Our Prophet (pbuh) started his test as soon as he opened his eyes to this worldly life, and in the following period, he lost his relatives and became an orphan. The process of losing his relatives, including his father, mother, grandfather, uncle and wife deeply saddened him. While Allah Almighty tested him with his relatives, He also rewarded him with those who were close to him. Hz. Muhammad established bonds of love with many of his companions who were mothers to him. In our previous article, we discussed his nanny Ummu Ayman. In this article, we will discuss his wet nurse Hazrat Halima (ra) .
Who is Hazrat Halima (ra)?
Hz. Halima (ra), known as Umm Kabesha or Halie as-Sa’diyya, was from the Sa’d ibn Bakr branch of the Ha’zin tribe. She was the wet nurse of our Prophet. Her husband was Harith ibn Abuluzza. She had 3 children, Abdullah, Üneyse and Şeyma, who were also the wet siblings of our Prophet (pbuh) . She, her husband and her children also converted to Islam.
During the Meccan period, children were given to Bedouin tribes to grow up in the healthy air of the desert and to learn fluent Arabic. Bedouin women who worked as wet nurses would compete with each other to take the children of families with higher incomes. During a time of famine, when Hz. Halima (ra) went to Mecca with some women, she could not find a child to wet nurse. Finally, she took Hz. Muhammad (pbuh), whom she did not want to take because he was an orphan, and took him in.
At first, she avoided looking after the child because he was an orphan, and he stayed with her until he was 5 years old. During this time, Hz. Halima witnessed many miraculous events and later saw the prophethood of our Prophet (pbuh). Although it is not known when after prophethood, it is known that Hz. Halima (ra) and her husband became Muslims. Our Prophet’s (pbuh) other foster siblings Abdullah, Üneyşe and Şeyma also became Muslims. Although it is not known exactly when Hz. Halima (ra) died, it is thought that she died after prophethood, before the conquest of Mecca.
Hazrat Halima (ra) as a Wet Nurse
Due to the absence of a father, Hz. Halima (ra) was reluctant to take the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) at first. When Abdulmuttalib came to Hz. Halima (ra) and asked her to take Hz. Muhammad (pbuh) and wet nurse him, Hz. Halima (ra) consulted her husband. Thanks to her husband, who said , “There is no harm in taking him. Perhaps we will attain blessings through him,” Hz. Halima (ra) accepted the Prophet (pbuh). Hz. Halima (ra) started to breastfeed the Prophet (pbuh) along with her own son, and her milk, which was not even enough for her son before, became blessed when she started breastfeeding the Prophet (pbuh). Hz. Halima (ra)’s house, which was poor when she took the Prophet (pbuh), was also blessed. Even the milk of the camels in their house became blessed. Halima’s husband, Harith b. Abuluzza, said, “O Halima, know that you have taken a blessed and auspicious child.” He said. While everyone else’s animals were starving during the famine of that time, Halime’s animals came home well fed. They were both very happy and thankful that this orphan child had brought abundance and prosperity to their home .
When the Messenger of Allah grew older, it was time for him to be weaned. Hazrat Halima (ra) wanted him to stay with her a little longer. At that time, due to the plague that broke out in Mecca, our mother Amina wanted Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) to stay there a little longer. Halima was very happy about this and was grateful that this child was a blessing in their home . She raised him with her own children and wrapped him in motherly affection.
Despite the years that passed, our Prophet (pbuh) did not forget his wet nurse, and even when he grew up and got married, he did not neglect to visit her. When the Prophet (pbuh) saw her, he called her “Mother” and showed her respect. He would immediately put his extra clothes under her if necessary and ask her if she needed anything. One day, when Hazrat Halima (ra) came to visit our Prophet (pbuh), she told him that there was a famine in her region and that the animals were dying of disease. Although our Prophet (pbuh) had nothing to give her, Hazrat Khadija (ra) could not bring herself to send the Messenger of Allah’s wet nurse away empty-handed. Hazrat Khadija (ra) gave Hazrat Halima (ra) forty sheep and a camel, ensuring that she returned home happily.
The process during which Hazrat Halima (ra) was the wet nurse of our Prophet (pbuh) shows us that things do not always go as we expect in our lives. There may be good behind what we think is bad, and evil behind what we think is good. Hazrat Halima (ra) listened to her husband, took refuge in Allah, and despite being poor and having little milk, she took care of an orphan child. It should not be forgotten that Allah does not leave any good deed unrewarded. May Allah be pleased with her, and may Hazrat Halima’s life be an example to us.