Prophet Muhammed (ﷺ) – A Son Like No Other

*_Relation with Sayyida Haleemah bint Abi Dhuaib al-Sadiyyah ؓ _*

It is a well-known fact that Sayyida Haleemah Sadiyyah ؓ was that lucky and noble lady who had the opportunity to take care of Prophet Muhammed ﷺ right from his infancy till he attained the age of six. 

The Arab culture during the Prophetic era, kept a foster-mother in the same standing as one’s biological mother. History and hadiths show how our beloved Prophet Muhammed ﷺ held fast to this custom, and dealt with Sayyida Haleemah Sadiyyah ؓ with utmost compassion later in his life as well. Let’s go through such incidents.

Once Sayyida Haleemah came to the Prophet ﷺ, after his marriage to Sayyida Khadija ؓ . He was around twenty five years old then. Sayyida Haleemah ؓ , the foster-mother of our Prophet ﷺ complained about how tough situations were in her place, how their lands had become barren, and how their cattle started dying off at a quick pace. Upon hearing this news of affliction, the holy Prophet Muhammed ﷺ spoke to Sayyida Khadija ؓ, who was quite a wealthy, prestigious and pious lady, and Sayyida Khadija  ؓ gifted Sayyida Haleemah ؓ forty sheeps and camels. (Reference: Tabqaat by Ibn Sa’ad ؒ, d. 845 AD)

Yet again later in the noble life of Prophet Muhammed ﷺ we find him helping his foster mother. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was around sixty years old, and he had been to Makkah to perform pilgrimage, he was in the place called Ji’rana (about 30 kilometers far from Kaba, as per contemporary route) where he ﷺ was distributing meat to the poor people. Suddenly, there came a lady into the midst. When Prophet Muhammed ﷺ saw her, he immediately stopped what he was doing, removed his outer coat/shawl, spread it on the ground so that she could sit comfortably. 

Sayyiduna Abu Tufail ؓ, a young sahabi then, watched this happen as it occurred, in amazement. He asked someone who that lady was, for whom the Prophet ﷺ had shown such a respect. They replied: “She is his ﷺ milk-mother.” (Reference: Sunan Abu Dawood ؒ, Al-Adab al-Mufrad by Imam Bukhari ؒ)

This was not it. A similar reverence was shown by our Prophet ﷺ to Sayyida Haleemah Sadiyyah ؒ and her family too, when they visited him ﷺ. Once Sayyida Haleemah’s ؒ husband Al-Haarith came to meet the Prophet ﷺ; he removed his shawl/outer coat and placed it on the ground to make a seat for his foster-father and himself. When Sayyida Haleemah Sadiyyah ؓ herself came at the location, the Prophet ﷺ spread the other side of the shawl to accommodate her as well. Then came their son, the milk-brother of the Prophet ﷺ. Do you know what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did? He ﷺ stood up, offered his own place to his foster-brother, and himself sat on the dust/floor. (Reference: Sunan Abu Dawood ؒ, Dalail al-Nabuwway by Imam Bayhaqi ؒ, d. 1066 AD)

This was the deep gratitude and sonship which Prophet Muhammed ﷺ had to offer to his foster-parents, despite reaching the pinnacle and occupying an apex social position in the entirety of Arabia. 

*Prophet Muhammed ﷺ - A Son Like No Other*

*_Part 1 - Relation with Sayyida Fatima bint Asad ؓ _*

According to some Islamic scholars, Prophet Muhammed’s ﷺ father Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abdul Muttalib ؓ passed away in Madinah three months before our Noble Prophet ﷺ was born. Moreover, his mother Sayyida Aminah bint Wahb ؓ left this world in Abwa when he was just six years old. 

Though our beloved ﷺ hardly spent time with his parents, yet he demonstrated the best of the characters to his foster mothers, father and brothers. In this series of articles, we’ll take a look at how Prophet Muhammed ﷺ lived with his caretaker relatives, and how he returned their favor with utmost love, and affection with lifelong care.

*Sayyida Fatima bint Asad ؓ:* She was the Prophet Muhammed’s ﷺ aunt, the mother of Sayyiduna Ali ؓ and wife of Sayyiduna Abu Talib ؓ. She used to take great care of Rasoolullah ﷺ. She is that noble lady who took care of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah ﷺ for the longest duration. Though her own house was at times afflicted with financial crisis, she always ensured that she separated food for our beloved ﷺ before serving it to her seven children, and ensured our noble Messenger ﷺ ate adequately. In return, Prophet Muhammed ﷺ named one of his daughters, the Queen of Jannah - Sayyida Fatima bint Muhammed ؓ after his beloved aunt, and when the time for his daughter’s wedding, he ﷺ opted Sayyiduna Ali ؓ as the befitting groom for her, the son of this very foster mother – Sayyida Fatima bint Asad ؓ . *That was the love & dedication!*

When Sayyida Fatima bint Asad ؓ passed away, Prophet Muhammed ﷺ is quoted to have said: “O my mother, may Allah shower on you His mercy. You were my mother after my mother, you remained hungry to keep me fed, you wore old clothes to see me in new attires, you passed every goodness in my favor, and you never did these other than for the sake of Allah and the life hereafter.” 

Then Prophet Muhammed ﷺ prayed to Allah: “O Allah! O the one who gives and takes life! O the infinite and undying, forgive my mother Fatimah, the daughter of Asad ؓ, and widen her final resting place! This I ask you through your Prophet ﷺ (himself) and all previous Prophets, O Most Merciful and Compassionate. (1)

When Sayyida Fatima bint Asad’s ؓ body was being prepared for the funeral rites, Sayyiduna Rasoolullah ﷺ offered one of his garments for her as a buriual shroud (2), and when he ﷺ lead the funeral prayers, he ﷺ performed seventy takbirs (takbir means to say Allahu Akbar) which was an exception for her.

The Prophet ﷺ did something else which stunned people during the burial. He ﷺ laid down in Sayyida Fatima bint Asad’s ؓ grave, shedding tears and whispering prayers. When Prophet Muhammed ﷺ came back to the surface, his eyes were still full with tears, while the grave’s mud streaked through his beautiful cheeks. To commence the process of filling the grave, Prophet Muhammed ﷺ took a handful of earth and poured it inside – bidding farewell to his beloved “mother after his own mother.”

Later on, Prophet Muhammed ﷺ told this about her dear aunt ؓ : “I tell you truly, Jibraeel ؑ has informed me from my Lord that she is one of those set to enter paradise. He also told me that Allah ﷻ has ordered seventy thousand angels to hold their own funeral prayer over her (3).

*References:*

1. Narrated by Sayyiduna Anas, book Hilyat Awliya by Imam Abu Nuaim Isfahani (d. 1038 AD)

2. Narrated by Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas, books Marifat al-Sahaba by Imam Abu Nuaim Isfahani, Mujam Awsat by Imam Tabarani (d. 918 AD)

3. Narrated by Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib in Mustadrak by Imam Haakim (d. 1012 AD), narrated by Sayyiduna Anas in Hilyat Awliya by Imam Abu Nuaim Isfahani

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