Hello, I'm Mrs. Afshan.

Welcome to today's lesson.

We will explore the early childhood of Prophet Muhammad in our lesson today and find out how his early experiences inspire Muslims today.

We'll talk about his upbringing and the compassion that shaped his life.

The lesson is called "The Childhood of Prophet Muhammad" from the unit "Prophet Muhammad: How does he inspire Muslims today?" Here are the keywords you'll need to know for this lesson.

The words are polytheism, belief in many Gods.

Compassion, recognising the suffering of others, deeply caring and taking action to help.

And orphan, a child whose parents are no longer alive.

You may wish to record these keywords somewhere, which can be used to answer any questions or complete activities throughout the lesson.

Great.

Let's get started.

The outcome of today's lesson is, "I can describe the childhood of Prophet Muhammad and how Muslims interpret it today." Our lesson has two cycles.

First, let's find out what was Arabia like when the Prophet was born.

Aisha explains why we study theology in religious education.

Aisha says, "Theology is about looking at stories and texts and learning about when, why, and for who they were written.

We can better understand people's worldviews by examining how they have been interpreted both in the past and today." In this lesson, we will be using the story of Prophet Muhammad's childhood to help us better understand Muslim worldviews.

This is Iqbal.

Iqbal is a Sunni Muslim from London.

He has a Muslim worldview.

Iqbal believes that Prophet Muhammad is the last prophet in Islam chosen by Allah to share his message with the world.

He also sees Prophet Muhammad as a guide for living a righteous and fulfilling life, which he has learned from reading the Qur'an and the Hadith.

Let's find out about the place Prophet Muhammad was born.

The Prophet Muhammad was born in 570 CE in the city of Makkah, which is located in present-day Saudi Arabia.

Time for a check.

Where and when was Prophet Muhammad born? Was it in Makkah in 600 CE or in Madinah in 570 CE, or was it in Makkah in 570 CE? What do you think? That's correct, in Makkah in 570 CE.

That's the correct answer.

Many Muslims believe that on the night the Prophet Muhammad was born, a great star appeared in the sky.

The Prophet Muhammad's grandfather was delighted to hear the news of his birth and started thinking of the name for the baby boy.

Finally, he decided upon Muhammad, which means often praised or worthy of praise.

Time for another check.

What does the name Muhammad mean? Choose two answers.

Is it often praised, or the strong one, or worthy of praise, or is it the wise one? Choose two answers which shows, what does the name Muhammad mean? That's correct, often praised, and the second one? Well done, worthy of praise is the right meaning.

Great work.

At the time of Prophet Muhammad's birth, Arabia was made up of many tribes.

Many of these tribes were nomads travelling across the desert and trading goods.

Most of the tribes practise polytheism.

What does polytheism mean? Have a think That's correct.

Polytheism means believing in many gods instead of just one.

In polytheism, people worship many different gods, each with their own role like a god of the sun, sea, or the harvest.

At the time of Prophet's birth, many people in Arabia practised polytheism and worshipped idols as their gods.

Here's an example of polytheism practised by the ancient Greeks.

Time for another check.

Do you remember what polytheism mean? Is it believing in many gods, or believing in only one God, or believing in no gods? What do you think? That's correct.

It means believing in many gods.

You got that right.

In addition to the many polytheistic tribes, there were also smaller Jewish and Christian communities in Arabia.

These communities believed in only one God, just like today's Jews and Christians.

There was also a small group of people who believed in one God, but did not follow Christianity or the Jewish religion.

They were called Hanifs.

Hanifs rejected idol worship and refrained from practising polytheism.

Let's check if you got that.

The Hanifs believed in many gods and practise polytheism.

True or false? False.

That's correct.

What have we learned that says that Hanifs did not believe in many gods? That's correct.

We've learned that Hanifs believed in one God.

They rejected idol worship and refrained from practising polytheism.

Well done if you chose false as your answer.

The different tribes, Hanifs, polytheists, Christians, and Jews, lived and worked together in the same communities.

Most people were traders, farmers, or craftsmen, and they depended on each other for goods and services.

Despite their different beliefs, they often worked together, formed trade partnerships, and even made agreements to keep peace in their towns.

Time for a task.

Are you ready? Complete this sentence.

Polytheism is.

And also when you're ready, read Alex's statement below and see if Alex is correct.

Explain whether you agree or disagree with Alex using the evidence from what we've learned.

Alex says, "I think that everyone in Arabia at the time of Prophet Muhammad followed polytheism as their religion." You can pause the video now and come back when you're ready with both the answers.

Are you ready with your answers? Let's first complete this sentence.

Polytheism is believing in many gods instead of just one.

That's correct.

And is Alex correct when he talked about all people practising polytheism? Did you agree or disagree with Alex? Alex is incorrect.

Well done if you wrote that.

It is true, at the time of Prophet's birth, many people in Arabia practised polytheism and worshipped many ideals as their gods.

However, in addition to the many polytheistic tribes, there were also smaller Jewish and Christian communities in Arabia.

There were also a small group of people who believed in one God called Hanifs.

Well done for explaining why you don't agree with Alex and gave evidence from what you've learned.

Great work.

We now know what was Arabia like when the Prophet was born.

Now let's find out why was Prophet Muhammad's childhood important.

Prophet Muhammad was an orphan from a very young age.

His father, Abdullah, passed away before he was born, and his mother, Amina, died when he was just six years old.

After that, his grandfather, Abdul Muttalib, took care of him, but he also passed away when Prophet Muhammad was eight.

He was then looked after by his uncle, Abu Talib.

How do you think growing up without parents affected Prophet Muhammad? Let's find out.

Prophet Muhammad's experience of being an orphan taught him the importance of kindness, empathy, and compassion for those who are most at risk.

Growing up without his parents, he understood the pain of loss and the challenges orphans face.

This made him especially full of compassion towards orphans as he could relate to their struggle.

Time for another check.

Prophet Muhammad showed compassion towards orphans.

True or false? True.

That's correct.

It's because losing both his parents and his grandfather made him compassionate towards orphans as he could relate to their struggles.

Here's Iqbal sharing what he's learned about Prophet Muhammad's childhood.

Iqbal says, "Prophet Muhammad's life shows Muslims, like me, how to be kind and helpful to orphans and those in need.

He always told his followers to take care of orphans, both by giving them money and by offering them love and support." Prophet Muhammad taught that helping orphans is a way to earn rewards from Allah.

There are many stories about the Prophet Muhammad's childhood.

Let's read the story of the old woman in the marketplace that shows the Prophet Muhammad's qualities.

Are you ready to listen to the story? When Prophet Muhammad was a young boy, he started working as a shepherd for a wealthy merchant in Makkah.

One day while he was playing with other children in the marketplace, he saw an old woman who was carrying a heavy load, struggling to walk.

Prophet Muhammad quickly offered to help her.

He carried her things for her and walked with her to her destination, showing great care and respect.

The woman was so moved by the kindness of the young Prophet Muhammad who would later become the Prophet that she began to praise his noble qualities.

Even as a child, Prophet Muhammad was known for his gentleness and compassion, qualities that would define his life as the Prophet of Islam.

His abilities to feel the struggles of others and respond with kindness was evident in his early childhood years.

Here's Noor who talks about what she's learned from this story about the Prophet Muhammad.

Noor is also a Sunni Muslim and she has a Muslim worldview.

Noor is inspired by Prophet Muhammad's kindness and compassion, especially how he cared for others and showed empathy, even though he faced many challenges.

Noor says, "When I think about the Prophet Muhammad, even as a child, I can see how kind and caring he was.

He didn't wait for anyone to ask him to help.

He saw someone in need, like an old lady carrying heavy bags, and decided to help right away.

This teaches me that no matter how young I am, I can still help others, especially when they are struggling.

Being kind and caring is something we can all do." Great thought, Noor.

Let's see if you got that.

What is one reason why Prophet Muhammad is known for his kindness and compassion? Is it that he was a king with great power, or he showed care and empathy for others, or he focused only on his own family and friends? What do you think? That's correct.

He showed care and empathy for others.

Well done if you chose that answer.

Here's a story of a wise monk named Bahira, who noticed something very special about the young Prophet Muhammad.

Let's listen to another story about Prophet Muhammad travelling with his uncle to Syria to trade.

The people of Makkah were traders who bought and sold goods with the cities far away in Syria.

Every day, caravans of camels carrying heavy loads would travel across the hot dry desert.

One of these caravans belonged to Abu Talib.

Abu Talib was the uncle of Prophet Muhammad who was really young at this time.

After Prophet Muhammad lost his parents and grandfather, Abu Talib took care of him like a father.

One day, Abu Talib thought it would be a good idea for Prophet Muhammad to join him on a trip to Syria.

After many days of journeying, the caravan finally reached a city named Basra.

In a quiet room, a Christian monk named Bahira was reading his books.

He looked up and saw the caravan approaching through the heat of the desert.

Above it floated a single cloud that seemed to shelter someone from the hot sun.

As the caravan stopped under some shady trees, the mysterious cloud vanished.

Bahira went to greet the merchants he recognised.

"It's so nice to see you again," they said.

"Why don't you ever invite us into your room?" Bahira immediately asked them to come and share a meal with him.

He felt that someone very special was with them and he wanted to find out more.

After chatting for a bit, Bahira asked, "Is everyone from your group here?" "No," Abu Talib said.

"My nephew is watching our camels.

He's very young, so we left him behind." "Can I talk to him?" Bahira asked eagerly.

Bahira then spoke with the young Prophet Muhammad, asking him many questions to learn about him and what he believed.

He started to feel sure that Muhammad was going to be very special.

Bahira smiled and turned to Abu Talib, "This child is meant for greatness," he said.

"Take him back to Makkah and take good care of him." So after finishing his trading in Syria, Abu Talib took Prophet Muhammad back home to Makkah and looked after him as he grew up.

It's time for another check.

Who was the Christian monk that recognised Prophet Muhammad's future as a prophet when he was a child? Was it Bahira, or Abu Talib, or Abdullah? What do you think? That's correct.

He was called Bahira.

Great work.

Iqbal and Noor are talking about the deeper meanings of the story of the monk Bahira and Prophet Muhammad.

Noor says, "For me, the story of Bahira shows that Prophet Muhammad was chosen by Allah, God, to be a great leader and guide for all Muslims." Iqbal shared his views.

"For me, the story shows that Allah had a special plan for Prophet Muhammad even before he became a prophet." Let's see if you got that.

Which of these is not a deeper meaning of the story according to Noor or Iqbal? Is it Prophet Muhammad was a great trader, or God, Allah, had a plan for Muhammad, or the prophet was chosen by God to be a guide? What do you think? That's correct.

Prophet Muhammad was a great trader is not a deeper meaning of the story according to Noor or Iqbal.

Well done.

Time for our next task.

Here we have Laura.

Laura says, "Why was Prophet Muhammad's childhood special and important?" Write a letter to Laura about the special qualities Prophet Muhammad showed in his childhood, especially the events with the monk, Bahira, and the old woman.

You can pause the video now and come back when you're ready with your letter.

Let's check.

Your task was to write a letter to Laura about the special qualities Prophet Muhammad showed in his childhood.

You may have written: Dear Laura, as a young boy, Prophet Muhammad was kind and caring.

He had a deep sense of compassion, especially for orphans, understanding their pain and making sure they felt loved.

One story that stands out is when he helped an old woman carrying her heavy basket.

She was so grateful for his kindness.

Even as a child, Prophet Muhammad's action showed how important it was to help others and show compassion.

Another important story is when the monk Bahira recognised Prophet Muhammad's special qualities.

Bahira saw that even as a boy, Prophet Muhammad had a great future ahead of him, showing how remarkable he was even at that young age.

Well done if you included all these in your letter.

Great work.

Here's the summary of today's lesson.

Today we've learned about Prophet Muhammad who was born around 570 CE in the city of Makkah in Arabia.

At that time, many people in Arabia practised polytheism.

They believed in many gods.

There were some people, such as Jews and Christians, who worshipped one God.

And we also know that for many Muslims, the early childhood of the Prophet shows kindness and compassion in action.

Thank you for your participation today.

I hope you've learned a lot about Prophet Muhammad's childhood and the importance of compassion in Islam.

This is the end of our lesson, and I'll see you in our next lesson.

Bye.