Who are the breastfeeders of the Prophet?
Submitted by on Sun, 13/12/2009 - 23:31
Dear Brother / Sister,
The three dear women who breastfed the Prophet are as follows:
1. Thuwayba:
Thuwayba who was the slave of Abu Lahab nursed our Prophet along with her son, Masruh. Thuwayba also nursed Abu Salama and Hamza, who was an uncle of our Prophet. That nursing happened before the nursing of Halima Sadiya. (Ibn Sad, Tabaqat, 1/108; Ansab, 1/42)
When our Prophet was in Makkah, He visited Thuwayba, inquired after her health and helped her. After the Prophet immigrated to Madinah, he continued his care of her and sent clothes to her. Khadijah wanted to set this woman free by buying her from Abu Lahab but he did not want to sell her at first, he himself set her free afterwards. (Tabaqat, 1/108)
When our Prophet returned from the fight of Khyber, she had passed away. Her son, Masruh, died before his mother.
2. Halima Sadiya:
Halima, the daughter of Abu Zuayb (may Allah be pleased with him), is from the Sa’d family. Her husband is Abdul- uzza, the son of Harith. She nursed our Prophet along with her son, Abdullah. Halima bint Abu Zuayd also had two daughters called Judama (Shayma) and Unaysa. Since they were older than Abdullah, they cared for the Prophet (pbuh). (Tabaqat, 1/108-110)
The Prophet stayed in the city where Halima lived till he was four. After his marriage to Khadija, that respectable woman came to visit our Prophet. When she talked about the drought and famine in her hometown, Khadija made her pleased by giving her forty sheep and a camel as a gift. That respectable foster mother was buried in the cemetery of Baqi in Madinah.
3. Umm Ayman:
Imam Suyuti reports that this respectable woman whose name is Barakah is one of the breastfeeders of our Prophet. (al-Hawi li’l-fatawi, 2/389)
Ummu Ayman was one of the slaves of the father of Messenger of Allah (pbuh). He set her free when he married Khadija. When the Master of the Universe (pbuh) talked about her, he said “She is the woman who was a mother to me after my mother (whom I loved as much as my mother)”. One day when the Prophet said, “whoever wants to marry a woman of Paradise should marry Umm Ayman”, Zayd bin Haritha married her immediately. Usama bin Zayd was born out of that marriage.
Questions on Islam
- Can you give some information about the children of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)?
- Does martyrdom eliminate major sins as kaffarah (atonement)?
- The Prophet is Taken to his Mother
- Halima (r.anha)
- Who is the first wet-nurse of the Prophet (pbuh)?
- How many years did the Prophet (pbuh) stay with his mother after he returned from Madinah; and did he visit his father's grave during this period?
- The Prophet is Given to a Foster Mother
- How old was the Prophet (pbuh) when he left his wet nurse? Did he meet his wet-nurse and foster sister after that?
- How was Zayd bin Haritha sold as a slave, was put under the protection of the Prophet (pbuh), was freed by the Prophet and was adopted by the Prophet (pbuh)?
- Why was the Prophet (pbuh) delivered to a wet-nurse? What were the extraordinary incidents that took place while the Prophet (pbuh) stayed with the wet-nurse?
