Life History of Prophet Muhammad PBUH : The Birth of Prophet Muhammad ﷺPBUH: Childhood & Early days (Bibi Halima of Banu Saad)

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

In the name of Allah the most beneficent, the most merciful.

Dear Brothers & Sisters, 

"السلام عليكم ورحمتہ اللہ وبرکاتہ"Assalamu Alaikum 

(May the blessings of Almighty and peace be upon you) 

The Birth of Prophet Muhammad ﷺPBUH: Childhood & Early days (Bibi Halima of Banu Saad) (Urdu)

اُنہوں نے اَپنے شوہر سے کَہا:

’’مجھے اِس بَات سے بُہت لاج آتی ہے کہ مَیں اَپنے نے ہَم جولِیوں کے سَاتھ خَالی ھاتھ واپس جاؤں۔ اَب مَیں اِس یَتیم بچّے کو ہی لےکر آتی ہوں۔ کیا خَبر خدا ھَمیں میں اِسی کے ذَریعے بَرکت عَطا فَرمائے۔‘‘

اِس کے بَعد وہ اُسی وَقت جنابہ آمنہ کے پاس گئیں اور اس مقدّس بچّے کو لےکر آگئیں۔ حلیمہ بُہت غَریب اور کَمزور عَورَت تھیں اُن کی چھاتِیوں میں اِتنا کَم دودھ ہوتا تھا کہ خود اُن کے بچّے کا پیٹ نہیں بَھرتا تَھا۔ جب وہ حُضور ﷺ کو لےکر آئیں تو اُنہوں نے اَپنی سوکھی ہُوئی چھاتی آپؐ کے مُنہ سے لگادی۔ مگر اس وَقت حلیمہ کی حَیرت کی کوئی اِنتہا نَہیں رَہی جَب اُنہوں نے دیکھا کہ ان کی چَھاتِیوں سے اِس قَدر دُودھ آرہا ہے کہ بچّہ کو دھسکہ لگنے کا ڈَر ہوتَا تھا۔ پِھر اور تَعجّب کی بات یہ تِھی کہ حُضُور ﷺ نے سیر ہوکر دُودھ پِیا اور اُس کے بَعد حلیمہ کے بچّے نے بِھی پیٹ بَھر کر پیا۔ حالانکہ ھمیشہ حلیمہ کے دُودھ سے ایک بچّہ کا پیٹ بِھی نَہیں بَھرتا تھا۔

پِھر حَلیمہ کے شوہَر اپنی اُونٹنی کا دُودھ دوہنے بیٹھے۔ اُن کی اُونٹنی بِھی بےحَد دُبلی اور کَمزور تھی۔ اِس لیے اُس کے تھنوں میں بِھی بُہت کَم دُودھ ہوتا تَھا مَگر اُنہیں حَیرانی ہورہی تِھی کہ اُونٹنی کے تَھن دُودھ سے بَھرے ہوئے ہیں۔ اُنہوں نے دُودھ دوھ لیا تو وہ اِتنا زِیادَہ تَھا کہ ان دونوں کے پینے کے بَعد بِھی بچ گیا۔ یہ دیکھ کر حلیمہ کے شوہر نے کہا۔

’

’’حلیمہ!تم تو خدا کی قسم! بُہت ہی مبارَک بچّہ لائی ہو۔ جَب سے ہَم بچّے کو لیکر آئے ہیں۔ ھماری غرِیبی اور تَکلِیف ایک دَم خَتم ہوگَئی ہے۔‘‘

اِس کے بَعد اناؤں کا قافلہ اَپنے گھروں کو روانہ ہُوا۔ حَلیمہ کی اُونٹنی چَلنے میں سب سے کَمزُور تِھی مَگر اس وَقت جَب وہ حُضور ﷺ کو گود میں لےکر سَوار ہوئیں تو وہ ایک دَم اِتنی تیز دوڑنے لَگی کہ سب سے آگے نِکل گئی۔ حَلیمہ کو اِس بَات پَر خود تو حَیرَت ہوہی رَہی تھی مَگر اُن کی ہَمجولِیوں کو اُن سے زِیادہ تَعجّب تھا۔ آخر اُن سے رَہا نَہیں گیا اور اُنہوں نے حَلیمہ سے پُوچھا:

’’حَلیمَہ! کیا وَہیں اونٹنی نہیں ہے؟ جَب تُم آئی تھیں تو یہ چَلنے میں بُہت سُست تِھی مَگر اَب تو وہ سب سے آگے جَارَہی ہے۔‘‘

گھر پہنچ کر حَلیمہ اور اُن کے شوہَر دیکھتے تھے کہ ہَرہَر بَات میں اُن پَر بَرکَتیں نَازِل ہو رَہی ہیں۔ یہ سَال خُشکی کا تَھا جَنگل سُوکھے پَڑے تھے اور سب جَانوَر بھوکے رَہنے کی وَجہ سے کَمزور ہوگئے تھے مَگر حَلیمَہ کے جَانوَروں پَر قحط کا کوئی اَثر نَہیں تَھا۔ اُن کی بَکرِیاں جَنگل سے پیٹ بَھر کر آتیں اور پِھر خُوب دُودھ دیتیں۔ جَب حلیمَہ آپ کو دُودھ پِلاتیں تو آپ صِرف ایک چھاتی کا دُودھ پیتے۔ اس سے حلیمہ نے سمجھ لیا کہ آپ دُوسری چھاتی کا دُودھ اُن کے بچّے کےلیے چھوڑ دیتے ہیں۔

The Birth of Prophet Muhammad ﷺPBUH: Childhood & Early days (Bibi Halima of Banu Saad)

Bibi Halima’s husband Harris (Harith) permitted to bring Prophet Muhammad ﷺPBUH the only child which was left in Makkah by the people of Banu Saad. Bibi Halima went to Abdullah’s house and met Abd ul Muttalib. Abd ul Muttalib enquired Bibi Halima as to who she was, she replied she is from the Banu Saad tribe and she came to know that there is a child which is left to be taken, Abd ul Muttalib informed Bibi Halima, the child is orphan, the father of the child is no more and because of leadership and management of the affairs of the Kaaba, all the earnings are spent in maintenance of the same. Abd ul Muttalib informed Bibi Halima, that he cannot afford to give her any salary for her services. Abd ul Muttalib however, informed Bibi Halima that the child is a blessing and he has never seen a child like him before. After taking permission from Abd ul Muttalib, Bibi Halima entered the room of Bibi Aminah and saw Prophet Muhammad ﷺPBUH wrapped in green cloth and was sleeping, Bibi Halima upon seeing the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ PBUH’s beauty and the smile on the face, thought how can she disturb such a beautiful child’s sleep and also she didn’t want to miss the countenance which she was witnessing. A glow of light was visible in the face of Prophet Muhammad ﷺPBUH, it was so attractive that Bibi Halima had never seen such beautiful and glowing face of a child ever in her life. Bibi Aminah said to Bibi Halima that if she wants to take away her son then, she must take extra care as her son (Prophet Muhammad ﷺPBUH) is born for some divine purpose. Bibi Halima accepted and took Prophet Muhammad ﷺPBUH in her arms and left the house of Abdullah.

Bibi Halima had come from her place to Makkah on a donkey, some scholars say she had come by camel. When Bibi Halima met her husband Harris outside the house of Abdullah, Harris upon seeing Prophet Muhammadﷺ PBUH in the arms Bibi Halima was very happy as now Bibi Halima is also having a suckling like other people of the tribe. Harris and Bibi Halima decided to depart for their home and Harris sat in the front of the camel and Bibi Halima along with Prophet Muhammadﷺ PBUH in her arms at the back, as it was the normal customs of travelling those days. When Harris started the ride, the camel didn’t move. Harris was surprised as they had come in the same camel, and now only the child (Prophet Muhammad ﷺPBUH) is added and the addition of an infant should not have any added weight upon the camel. Upon trying for some time, Harris decided he would walk alongside the camel and he came down and left only Halima and Prophet Muhammad ﷺPBUH to ride the camel. The camel now started to walk while Harris walked with the camel holding its lead rope. When they reached the outskirts of Makkah, Harris once again tried to ride the camel with Bibi Halima and Prophet Muhammad ﷺPBUH in the back, when he sat in front to ride the camel, again the camel didn’t move,. Harris was unable to understand the happening, he ran his thoughts deep down and informed Bibi Halima that it looks as if the creator/ master of this child does not permit him to be seated back, Harris suggested Bibi Halima to give the child in his arms and she alone sit at his back. When Harris took Prophet Muhammad ﷺPBUH in his arms, the camel started to move and in fact it started to run so fast that it overtook all the other riders of the tribe. People of Banu Saad upon seeing this were very surprised and were asking Bibi Halima “what happened Halima, you are going too fast, when we were coming to Makkah you were too slow and your camel could not even move, now it is too fast and overtaking us”,  to this Bibi Halima replied, that the ride is the same but the rider has changed.

The entire place of Saad was in famine, the flocks of Harris were weak enough that his she camel was not lactating and they were unable to feed their own children. Harris and Bibi Aminah had three children, Shema or Hudayfa, Unaysa or Aneesa and Abdullah they were all the foster sisters and brother of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ PBUH. Bibi Halima  was of the fear that she being so weak with no strength left in her and unable to feed her suckling son Abdullah, how could she manage with the feeding of another child (Prophet Muhammad ﷺ PBUH) she has now brought with her. When Harris and Bibi Halima reached Saad, Bibi Halima to her surprise felt herself more healthy and now she was able to feed both Prophet Muhammad ﷺ PBUH and her son Abdullah stomach full, it was a great surprise to Bibi Aminah as to how did this happen, she understood and remembered the words of Bibi Aminah and Abd ul Muttalib that the child Prophet Muhammad ﷺ PBUH, she brought with her is a blessing and because of his arrival, she had gained strength. The famine did not affect the family of Harris and their children. Harris found his she camel is lactating with full milk and the goats are also very strong with vigour, the entire family was healthy and happy, Harris eventually helped other people of the tribe and they all sustained the famine which was taking toll during that time.

House of Bibi Halima

Banu Saad a view of the Place

Banu Saad an overview of the moutain

Days went by and Harris was helping the people of his tribe with his camel milk and other resources which they were blessed with the coming of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ PBUH into their house. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ PBUH grew very fast when compared to other children in the tribe, when Prophet Muhammad ﷺ PBUH was 4 months old he spoke fluent Arabic, many would ask Bibi Halima the age of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ PBUH as he always looked older than other children of his age. When he was 02 years old, he looked like he is 06 years old. After completion of 02 years, the time of returning back the children to their mothers neared and Bibi Halima was saddened by this though that she had to return the blessed child Prophet Muhammad ﷺ PBUH, she was also of the fear that the blessings which came to her family along with the child will also go away if they return Prophet Muhammad ﷺ PBUH to his mother Bibi Aminah.

Continued…/-

What we Learnt / Guidance:

Bibi Amnah narrates that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ PBUH was selected to be born in the city of Makkah near Kaaba, as the Kaaba is for the entire humanity so is the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ PBUH a blessing for the entire humanity.

The name of the parents, foster mother of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ PBUH chosen by Allah (swt) is not a coincidence, it's like Allah (swt) has made all the arrangements for Prophet Muhammad ﷺ PBUH. Allah (swt) did not want any shirk (“associate some one other than Allah in worship”) names to be associated with Prophet Muhammad ﷺ PBUH. If we see the names  “Abdullah” meaning Servant of Allah “Aminah” meaning Peace, “Halima” meaning intelligence and midwife name “Shifa” means healer, all of these names cannot be a mere coincidence, it is Allah (swt) who has chosen these names even before the brith of Prophet Muhammad  ﷺ PBUH for them to be the parents, his foster mother and the one who will assist Bibi Aminah during the time of birth of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ PBUH. It is also understood here that when Allah (swt) takes care, Allah (swt) takes care in every perspective for his beloved. If one wants to become the beloved of Allah (swt) one must follow the path of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ PBUH and always seek refuge from Allah (swt).

If we analyse the name of Allah الله in Arabic, it has Shad in the third letter and not in the first letter, like wise if we see Muhammad مُحَمَّد, it also has Shad in the third letter and not in the first letter, meaning, Allah (swt) wanted the name of the Prophet Muhammad also to be in similar way as Allah (swt), such is the care and love Allah (swt) has for his beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ PBUH.

Abu Bakr Siddique (R.A) being a Quraish and also from Makkah narrates that sometimes he would not understand meanings of few of the words spoken by Prophet Muhammad ﷺ PBUH as those words were of original Arabic words. When Abu Bakr Siddique (R.A) asked Prophet Muhammad ﷺ PBUH about this, Prophet Muhammad PBUH said, “Abu Bakr why would not my language be original as Allah (swt) sent me to be born in Quraish tribe and I was brought up by the people of Saad during my early childhood days, if my language is not pure then whose language would be pure”. This account shows that the people of Saad and the other tribes living in the country side were more original to Arabic language than the other people of Makkah and Arab. Hence, the people of Makkah wanted their children to be taken care by the Banu Saad tribe in those days.

There were two super powers France and Rome during those times and the entire place was occupied by either France or Rome except for the place of Hijaaz now Saudi Arabia. Why this place was selected by Allah (swt) for the birth of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ PBUH, if we are to ponder into this, we learn that that Allah (swt) knew from this place the message of Islam will spread once the powerful nations and the nations adjoining Hijaaz accept Islam, the word of Allah (swt) will spread to the entire world. Likewise, it was seen that during the Khilaafat (rule) of Umar Ibn Khattab (R.A), Islam spread in far places like Spain, Europe, France, Rome in the west and up to Afghanistan in the east.

Every person in his own field will have different thoughts and will think in his own manner, accordingly the scholars of Islam think that the incident of Elephant happened in the same year when the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ PBUH was born. The three stones which the Abaabil birds carried what were they? they were from the stones from hell. Why did Allah (swt) made this type of stone in the same year is a matter of thought, earlier all the nations were destroyed by bring flood to a particular nation or by some other means but not like the one which happened in the year of elephants. When the brith of the prophet Muhammad was nearing the skies were guarded and when the Oracle were asking the Jinn to bring message from the sky so that they can convey the message to their people, the Jinn were not allowed to approach the sky and they were stopped from approaching the sky by throwing stones at them by the angels, what do we learn from this? These were the signs given by Allah (swt) to the people to do continuous research for development and also to save the human from any disaster. It is said one has to travel to learn and we see many quotes by many learned scholars in this regard. Knowledge in todays world has considerably evolved in such a way that these guidance were earlier shown to the mankind by Allah (swt) by means of divine revelation to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ PBUH  in Quran. All we need is to do research and equip ourselves to make a better world.

The people of Makkah were totally ignorant before the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ PBUH arrived. The signs of the birth of Prophet Muhammad PBUH were shown to the scholars of those times, no Prophet has ever been so far became the 'talk of town' before his arrival, it is not mere coincidence, if one looks into the incidents, one will understand that Allah (swt) has made the entire universe arrange itself in welcoming the Final Messenger of Allah (swt), Prophet Muhammad ﷺ PBUH.