At the age of fifteen...

At the age of fifteen, he took part in one of the battles of Quraysh with Hawazin clan, where he defended his uncles against arrows. This can reveal his spiritual and physical strength. Later on, this bravery became more and more brilliantly evident in wars waged for Islam.

Accordingly, ‘Ali (as), being himself one of the bravest in his time, has said about Muhammad (S): “Whenever things got hard on us at the battlefront, we would seek refuge in the Apostle of Allah, and none of us was closer to the enemy than he was.”[^1] However, he would always avoid useless and childish battles. Arabia was the center of idolatry at that time. People or tribesmen used to carve idols out of woods, stones, or dates and worship them.

The milieu in which Muhammad (S) lived was afflicted with promiscuity, obscenities, wine drinking, and war waging; in such an environment, however, Muhammad (S) was never indulged in any of such sins and impurities, and remained aloof from idols and idolatry.

One day Abu Talib said to ‘Abbas, Muhammad (S)'s youngest uncle: “I have never heard Muhammad (S) tell a lie and I've never seen him play with other children in the lanes and alleys.” It is amazing that amid so much indecency and the presence of corrupt women and men who were even proud of their indecent acts, and the prostitutes who used to put up flags on the roof of their houses, Muhammad (S) lived so decently and innocently that nobody – not even his enemies – could find the smallest fault with him.

How can one read about his life history ( sira ) and demeanor from childhood through youth and old age, without humbling himself before his greatness and purity of soul and body? A Remembrance of the Brave Youth Pledge (known as half Al-Fudhul) In the past, a covenant called half al-fudhul was established among some tribes based on defending the rights of the oppressed and the poor, and its founders were the ones whose names were either “Fadhl” or one of its derivatives.

The Pledge which was later made by a group of Quraysh followed the same goal. One of the features of this pledge was to defend Mecca and its inhabitants against foreign enemies. However, if someone other than Meccans and their confederates were living in that city and were treated with cruelty, nobody would come to their help. It is related that one day a man from Bani Asad tribe came to Mecca to sell his merchandise. A man from Ben Sahm tribe, called ‘Asi b.

Wa‘il, bought the goods without paying off the money.