The Incident of His Chest Being Opened and the Return to Mecca

The years the Prophet Muhammad — peace be upon him — spent in the land of Banu Sa‘d were a time in which he grew strong in both body and spirit. He was raised in the open desert, speaking pure Arabic, living a simple and sound life. But one day, something happened that deeply shook Halimah’s family and revealed clearly that this child was no ordinary child. The incident of his chest being opened was a sign that even in early childhood, his heart was being prepared through a special divine refinement. This event set in motion the path that would soon bring him back to Mecca, to the care of his mother Aminah.