Our Master of the Universe (PBUH), who spent his life under our Lord’s shelter and discipline, explained an experience he had while herding his uncle’s sheep as follows:

I tried to do something that the people of the Age of Ignorance did twice. In both of my attempts, Allah prevented me from doing it. Until Allah honored me with the duty of being a Prophet, I did not attempt to commit any kind of bad deeds. As for the thing that I attempted to do: One night, I was grazing our sheep on the upper side of Mecca with another youth. I proposed a request to my friend, “Could you look after my sheep? Like my friends, I too would like to go to Mecca and participate in the evening festivities and the storytelling gatherings. My friend replied, “Sure, I will look after them.”

For that purpose, I went to Mecca. When I neared the first house in the city, I heard drums, whistles, and pipes being played. I asked, “What is this?” They answered, “so-and-so’s son has married so-and-so’s daughter and they are now celebrating their wedding”. I instantly sat down and began to watch them. Just then, Allah plugged my ears, and I fell asleep right there. I was only able to wake up in the morning to the sun’s rays. When I returned to my friend, he asked what I had done.

I replied, “I did not do anything” and then explained to him everything that had happened to me. Another night, I made the same request and my friend accepted. When I set off and arrived in Mecca, I heard the same sounds as I had heard the last time. I immediately sat down and began watching once again. Just then, Allah plugged my ears once more. By God, only the sun’s heat was able to wake me up. As soon as I woke up, I went to my friend and explained him everything that had happened to me. Afterwards, I did not attempt such things until Allah honored me with the duty of being a prophet.