Life with his Uncle
Mohamed continued to live with his uncle and to do the jobs that the young men of Mecca used to
do. When the Sacred Months arrived, the months when the Arabs did not fight and made the Pilgrimmage
to the Kaaba, he either remained with his uncle in Mecca or visited the neighboring fairs of Ukaz
and Dhul-Majaz. In these fairs there were wares of all kinds for sale as well as declamations of
poetry and oratory. The Arabs were poets by nature and poetry was in their blood. Whenever they
felt great emotion they would speak in verse. They composed poems about everything: their history,
their lineage, their clans, their loves, and their enemies. Verse was the language of their hearts.
Each year there was a prize at the fair for the very best poems. They were hung on the walls for
all to see and read and they became classics. Many critics consider this the golden age of Arabic poetry.
Mohamed listened, saw, admired but also criticized.
Back to index - Life of Mohamed (Sirah)