The Prophet’s Childhood
طفولة النبي ﷺ · 1984
Abdeltawab Youssef’s telling of the Prophet’s childhood for young readers, dedicated to Mecca and Medina. It was published by the General Egyptian Book Organization in 1984 and later by Al-Dar Al-Masriah Al-Lubnaniah. In his preface Dr Abdel-Aziz Kamel wrote that the author “takes water from this pure spring, pours it into little cups, and presents it to our young children with a kind and gentle smile.” This is the opening of Chapter One, in which Abd al-Muttalib and his son al-Harith dig for “a treasure”, in an English translation by Omaya Khalifa.
The Search for the Treasure: The Excavation
Al Hareth stood with his father, Abd Al Mutaleb. Each had brought along his hoe, and together they began breaking up the ground, digging earnestly, shovelling the sand and carrying it away.
Al Hareth was young, unable to tolerate hunger, thirst or the sun’s harsh rays, so he needed to set his hoe aside in order to catch his breath and wipe away his sweat. As he did, the child glanced up at his father, who was absorbed in his work, not stopping, complaining nor slowing down, but continuing to work hard. The young lad remembered what his father had told him during their work.
He remembered the story of their great grandfather, Ibrahim, and his son, Ismael, and how the son obeyed his father in everything. The young lad, Ismael, was even willing to offer his life as sacrifice, accepting the fact that his father could do whatever he wanted as long as it was a command from heaven. Ismael threw himself down and surrendered his neck to his father, but Allah ransomed him with a ram and blessed them both.
Al Hareth remembered what Ismael did with his father, Ibrahim, when Allah commanded him to build the Holy Ka’aba. In fact the Ka’aba was near the place where Al Hareth and his father were digging. People came from all places to walk around the Ka’aba, suffering from hardship and difficulties along the way. Once there was such a heavy downpour of rain flooding Mecca that one of these people even swam around the Ka’aba.
البحث عن الكنز: الحفر
وقف الحارث مع أبيه عبد المطلب، وقد أحضر كل منهما فأسه، وراحا معًا يشقان الأرض، ويحفران في جد، ويجرفان الرمل ويحملانه بعيدًا.
كان الحارث صغيرًا، لا يحتمل الجوع ولا العطش ولا لهيب الشمس، فكان يضطر إلى أن يضع فأسه جانبًا ليلتقط أنفاسه ويمسح عرقه. وحين فعل ذلك رفع الصبي عينيه إلى أبيه، فإذا هو مستغرق في عمله، لا يتوقف ولا يشكو ولا يُبطئ، بل يواصل العمل بجد. وتذكر الصبي ما حكاه له أبوه في أثناء عملهما.
تذكر قصة جدهما الأكبر إبراهيم وابنه إسماعيل، وكيف أطاع الابن أباه في كل شيء. لقد كان الصبي إسماعيل مستعدًا لأن يقدم حياته فداءً، راضيًا بأن يفعل أبوه ما يشاء ما دام ذلك أمرًا من السماء. وألقى إسماعيل بنفسه وأسلم عنقه لأبيه، ففداه الله بكبش وبارك فيهما.
وتذكر الحارث ما فعله إسماعيل مع أبيه إبراهيم حين أمره الله ببناء الكعبة المشرفة. والحقيقة أن الكعبة كانت قريبة من المكان الذي يحفر فيه الحارث وأبوه. وكان الناس يأتون من كل مكان ليطوفوا بالكعبة، ويلقون في طريقهم المشقة والعناء. وقد نزل على مكة مرة مطر غزير أغرقها، حتى إن واحدًا من هؤلاء الناس طاف بالكعبة سباحة.