During that time, it was the custom in Arabia that when a child was born, the family would entrust the newborn to wet nurses from rural areas. This was done so the child could grow up in a healthier environment and learn the purest form of Arabic. A group of wet nurses entered Makkah in search of newborns to care for. They visited various homes where children had been born, including the house of Abdul Muttalib.
When they saw the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), they were moved by his beauty and presence. However, upon learning that he was an orphan, they hesitated. They thought, “What reward can we expect from an orphan’s household?” Thus, one after another, the wet nurses left him and moved on. None of them chose to nurse him, though they might have considered it if they had known the honor awaiting them. That honor was written for Halima Saadia (رضي الله عنها).
When Halima (رضي الله عنها) arrived in Makkah, she found that all the other women had taken children into their care, leaving her the only one without a child. She was informed that only one child was left—an orphan whom no one else had chosen.
Halima (رضي الله عنها) said to her husband, Abdullah bin Harith:
“By Allah! I feel ashamed to return empty-handed while all the other women go back with children. They will taunt me. Why don’t we take this orphan child?”
Abdullah bin Harith replied:
“There’s no harm in it. Perhaps Allah will bless us through this child.”
Thus, Halima (رضي الله عنها) went to the house of Abdul Muttalib. Both Abdul Muttalib and Amina warmly welcomed her. Amina then brought her to the child, who was wrapped in a white woolen shawl and lying on a green silk cloth. He was peacefully asleep, and a fragrance like musk emanated from him.
Halima (رضي الله عنها) was mesmerized by his beauty and radiance. She hesitated to wake him, but as she gently placed her hand on his chest out of affection, he smiled and opened his eyes, looking directly at her. Halima later narrated:
“I saw a light emanate from his eyes, reaching the heavens. I lifted him up, kissed the space between his blessed eyes, and embraced him in my arms.”
She sought permission from Amina and Abdul Muttalib, then took him with her to the caravan. When Halima (رضي الله عنها) tried nursing him, he immediately drank milk from her right side. She offered him milk from her left side, but he refused. This became his lifelong habit—he would only drink from the right side, leaving the left for her own child.
As soon as Halima (رضي الله عنها) mounted her donkey with the Prophet (ﷺ), the previously slow and weak animal suddenly became swift, overtaking the entire caravan. The women in the group were astonished and said:
“Halima! What has happened to your donkey? Is this the same one you came with, which could barely walk?”
Halima (رضي الله عنها) replied:
“Yes, by Allah, it is the same donkey. But, by Allah, there is something extraordinary about this child.”
When they reached the land of Banu Saad, it was a time of drought and hardship. Halima (رضي الله عنها) later recounted:
“That evening, when our goats returned from grazing, their udders were full of milk, even though previously they barely produced any. We milked them and filled all our containers. We knew this was a blessing from the child.”
While neighboring households continued to face scarcity, Halima’s household witnessed abundance and blessings. Halima (رضي الله عنها) observed:
“There was prosperity in everything around us, and our house became a place of blessing. This continued, and even the other women noticed the difference. Their goats remained barren, while ours thrived.”
Within two months, the Prophet (ﷺ) began walking. By eight months, he started speaking, and by nine months, his speech was clear and eloquent. Halima (رضي الله عنها) remarked:
“When I brought him home, the fragrance of musk spread throughout the tribe of Banu Saad. Everyone became fond of him.”
When it was time to wean him, the Prophet (ﷺ) spoke his first words:
When he turned two, Halima (رضي الله عنها) brought him back to Amina. By then, it was customary to return children to their families. However, Halima (رضي الله عنها) and her husband, having witnessed the countless blessings that surrounded the child, wished to keep him longer. They pleaded with Amina:
“Please allow us to keep him for another year. We fear that Makkah’s illnesses might affect him.”
After much insistence, Amina agreed, and Halima (رضي الله عنها) returned with the child to her home.
As the Prophet (ﷺ) grew older, he began noticing other children playing and once asked Halima (رضي الله عنها):
“Mother, why don’t I see my siblings during the day?”
Halima (رضي الله عنها) explained:
“They go out early to graze the goats and return in the evening.”
The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
“Then allow me to go with them.”
From then on, he began accompanying his foster siblings. He would happily go with them and return in the evening.
One day, Halima’s (رضي الله عنها) children ran back home, frightened, and said:
“Mother! Come quickly! Something might happen to our brother Muhammad!”
Terrified, Halima (رضي الله عنها) and her husband ran to find him. They saw him standing, pale and shaken, though unharmed. Halima (رضي الله عنها) later recalled:
“We asked him what had happened, and he replied:
‘Two men dressed in white (the angels Jibreel and Mikail, عليهما السلام) came to me. One asked the other, “Is this him?” The other replied, “Yes.” They then laid me down, opened my chest, and removed something. I don’t know what it was.’”
Later narrations explain that this was a small black speck, symbolizing the place where Satan could influence a person. The angels cleansed him of it.
Halima Sa’diya (رضي الله عنها) narrates: “Then we brought Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) back home. At that time, my husband, Abdullah bin Harith, said to me:
‘Halima, I fear that some harm might come to this child, so it would be better to return him to his family.’
I agreed and said, ‘Alright.’ Then we set off with him (ﷺ) toward Makkah. When I reached the upper areas of Makkah, he (ﷺ) suddenly disappeared. I was utterly bewildered.”
Continued to He Will Prevail | Seerat-e-Nabi (PBUH) – Part-7
