The Life of Prophet Muhammad (SAW)

A Time With Halimah

  A Time With Halimah 

Like many other women in Mecca, Aminah decided to send her son awayfrom the city for his early years to the desert where it was more healthy.Women from the desert used to come to Mecca to collect the new babiesand they would then keep them until they developed into strong children,for which they were well paid by the parents.   

  Among the women who traveled to Mecca to fetch a new baby at thetime Aminah's son was born, was a Bedouin woman called Halimah.With her was her husband and baby son. They had always been very poorbut this year things were harder than ever because there had been famine.The donkey that earned Halimah on the journey was so weak from hungerthat he often stumbled. Halimah's own baby son cried all the time becausehis mother could not feed him properly. Even their she-camel did not givethem one drop of milk. Halimah did not know what to do. She thought toherself, 'How can I possibly feed another baby when I haven't got enoughmilk even for my own son?'   

  At last they reached Mecca. All the other women of the tribe to whichHalimah belonged, the Bani Sa'd, found a child to take back with them,but not Halimah. The only baby left was Muhammad (pbuh). Usually thefather paid the wet-nurse but Mohammed's father was dead. So no onewanted to take him, even though he was from one of the noblest familiesof Quraysh. 

Halimah did not want to take him either, but she did not wantto be the only woman to go back to her tribe without a baby to bring up.She asked her husband whether she should take Muhammad (pbuh) ornot. He advised her to do so, adding, 'Perhaps Allah will bless us becauseof him.' They started on the return journey and as soon as Halimah beganto feed Muhammad (pbuh) her milk suddenly increased and she hadenough for him as well as her baby son. When they were back home,everything began to change.   

  The land became green, and the date trees, one of their main sourcesof food, gave lots of fruit. Even the sheep and their old she-camel beganto give plenty of milk.

Halimah and her husband knew that this good fortune had comebecause they had the new baby, Muhammad (pbuh), whom they hadcome to love as if he were their own son. 

When Muhammad (pbuh) was two years old, Halimah took him backto his mother. She pleaded with Aminah, however, to let her keep him for  a little longer, and to her great joy the mother agreed. During his timewith Halimah's family in the desert, Muhammad (pbuh) played with herchildren and together they would take the sheep out to graze.

 At othertimes, however, Halimah would often find him sitting alone. It is said thaton one occasion, two angels came to Muhammad (pbuh) and washed hisheart with snow. In this way Allah made his heart pure for He intendedMuhammad (pbuh) to be greater than any man ever born and to becomethe Seal of the Prophets.

  In the Name of Allah the Beneficent, the Merciful

"Did We not expand thy breast for thee And eased thee of thy burdenWhich weighed down thy back; And exalted thy fame? So truly withhardship comes ease, Truly with hardship comes ease. So when thou artrelieved, still toil And strive to please thy Lord. (Qur'an 94.1-8) 

When Halimah finally took Muhammad (pbuh) back to Aminah, hewas a healthy, strong boy. Later he would look back with joy on the timehe had spent with Halimah, and he always thought of himself as one ofthe Bani Sa'd.