In keeping with Makkan custom, the young Muhammad ﷺ spent part of his early childhood in the desert under the care of Halimah al-Saʿdiyyah. After the death of his mother when he was six, his grandfather cared for him, and after his grandfather’s death his uncle Abu Talib became his protector.
He worked as a shepherd and later joined trading journeys. His community knew him as al-Amīn—the Trustworthy—and al-Sadiq—the Truthful. He avoided the idolatry and moral excesses common around him. Before revelation, his conduct had already established the credibility, patience and practical wisdom through which he would carry the weightiest trust.