How was the Prophet (peace be upon him) "astray" before his prophethood, even though he never prostrated to an idol and was upon the religion of Abraham?

The "straying" intended in the noble verse: "And He found you astray and guided you" refers to unawareness of the divine laws and the secrets of religious sciences that cannot be known except through revelation. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was indeed unaware of these, so Allah guided him through what He revealed to him. This does not contradict his remaining upon a sound natural disposition before his prophethood. This meaning is supported by the Almighty’s saying: "You did not know what the Scripture was, nor what faith was." It has also been said that it means his getting lost as a child in the valleys of Mecca, or his getting lost during his journey to Syria, but the first interpretation is the most correct.