Muhammad didn’t receive his first revelation until he was 40, starting an action packed 12 years of ministry until his death. But what came before that?

There is little on Muhammad’s first 40 years, not dissimilar to the pre-ministry days of Jesus. And what is there, it really is impossible to tell legend from fact from hagiography.

Regardless of what you want to call it, there are a few good stories about Muhammad before his ministry. Here are my top 5: