From the time of his weaning, Allāh had put a mighty angel with him to take him along the path of high character and good behaviour through day and night, while I used to follow him like a young camel following in the footprints of its mother. Every day he would show me in the form of a banner some of his high traits and commanded me to follow it. Every year he used to go in seclusion to the hill of Ḥirā’, where I saw him but no one else saw him. In those days Islam did not exist in any house except that of the Prophet of Allāh - peace and blessing of Allāh be upon him and his descendants - and Khadījah, while I was the third after these two. I used to see and watch the effulgence of divine revelation and message, and breathed the scent of Prophethood.