In order to run the business successfully, Khadijah (ra) employed trade agents, who used to carry merchandise to other countries and bring back useful items to be sold in Makkah. She worked hard and soon she was regarded as an intelligent merchant woman of great dignity and wealth.
At that time Muhammad (sas) was a young boy. His father had died before his birth and his mother died when he was six years old. After the death of his mother he went into the care of his grandfather Abdul Muttalib. Abdul Muttalib was eighty years old at that time. He was very fond of his grandson. He did not live long and died at the age of eighty-two. After his death, Abu Taalib, an uncle of Muhammad (sas), became his guardian.
Abu Taalib had many noble qualities and was a respected Quraish leader. He loved his nephew dearly. Muhammad (sas), too, loved his uncle very much. It was during this period that Abu Taalib undertook a journey to Syria along with a trade caravan. He intended to leave his nephew behind for he was twelve years old at that time and could take care of himself. But when the caravan was about to depart Muhammad (sas) clung to his uncle and insisted on going with him.
Abu Taalib was moved and decided to take him along with the caravan. This was Muhammad’s (sas) first journey to a foreign land.
A strange incident happened during this journey. It is related that when the caravan reached Bosraa, it camped near a monastery where a great scholar of Scriptures lived. His name was Baheerah. Monk Baheerah noticed many things in the appearance of Muhammad (sas), which fitted the description of the Prophet that people were waiting for. He said to Abu Taalib to take good care of the young man and protect him from the mischief of the People of the Book. He told Abu Taalib that according to the Scriptures this boy seemed to be the person whom God would choose to play a great part in the world.
It should be noted that the town Bosraa was situated on the road to Damascus in southern Syria and was about eighty miles south of Damascus. It was a beautiful town with many Roman buildings and was a meeting place of five caravan routes. The town Bosraa should not be confused with the famous city of Basrah, which is situated in Iraq.
Muhammad (sas) grew up into a handsome man with very good manners and extraordinary qualities of honesty and piety. People called him, Al-Ameen meaning the ‘trustworthy’, and Al-Saadiq meaning the ‘truthful’. Whoever came in contact with him was deeply impressed by his personality and intelligence. He was gentle and obedient to his elders, affectionate to his companions and full of compassion for those who stood in need of help. He helped his aunt with the household tasks and outside he assisted his uncle by carrying out any job that was assigned to him.
Khadijah (ra) had heard of the honesty, piety, trustworthiness and high moral character of Muhammad (sas). She was greatly impressed by his integrity. She therefore approached Muhammad’s (sas) uncle Abu Taalib with the suggestion that he should let his nephew lead a trading caravan of hers to Syria. Abu Taalib mentioned this to Muhammad (sas), to which he agreed. Khadijah (ra) offered to pay him double the amount she paid to others. When the caravan started its journey, Khadijah (ra) sent her trusted servant Maisarah along with the caravan. The caravan took the usual route to Syria, which Muhammad (sas) had undertaken with his uncle thirteen years before.
Muhammad (sas) conducted the business in such a manner and discharged his duties so well that the expedition met with great success. It was his honesty and intelligent handling of affairs that he made unexpected profit. Maisarah was much impressed by the honesty with which the young leader of the caravan had managed the transactions. He was also impressed by an incident, which happened during the journey. He noticed that when the caravan was camped near a monastery, a Nestorian monk, by the name of Jordis, saw the young leader of the caravan sitting under a tree. He inquired from Maisarah about Muhammad (sas). Maisarah replied that Muhammad (sas) belonged to the Quraish tribe of Makkah. The monk exclaimed that he seemed to be the Prophet of God, whose advent had been told in the Scriptures and made the same kind of recommendations as Monk Baheerah had made to Abu Taalib.
On the way back when the caravan reached near the town of Makkah, Maisarah persuaded his leader Muhammad (sas) to go ahead and break the news of the success of the journey to Khadijah (ra).
Khadijah (ra) was waiting for the return of the caravan very eagerly. She used to go to the top of her house from where she could see the road to Syria. One day, surrounded by her friends and servants, she was sitting in the upper storey of her house when she saw a camel advancing rapidly towards the town. She knew that the rider would be Muhammad (sas). When she was told about the huge profit in business, she was thrilled and was much impressed by his business skills and capabilities. She was convinced that the success in business was due not only to the condition of the market in Syria but also to the integrity and efficiency of the caravan leader Muhammad (sas). Her servant Maisarah was full of praise for him. He also mentioned to her what the Nestorian monk had said about him. All this created a deep impression on Hazrat Khadijah’s (ra) mind.