Table of Contents
Light and Signs Before His Birth
Muslim scholars have mentioned a number of early signs and blessings that surrounded the birth of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. These signs prepared hearts to receive him and indicated his special status as the final Messenger. Some of these reports are rigorously authentic, and some are weaker but famous in the books of Seerah. It is important to distinguish clearly between them.
One of the strongest and most important signs is what Allah Himself said about the description of the Prophet ﷺ in earlier scriptures. Allah says about the People of the Book:
الَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ الرَّسُولَ النَّبِيَّ الأُمِّيَّ الَّذِي يَجِدُونَهُ مَكْتُوبًا عِندَهُمْ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ وَالإِنْجِيلِ
Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find written in what they have of the Torah and the Gospel.
(Quran 7:157)
This verse shows that the coming of Muhammad ﷺ was not unexpected. His description was known to earlier prophets and recorded in their scriptures. This spiritual preparation among some of the Jews and Christians is one of the earliest and clearest signs that his coming was part of a long chain of divine guidance.
Some narrations mention physical signs that happened at the very time of his birth, such as a light seen by his mother, or distant palaces becoming visible. Many of these reports are weak in chain, and scholars differ about them. The central point for a beginner is that the Muslim community does not base belief on doubtful stories. What is certain is that Allah sent His Prophet ﷺ as a mercy and that this mercy began to show even at his birth through changed hearts, protection from harm, and blessings in the places where he lived.
The most reliable early sign is the testimony of revelation itself. The Quran confirms that the Prophet ﷺ was foretold in earlier scriptures, and this is more important than stories of unusual events that are not firmly authenticated.
Dreams and Expectations Before His Mission
Another type of early sign relates to dreams and expectations before the declaration of his prophethood. The Prophet ﷺ himself experienced true dreams shortly before revelation, as will be discussed later in the chapter on spiritual preparation. Here we focus on how others spoke about him even when he was still young.
It is reported that some knowledgeable people among the People of the Book recognized signs of prophethood in him. One example is the story of Bahira the monk, which will be discussed in detail later. For this chapter it is enough to note that such stories show that some people who studied previous scriptures were watching for a prophet from the land of the Arabs and found in Muhammad ﷺ signs that matched what they knew.
Allah refers generally to such recognition in the Quran. He says:
الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَعْرِفُونَهُ كَمَا يَعْرِفُونَ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ
Those to whom We gave the Scripture recognize him as they recognize their own sons.
(Quran 2:146)
This recognition did not mean that all of them believed, but it shows that some among them saw in him the marks of the awaited prophet even before the message became public.
Blessings in His Household and Surroundings
From the time of his birth, people around him noticed unusual goodness and blessing connected to him. Such blessing is called barakah. It is not always shown through miracles. Often it appears as an increase of goodness, safety from harm, or unexpected ease in difficult times.
One of the clearest examples appears during his infancy in the house of his nursing mother, Halimah as Sa‘diyyah, which will be covered in detail in a later chapter. In brief, Halimah came from a poor desert tribe and described how her family was suffering from drought and lack of food. She later narrated that after taking the baby Muhammad ﷺ, she saw clear blessings in her milk, in their animals, and in their daily life. Though the chains of these narrations vary in strength, the story is widely reported in Seerah works and illustrates how Muslims understood the presence of the Prophet ﷺ as a source of goodness for those around him.
Allah reminds the believers in general that the Prophet ﷺ is a mercy:
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِلْعَالَمِينَ
And We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds.
(Quran 21:107)
The scholars say that this mercy began to be felt from the very start of his life, even before revelation, in the way Allah protected him, placed love for him in peoples’ hearts, and brought good to the homes that cared for him.
The presence of the Prophet ﷺ brought barakah to the people and places around him. This blessing was real, but it appeared mostly as increase in goodness, love, and protection, not as constant public miracles.
Protection from Evil and Harm
Another important type of early sign is the special protection that surrounded him from childhood. The Quran describes this divine care in a general way:
أَلَمْ يَجِدْكَ يَتِيمًا فَآوَى
وَوَجَدَكَ ضَالًّا فَهَدَى
وَوَجَدَكَ عَائِلًا فَأَغْنَى
Did He not find you an orphan and give you refuge.
And He found you unaware of the Book and guided you.
And He found you poor and made self sufficient.
(Quran 93:6–8)
These verses point to three aspects of Allah’s care. He protected the Prophet ﷺ as an orphan by granting him guardians, guided him to faith and prophethood, and gave him sufficiency after poverty. Although this occurred over many years, the foundation of this protection was already present in his earliest days.
Reports also indicate that he was kept away from the major acts of ignorance that were common in his society. Even before he was a prophet, Allah guarded his character and behavior. Details of this will be discussed under his youth and integrity. Here, it is enough to say that this protection is itself a strong sign. Prophets are kept from falling into serious sins or corrupt beliefs, so their message cannot be doubted later. This special status is known as ‘ismah, meaning protection from major sin and from distorting the message of Allah.
Signs Around His Birth in Seerah Works
Many famous Seerah books mention striking events said to have occurred when he was born. These include statements that some fires of idol worship went out, or that distant palaces shook, or that certain ruling powers felt disturbed. Such accounts are often attractive to readers and are widely repeated in popular lectures and stories.
However, hadith scholars have studied the chains of these reports and found that many of them are weak or not firmly established. A Muslim can enjoy hearing them as part of Seerah literature but should not treat them as certain facts at the same level as Quran or rigorously authentic hadith.
The authentic sources focus less on spectacular happenings at the moment of birth and more on the long term signs: his preserved character, the blessings surrounding his life, the recognition by earlier scriptures, and the transforming effect he had on everyone who met him.
Not every story in Seerah books is automatically authentic. The strongest proofs about the Prophet ﷺ come from the Quran and rigorously authentic hadith. Spectacular birth stories must be weighed with care.
Early Love for Him in Hearts
One of the most powerful early signs was the deep and natural love that people felt for him even as a child. Those who cared for him, such as his mother Aminah, his grandfather Abdul Muttalib, and later his nursing mother Halimah, are described as becoming strongly attached to him in a short time. This love was not only family affection. It was a form of respect and awe, mixed with tenderness, that many people later described.
Allah points generally to such divine placement of love in the hearts of people in the story of Prophet Musa عليه السلام:
وَأَلْقَيْتُ عَلَيْكَ مَحَبَّةً مِّنِّي
And I cast upon you love from Me.
(Quran 20:39)
Scholars mention that Allah also placed a special love for Muhammad ﷺ in peoples’ hearts, so that even his enemies found it difficult to deny his honesty, and his companions loved him more than they loved themselves. The beginning of this was visible from his earliest years.
This early love became the foundation of the extraordinary devotion of the companions later in life. They traveled with him, protected him, and followed his every word. The seeds of this can be traced back to the affection and respect people felt for him as a child and young man.
Summary of Early Signs and Blessings
The early signs and blessings surrounding the birth and childhood of the Prophet ﷺ are best understood in light of clear revelation and careful scholarship. The most important points can be summarized as follows.
His coming was foretold in earlier scriptures, as confirmed by the Quran. This made his mission part of a long-awaited promise, not an isolated claim. Barakah and mercy were felt in the homes that raised him, especially in the household of his nursing mother, which experienced relief and increase in goodness. He lived under special divine protection that kept him away from the major sins and corrupt beliefs of his society, preparing him for prophethood. Many dramatic stories are mentioned in Seerah books about events at his birth, but many of these reports are not strongly authenticated and should be treated with caution. Above all, a strong and unusual love for him appeared in the hearts of those around him even in childhood, a love that would later shine in the devotion of the companions.
These early signs and blessings do not replace the proof of his message, but they help the believer see how Allah prepared the way for His final Messenger ﷺ long before the first revelation descended.