Prophet Muhammad story for kids: his life and beautiful character

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was born in Makkah, lost both parents as a child and was known as al-Amin, “the trustworthy”. At forty, the angel Jibril brought him the first words of the Qur’an: “Read in the name of your Lord” (96:1). He taught people to worship Allah alone and to be kind, honest and merciful.

What is the story of the Prophet Muhammad, retold for children?

Muhammad, peace be upon him, grew up an orphan in Makkah, became known for his honesty, received the Qur’an from the age of forty, and moved to Madinah in the Hijrah. Each part below says where it comes from: the Qur’an, a hadith, or the early biographies (the sirah, such as Ibn Ishaq’s and Ibn Kathir’s).

A special baby in Makkah

Muhammad was born in Makkah in the Year of the Elephant, the year an army with an elephant came to attack the Kaaba (Surah al-Fil, 105). His father, Abdullah, died before he was born. As a baby he was nursed in the desert by Halimah. When he was six, his mother Aminah died, and his grandfather Abdul Muttalib and then his uncle Abu Talib cared for him (sirah).

Allah reminds him in the Qur’an: “Did He not find you an orphan and give you shelter?” (93:6). Because he knew what it was like to lose his parents, he was always especially kind to orphans and children.

The trustworthy one

As a young man, Muhammad looked after sheep for the people of Makkah (Sahih al-Bukhari 2262) and later worked as a trader. He was so honest that people called him al-Amin, the trustworthy. When the tribes of Makkah rebuilt the Kaaba, they argued over who should put the Black Stone back. They asked Muhammad to decide. He placed the stone on a cloth, asked a leader from each tribe to hold a corner and lift it together, and set it in place himself. No one fought (sirah).

“Read!”

Muhammad liked to go to the cave of Hira, on a mountain near Makkah, to worship Allah alone. When he was forty, the angel Jibril came to him there and said, “Read!” Then he brought the first words of the Qur’an: “Read in the name of your Lord who created…” (96:1–5). Muhammad hurried home with his heart pounding and said, “Cover me!” His wife Khadijah comforted him: Allah would never disgrace him, because he was kind to his family, helped the weak and looked after guests (Sahih al-Bukhari 3).

Patience and mercy at Ta’if

The Prophet called people to worship Allah alone, and many in Makkah were unkind to him. He went to the town of Ta’if, where the people rejected him harshly; the sirah says they threw stones at him. Afterwards, the angel of the mountains offered to bring the two mountains of Makkah together upon those who had rejected him. The Prophet said no: he hoped that Allah would bring from their children people who would worship Allah alone (Sahih al-Bukhari 3231).

The journey to Madinah

When Makkah became too dangerous, Allah allowed the Muslims to move to Madinah. The Prophet travelled with his friend Abu Bakr. They hid in a cave while people searched for them. Abu Bakr was worried, but the Prophet said, “Do not be sad; indeed Allah is with us” (9:40). This journey is the Hijrah, and the Islamic calendar is counted from it.

A simple timeline of his life

How was he kind to children and animals?

• He kissed his grandson al-Hasan, and when a man said he had never kissed any of his ten children, the Prophet said, “Whoever does not show mercy will not be shown mercy” (Sahih al-Bukhari 5997).
• He said, “He is not one of us who does not show mercy to our young and respect our elders” (Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi 1919, graded hasan).
• He told of a man whom Allah forgave for giving water to a thirsty dog (Sahih al-Bukhari 2363).
• He taught that smiling at your brother is charity (Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi 1956, graded hasan).

What lessons does his life teach children?

• Be honest. People trusted him so much they called him al-Amin.
• Find a fair way. The cloth and the Black Stone meant everyone could share the honour.
• Forgive. At Ta’if he prayed for the people who hurt him (Bukhari 3231).
• Trust Allah when you’re worried. “Allah is with us” (9:40).
• Be kind to the small and weak. Children, orphans and animals (Bukhari 5997; 2363).

How do you tell his story to a 3–5-year-old vs a 6–9-year-old?

For under-fives, tell short stories about his kindness and honesty. For six- to nine-year-olds, tell his life in order, one chapter a night.

A one-minute version for little ones: “The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was the kindest person. He always told the truth, so everyone called him ‘the trustworthy one’. He loved children and gave them hugs. He was kind to animals. He said a smile is a present to someone. When people were unkind to him, he forgave them. We say ‘peace be upon him’ because we love him.”

Which popular stories are weak or not reported?

Some well-loved details have weak chains of narration. The spider’s web and the nesting doves at the cave mouth during the Hijrah are reported in some books of hadith, but scholars differ over their strength; the Qur’an says only that Allah sent down His tranquillity and supported him with forces they did not see (9:40). The popular story of an old woman who threw rubbish at the Prophet every day has no known source in the hadith collections. Tell children what is authentic, and use “it is reported” for the rest.

Teaching tips

• Say “sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam” or “peace be upon him” after his name, as Allah tells the believers to send blessings on him (33:56).
• Islamic tradition does not draw or picture the Prophet, so children’s books tell his story through words, places and the people around him.
• Focus on his character more than dates: children copy kindness they can imagine. See teaching kids Islamic values.
• Read Sara Khan’s My First Book About Prophet Muhammad with toddlers, and Saniyasnain Khan’s Goodnight Stories from the Life of the Prophet Muhammad with older children.

In the Hudhud book

The story of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the last of the five Prophet stories in Hudhud, a personalised book in which a child flies with a talking hoopoe through the stories of Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, Isa and Muhammad. Start from the beginning with Nuh and the Ark, or see all the Prophet stories for kids.