Trading in prophet Mohammed age - Essay Example

Mecca was not an oasis city so there was no significant agricultural trade going on. Foodstuffs and other agricultural products are imported from other places, some in Arabia and some from Syria. The trade has been depicted excellently by Muhammad’s life. Early in his career, he has dabbled in trade himself and was particularly good at it. The story is particularly enlightening. Muhammad found himself employed by a wealthy merchant, Khadija who eventually proposed marriage after a fruitful business relationship.

Muhammad’s stint as a manager of Khadija’s caravan, earned for him a reputation as hard-working, modest and trustworthy, with many people calling him, al-Amin (the Trustworthy) as a result. (Jackson 2006, p. 3) Muhammad’s experience demonstrated the fact that people, with the right attitude and character could easily thrive in trading and enjoy financial success. After Muhammad and Khadija got married, they were said to have became business partners and have continued trading successfully.

Muhammad, though born to minor nobility, was actually poor because he was orphaned at a very early age. His rise and accumulation of wealth was not entirely out of divine intervention nor an isolated case. There were ample opportunities in trading and many citizens have enriched themselves by taking advantage of them, including women like Muhammad’s wife. . For a trader, this is an excellent opportunity. The pilgrims needed food, shelter, clothing, among other necessities and luxuries. Organized caravans would carry these kinds of goods from other trading centers like Yemen, Syria and as far as India and Africa.

These latter two locations were excellent sources of luxury goods that are quite in demand in Mecca – slaves, ivory, spices. Then, there were the so-called pilgrim fairs, wherein traders sold goods to pilgrims and visitors. Crone (2004) wrote that Mecca became a major market as scholars occasionally mentioned Hudhalis, Kinanis and others selling camels, sheep, slaves and numerous other commodities while Umayya was said to have sold imports on the lower part of the city. (p. 179) In addition, trade has also brought foreign merchants to Arabia as Byzantine and Jewish traders were said to have travelled to Mecca actively selling their wares.

The religion variable is further reinforced by the fact that many pilgrim stations in Arabia had experienced drastic commercial transformations as well. Crone has sufficiently explained this, citing the financial success of cities like Mina, Ukaz, Arafa, Majanna and Dhul-Majaz. (p. 175) In addition, the religious cult that emerged has drawn people from all over that by the latter part of the sixth century, Mecca became a major shrine in Arabia and perhaps the Middle East. Commercial activity flourished further because the cult created a peaceful and stable community that was very conducive to business.

Mecca became an important haram in which violence and bloodshed are prohibited. (Donner 2010, p. 35) Traders can come and practice actively without the fear of being molested