Rasoolullah (SAW) was initially nursed by his mother and Umm Ayman whose name is Baraka. Umm Ayman is an Abysinian woman who lived in Mecca and later became Muslim. Zaid bu Harisa, the emancipated slave of Rasoolullah (SAW), married her.

There was a tradition among the urban Arabs to send their children to grow up in the desert. They used to believe that the desert is more pure, is a cleaner environment and is healthier to grow in. They realized that city is not a good environment to bring up their children, especially with Mecca because it received lot of visitors from all over Arabia. They could bring with them different diseases and germs into town. The desert is pure, hot and dry which makes it unsuitable environment for the growth of bacteria. They also believe that it would strengthen their character due to harshness of the desert.

Rasoolullah (SAW) was also sent to the desert. Haleema Saad (r) narrates the story. She says that she came to Mecca with her friends so that they could take with them children to nurse or adopt. For them, this was something they were paid for. That particular year was the year of famine and people were very poor.

She and her friends went around the house of Mecca searching for children who need to be nursed. Muhammed (SAW) was presented to each and every one of them and they all declined to accept him because he was an orphan. They were saying “What good is an orphan? Who will pay us if his father is dead?” The practice during those days was not to agree on a certain amount of money. What they would do is, they would nurse the child for which they would be given some financial compensation as a gift. Since Muhammed (SAW) was an orphan, no one would accept him since he did not have a father to pay for him and his mother may not be able to pay what they were expecting.  

Haleema says at the end of the day all of her friends were going back to the camps with children accept herself. She found no one to take with her. So at night she told her husband, “I am going tomorrow morning to accept that child called Muhammed since we have no one else. I am not going home empty handed.” Her husband agreed and went next day morning to meet Muhammed’s (SAW) mother, Amina binth Wahab. She accepted the child to take with her.

Haleem says. “The night before, we couldn’t get any sleep because our camel was not providing any milk and because of the famine and the hunger. I wasn’t able to provide my own child with milk. So he would cry throughout the night keeping us awake. As soon as I picked up Muhammed (SAW) and took him back to my camp, my breast immediately welcomed and provided him with all the milk that he needed until he was satisfied. The milk was enough for my son. That was the first night that we were able to have good sleep.” So immediately the barakah of Rasoolullah (SAW) was apparent.

She says her husband went out to milk the camel and it was providing so much milk that he came back and said, “Oh Haleema, you have brought us a blessed soul. There is something going on. All of this blessing is showering us since you brought this young child in our house”

They started back to the desert with Muhammed (SAW).

Haleema says, “When we were coming back to Mecca, I was riding a donkey that was so old and weak, it was slowing down the whole group and it was annoying everybody else. However, while going back, my donkey was the fastest among the group. My friends started asking – is this the same donkey that you brought with you when you came back to Mecca? And I said that’s true. They said – by Allah, some thing is going on”.

Now they were back to their land.

Haleema said, “Me and my husband send out our goats to graze. They would come back full and we would milk them whenever we want while every other animal in our tribe would be hungry and provide no milk.” People started to complain to the Sheppard telling why don’t they go and graze the animal the same place where Halima is grazing hers. They would take their animals following Haleema’s to the same place, yet Haleema’s would come back full and others would come back empty.

She says the child was growing up and we would see the blessings of Allah on all of us because of him - “And God went on blessing us this way and we recognized it”.

When Rasoolullah (SAW) reached two years of age, he was already growing as a fine boy unlike other children. “I swear by the age of two, he was a sturdy boy so we took him to his mother.” - Now, its time to return the child.

They went to Mecca and told Amina, “ We want to keep Muhammed with us. You know its not good for him to be in Mecca and it might be dangerous” They were bringing up all kind of excuses. They wanted to keep Muhammed (SAW); they loved him so much; they knew he is blessed; they kept on trying and trying until Amina agreed.

So they took him back with him. One day Muhammed (SAW) was playing with his foster brother.

His foster brother came in rushing and said, “My brother from Quraish!”

They asked, “What happened to him?”

“Two men dressed in white came down and knocked him to the ground and then they opened up his abdomen.”

Haleema and her husband went rushing to see Muhammed (SAW). His color was pale and they asked him what happened?

He said, “Two men came and they opened my chest. They took out something from it.”

Haleema loved Muhammed (SAW) so much that she didn’t want anything to harm him; especially when he is with her. She rushed back to Mecca to see Amina and said, “Here is Muhammed and now you can have him. We have fulfilled our responsibility”.

Amina said, “How come you are bringing him back when you are so interested in keeping him.”

They did not reply. She insisted, “Tell me what happened. You were so insistent on keeping him and now you want to keep him. What happened?”

She kept on asking question until they eventually told her what happened.

Amina responded, “Are you afraid for him that Satan might hurt him? By Allah, that will not happen. When I was pregnant with him, it was the lightest pregnancy. When I delivered him, his birth was unlike any other child. When he came out, I have seen light that reaching to Sham. So the protection of Allah is with him and I am sure he will have a great future.”

Rasoolullah (SAW) is now with his mother. His mother passed away at the age of six. He is alone loosing his father and mother. His grand father, Abdul Muthalib, adopted and raised him up. Abdul Muthalib passed away when Muhammed (SAW) was at the age of eight. He was then take care of by his uncle Abu Thalib; who protected, helped and supported him for the next forty years of the life of Prophet Muhammed (SAW).

Few events before Prophethood

Rasoolullah (SAW) was protected by Allah (SAW). He would not commit sins which were usual and normal amongst his people. Allah (SWT) was keeping him away from these sins.

Rasoolullah (SAW) narrates an example of this, “I was a shepherd and one day I told my friend, who was also a shepherd with me, that tonight I want to go in to Mecca to attend the parties my peers attend.” He was a young man at that time and all of his friends would attend parties, except him. He was the only one who would not join them. “I told my fried to take care of my flock until I returned and he agreed”.

Rasoolullah (SAW) says, “I went into Mecca and arrived at the place where the party was going on. As soon as I was hearing the music, Allah (SWT) struck my ears and I fell down asleep. By the time I woke up, the party was over.”

He said, “The next day, I decided to attend another party. I had same arrangement with my friend and went into Mecca again. As soon as I reached the place and started hearing the music, Allah (SWT) struck my ears again and I fell down asleep. When I woke up after the party is over, I realized that this is a sign to me from Allah (SWT).”

Another example mentioned by Zaid bin Haarisa, who was the servant of Rasoolullah (SAW). He says, “There was a brass idol called isaaf-al-naaila which the polytheists would touch as they performed tawaaf. The messenger of Allah said – don’t touch it.” How Rasoolullah (SAW) know not to touch it? It was hidayah coming from Allah (SWT). “So as we would go around the Kaaba, I would touch it to see what would happen. When I did so, Messenger of Allah asks me – were you not forbidden to do that? The Messenger of Allah never saluted an idol up to when Allah, the Almighty honored him and he gave him the revelation.”

Rasoolullah (SAW) never worshipped an idol nor did his family. Ali bin Abi Talib who grew up in his household never made sujood to an idol. He never worshipped idols because he brought up the Messenger.

Allah (SWT) was guiding Rasoolullah (SAW) towards some ibaadat that nobody knew about.  During Hajj, Quraish was the only people who would not participate in the day of Arafa because Arafa was considered out of al-Haram and they thought they don’t need to go to Arafa as they are already inside the boundary of al-Haram. They would stop at the borders of Arafa. Al Mutha’m buin Jubair, once lost his camel during the time of Haj and he went out looking for it. He ended searching for his camel in Arafa. To his amazement, he find Muhammed (SAW) there. Al Jubair said, “isn’t he from among the people of Quraish? What is he doing in Arafa?” Allah (SWT) was guiding Muhammed (SWT) by fitra to go to Arafa during the time of Hajj.

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