opening for a caravan manager working for the noble and wealthy widow, **Khadijah bint Khuwaylid**. Though Muhammad was young (about twenty-four), Abu Talib vouched for his meticulousness and trustworthiness. Khadijah consented to hire him, but, being shrewd, she sent one of her slaves along on the expedition to act as an observer.

Muhammad accepted the job graciously and meticulously managed every aspect of the venture. He joined the heavily laden caravan heading north to Syria, carefully husbanding Khadijah’s trade goods. In the markets of southern Syria, he conducted business fairly and returned to Makkah with a **handsome profit**—a result far better than expected.

Khadijah’s slave returned with a glowing report of Muhammad’s gentle manners, sound managerial style, and fair dealing. When Muhammad, himself, presented a detailed and honest account of his accomplishments, Khadijah found herself falling in love. Though she was fifteen years his senior, she confided in a close friend, who successfully brokered a marriage between the two. Muhammad was thus lifted from poverty into affluence, although he never assumed control of his wife’s wealth, even when it was customary. It was only years later, after he privately lamented his inability to help the many poor people he saw, that Khadijah publicly declared she was giving control of her wealth to him.

The Trustworthy and Just Leader

Muhammad proved to be a model family man and a highly respected citizen. Over the next fifteen years, he and Khadijah had four daughters and three sons (all of the boys died in infancy). He was renowned for his honesty, earning him the title **Al-Amīn** (The Trustworthy). People routinely entrusted him with their money, viewing his home as a safe deposit box, knowing he would safeguard it without embezzlement.

His wisdom was publicly displayed when he resolved a major dispute that threatened to throw the city into civil war. When the Ka‘bah was damaged and rebuilt, a furious argument erupted among the clans over who would have the honor of setting the sacred **Black Stone** back in its mounting. Muhammad, selected by chance to mediate, devised an ingenious solution: he instructed the leaders of each clan to hold the corner of a single blanket, which was then used to carry the Black Stone to its place. Muhammad then lifted the stone into its setting with his own hands. This simple act of diplomacy satisfied every party and averted bloodshed.

The Spiritual Quest Begins

As the years passed, Muhammad grew restless. Having never believed in the idols from youth, he had heard stories of monotheistic mystics, known as **Hanifs** (like Zayd ibn ‘Amr ibn Nufayl), who rejected idolatry in favor of the One True God and practiced charity. Muhammad deeply shared this conviction that man-made idols were patently false.

The injustices of his society—the abuse of orphans, the mistreatment of the poor by the wealthy, and the barbaric custom of burying unwanted newborn girls—gnawed at his mind. His early life as an orphan and shepherd, spent contemplating the vastness of the desert and sky, reinforced his need to find a greater moral truth. He began to search earnestly for answers, consumed by the desire to bring morality and kindness to his people, and above all, **to find God.**