Abdallah Ben Abd-El-Mottalib, an Arab merchant, father of Mohammed, born at Mecca about 545, died in 570. In youth, according to the Moslem legend, he narrowly escaped sacrifice at his father's hands, who, having but this one child, had made a vow to the gods that if they would grant him ten children, he would sacrifice one to them. The children came, and the lot, being taken, fell on Ab-dallah, then 24 years old. The father was on the point of fulfilling his vow, when by the advice of his friends he stayed his hand, and consulted a wise woman, who directed him to place ten camels, the price of blood among the Arabs, on one side, and his son on the other, and to cast lots between them; and as often as the lots should be against the youth, he was to add ten more camels. The experiment was tried, and the lot was against Abdallah ten times; the father sacrificed one hundred camels and saved his son. Immediately after this escape, Abdallah married Amina, daughter of Wahb, chief of the tribe of Benu Zahra. On the evacuation of Mecca by the Abyssinians, who had invaded the country, he was sent by his father to Medina, then called Yathreb, to buy provisions for the famished Meccaites, who had been obliged to fly to the mountain fastnesses. Abdallah died on the journey, leaving his wife pregnant with her first child.

That child was Mohammed.