Halimah, a milk-mother of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) drank the breast milk of three women in his childhood, who are Ameenah (his biological mother), Thuwaibah and Halimah. The last woman who breastfed the Prophet (PBUH) was Halimah as-Sadiyah (RA). In those days, it was a custom of Arab people to send their infants to the open desert climate so that the child's intellect and physical structure in the open desert climate would become strong and well-developed, and they could learn pure Arabic from early childhood. Therefore, Abdul Muttalib, the honourable grandfather of infant Muhammad (PBUH), was searching for a wet nurse for his nephew. At that time, a wet nurse named Halimah from the Banu Sa'd tribe arrived in Makkah. Halimah came to the house of Ameenah but did not want to take Muhammad (PBUH), fearing that she would not receive a sufficient reward because Muhammad (PBUH) was an orphaned child. But when she did not find any other child, she decided to accept this blessed orphan rather than return empty-handed.
Mother Halima’s husband’s name was Harith. He took the responsibility of nursing Muhammad (PBUH). In the noble family of Halima and Harith, Abdullah bin Harith was the foster-brother of our beloved Prophet (PBUH), and Anisa bint Harith and Hujafa, or Juzama bint Harith (who was more commonly known and recognised as Shima or Shayma), were foster-sisters of the prophet (PBUH). Shima used to carry Muhammad (PBUH) in her arms during his childhood. During this time, Halimah Sa'diyah (RA) witnessed immense blessings manifesting from Muhammad (PBUH) that left her utterly amazed. After arriving home with the infant Muhammad (PBUH), they witnessed a miracle when Halimah’s dry breasts, which could not previously satisfy her own crying baby suddenly overflowed with milk  after taking Muhammad (PBUH). Then, both babies, Muhammad (PBUH) and the baby of Halimah, were fully satisfied. On the first night, their old, emaciated she-camel – which had not yielded a single drop of milk – was miraculously filled to capacity. Goats and sheep of Halima’s family would return from the barren pastures with full bellies, with their udders overflowing with milk, while their neighbours' livestock returned starved and dry. These continuous blessings clearly showed the couple that the orphaned infant had brought an extraordinary divine grace into their household.

Although the initial fostering agreement was for two years, Muhammad (PBUH) spent about five to six years in total under the maternal care of Halima as-Sa'diyyah and her family in the desert. After completing these initial two years of breast-feeding, Halimah returned the boy Muhammad (PBUH) to his biological mother, Ameenah. Then, Muhammad (PBUH) stayed in Makkah with his mother only for a few days. As Halimah and her family members experienced immense prosperity, divine abundance, and blessings that transformed their lives during these first two years of breast-feeding, she earnestly pleaded with Ameenah to let him return to the desert, mentioning the unhealthy weather or plagues of Makkah. Thereupon, Ameenah consented to the request of Halimah, recognising her deep affection, and the young Prophet (PBUH) returned to Banu Sa'd for another three years. The miraculous event of Shaqq al-Sadr took place during this extended second period with Halima.
Anas Ibn Malik reported that Gabriel came to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) while he was playing with his playmates. He took hold of him and laid him prostrate on the ground and tore open his breast and took out the heart from it and then extracted a blood clot out of it and said, “That was the part of Satan in thee.” And then he washed it with the water of Zamzam in a golden basin, and then it was joined together and restored to its place. The boys came running to his mother and said, “Verily, Muhammad (PBUH) has been murdered”. They all rushed towards him (and found him all right). “His colour was changed”, Anas said. “I myself saw the marks of a needle on his breast” (Sahih Muslim: 162). This hadith confirms that the Shaqq as-Sadr (the splitting/opening of the chest) occurred precisely while the Prophet (PBUH) was still residing with Halima. Witnessing the supernatural event, Halima became deeply anxious about the physical safety of Muhammad (PBUH). Shortly after, she decided to return the young Prophet (PBUH) safely to his mother, Aminah, in Makkah permanently.
Both Halimah as-Sa’diyah and her husband, Harith, accepted Islam shortly after the Prophet (PBUH) got his first revelation. It is also narrated that Halimah's biological children also accepted Islam and are counted among the companions of the Prophet (PBUH). She passed away peacefully in Madinah during her old age and was buried in Jannah al-Baqi, the first and famous Islamic cemetery in Medina.

The writer is Khatib, Baitus Shafiq Mosque, and Principal at Baitul Hikmah Academy, Gazipur