What Work Did the Prophet (PBUH) Do in His Youth?
ما هي الأعمال التي قام بها الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم في شبابه؟
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to herd sheep in his early youth, shepherding them in Banu Sa'd, and when he was twenty-five years old he went out to al-Sham as a merchant with Khadijah’s money, may Allah be pleased with her.
كان عليه الصلاة والسلام يعمل في أول شبابه، يرعى الغنم، رعاها في بني سعد، وعندما بلغ الخامسة والعشرين خرج تاجرا إلى الشام في مال خديجة رضي الله عنها.
1. Shepherding: The Universal Heritage of Prophets | رعي الغنم سنة الأنبياء المشتركة ومدرسة الصبر
He said: "Allah sent no prophet who did not tend sheep." His Companions asked, "And you?" He said: "Yes, I used to tend them for the people of Mecca for a few qirats" (Sahih al-Bukhari 2262).
وَأَن لَّيْسَ لِلْإِنسَانِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَىٰ (سورة النجم: 39)
قال ﷺ: «ما بعث الله نبيًا إلا رعى الغنم»، فقال أصحابه: وأنت؟ فقال: «نعم، كنت أرعاها على قراريط لأهل مكة» (صحيح البخاري 2262).
2. Transition to Commerce and Trade | الانتقال إلى العمل التجاري وخوض غمار الأسواق
He also traded in partnership. Al-Sa'ib (may Allah be pleased with him), his former partner, told him: "You were my partner, and what a good partner you were: you never argued or quarrelled with me" (Sunan Abi Dawud 4836; al-Albani graded it sahih, while Shu'ayb al-Arna'ut graded it weak).
وكان ﷺ يشارك في التجارة؛ فقد قال له السائب: «كنت شريكي فنعم الشريك كنت، لا تداري ولا تماري» (سنن أبي داود 4836، صححه الألباني وضعفه شعيب الأرناؤوط).
3. Trading with Khadijah's Goods in al-Sham | التجارة بمال خديجة في الشام
Ibn Ishaq reports that Khadijah bint Khuwaylid (may Allah be pleased with her), a merchant of standing who hired men to trade with her money, heard of his truthfulness and trustworthiness and offered him more than she gave other traders to take her goods to al-Sham, with her servant Maysarah. When he came back, she sold what he brought and it doubled, or nearly.
إِنَّ خَيْرَ مَنِ اسْتَأْجَرْتَ الْقَوِيُّ الْأَمِينُ (سورة القصص: 26)
ذكر ابن إسحاق أن خديجة بنت خويلد، وكانت امرأة تاجرة ذات شرف ومال تستأجر الرجال على مالها، بلغها صدق حديثه وعظم أمانته، فعرضت عليه أن يخرج في مالها تاجرًا إلى الشام ومعه غلامها ميسرة، وتعطيه أفضل ما تعطي غيره، فلما قدم باعت ما جاء به فأضعف أو قريبًا.
4. The Islamic Sanctity of Honest Earning | تقديس الإسلام لكسب اليد والعمل الشريف
He taught that what a person earns with his own hands is the best food: "No one has ever eaten better food than what he eats from the work of his own hands, and the Prophet of Allah Dawud used to eat from the work of his own hands" (Sahih al-Bukhari 2072, narrated by al-Miqdam).
فَامْشُوا فِي مَنَاكِبِهَا وَكُلُوا مِن رِّزْقِهِ (سورة الملك: 15)
وقد قال ﷺ: «ما أكل أحد طعامًا قط خيرًا من أن يأكل من عمل يده، وإن نبي الله داود عليه السلام كان يأكل من عمل يده» (صحيح البخاري 2072، عن المقدام).
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
What were the two primary occupations of Prophet Muhammad in his youth?
He worked as a shepherd tending sheep for the people of Mecca and later as an international merchant.
Did other prophets also shepherd sheep?
Yes. He said that Allah sent no prophet who did not tend sheep (Sahih al-Bukhari 2262).
What did he earn for shepherding in Mecca?
He was paid a few qirats by the people of Mecca (Sahih al-Bukhari 2262).
Whose goods did he trade with on his journey to al-Sham?
He traded in al-Sham with the goods of Khadijah bint Khuwaylid (may Allah be pleased with her) at age twenty-five, with her servant Maysarah.