In the name of Allah, Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy.
The Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) was breastfed by a woman from the tribe of Banu Saʿad Ibn Bakr. The location of the tribe of Banu Saʿd was between Makkah and Tā’if at a distance of 2 nights from Makkah. It is between Awṭās and As-Sayl Al-Kabeer.
The nobles of Quraish and the other Arab tribes would send their young ones to be fostered and raised by the bedouins because their speech was pure and eloquent, their surroundings were better for the skin and body, and desert life would strengthen them in preparation for the future hardships of life.
For this reason, the Prophet (salallāhu ʿalaihi wasallam) was the most eloquent of people in speech. He experienced desert life, clean air, and an environment free from diseases and ailments that are to be found in cities and towns. It was because of this that his family (mother) sent him to be breastfed by a woman from Banu Saʿd Ibn Bakr.
So his foster mother who breastfed him was Haleemah Bint Abee Dhu’ayb, known as Haleemah As-Saʿdiyyah.
It is reported that she travelled with her husband to Makkah (to seek a child to be breastfed) — and at that time she did not have enough milk that would fully satisfy even her own child.
Other women had also travelled for the same reason, to seek employment by breastfeeding a baby from the nobles of Quraish. But all of those women refused baby Muhammad (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) because he was an orphan and wanted the benefits provided by a wealthy father. Haleemah and her husband were looking out for a baby whose father would show them generosity. But Muhammad was an orphan — and they did not know whether his mother would show them generosity.
So all the women who had come had taken a child – but the child Muhammad had not yet been taken by anyone. Haleemah had not found a child, and she hated to leave Makkah empty-handed. She said to her husband: ‘Wallāhi! I will go back to that orphan and take him for myself.’ So, she took him, and she took him back to the caravan and her husband said: ‘So, you have taken him?’ She said: ‘Yes, by Allah, I did not find a child other than him.’ He said: ‘You’ve done well. Maybe Allah will put goodness in him.’
Allah blessed her with breastmilk when previously she was struggling to feed even her own child. She said: ‘By Allah! Once I returned to my quarters, he accepted by milk and he drank as much as Allah willed until he was satiated. And then my own son drank until he too was fully satiated.’ Both boys were so satisfied that they slept the whole night.
She said: ‘When we returned home – our land was barren, struck with drought and without shrubbery – but our sheep and cattle thrived and were full of milk once we had brought Muhammad home, while the sheep of others suffered and even died due to famine, the lack of rains and herbage.’ So, the people took their sheep to the same area as the sheep of Haleemah, yet it did not aid them, and their cattle still did not produce milk.
(Abridged: Ibn Hibbān with checking of Al-Arna’oot 14/243 no. 6335, Muʿjam al-Kabeer 24/212 no. 545 – see Al-Hayāt An-Nabawiyyah Al-Kareemah, Ahmad Ibn Sālih, 1/32-34)
Years later, Haleemah came to Makkah, and the Prophet (salallāhu ʿalaihi wasallam) was married to Khadeejah by then. Haleemah complained about a drought in her land, and the destruction of cattle due to that. So the Prophet (salallāhu ʿalaihi wasallam) discussed Haleemah’s plight with Khadeejah, so she donated to her 40 sheep and a camel to ride upon. With that, Haleemah returned to her people.
(Musnad Ahmad, no. 24864, a hasan hadeeth)
Haleemah’s husband was Al-Hārith Ibn Abdul-‘Uzzā from the tribe of Saʿd Ibn Bakr [Ibn Hawāzin], so he was the Prophet’s (salallāhu ʿalaihi wasallam) foster father. Ibn Al-Jawzee stated: “She came to the Prophet (salallāhu ʿalaihi wasallam) after he received prophethood – she embraced Islam and gave her pledge, as did her husband.” (Sifatus-Safwah 1/62) May Allah be pleased wth them.
Abu Khadeejah ʿAbdul-Wāhid.
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