‘Abdullah bin ‘Abd ul-Muttalib was his father’s favourite son. At the age of eighteen he married Aāmina bint Wahb bin ‘Abd Munāf bin Zuhra bin Kilāb who was the most noble and eligible woman of the Quraysh at the time. When they consummated the marriage she became pregnant with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. Following the pregnancy ‘Abdullah only remained alive for two months. He was buried in Madīna close to his maternal uncles’ homes, the Banū ‘Adī bin an-Najjār. He had travelled to ash-Shām for a business trip but on his return he passed away.
When Aāmina’s pregnancy was due she gave birth to a boy. The universe was illuminated with this noble birth. It was as though a soul had finally been blown into all four corners of the inhabited world. His birth marked the completion of the chapter of Divine morality. The late astronomer, Maḥmūd Bāshā al-Falaki, calculated this event to have coincided with the early morning of Monday 9th of Rabī’ al-Awwal, corresponding to the 20th of April 571CE, and in the first year of The Year of the Elephant[1].
His blessed birth was in the house of Abū Ṭālib in the enclave of the Banū Hāshim. His midwife was ash-Shifāa Umm ‘Abd ar-Raḥmān bin ‘Awf. When he was born his mother sent the blessed news to his grandfather who was delighted in receiving it and he named him Muhammad. This name was not popular amongst the Arabs before this but Allah Almighty wanted to manifest what He had ordained in the books and scriptures revealed to the prophets of the past; books such as at-Tawrāh and al-Injīl. So He, the Most-High, inspired his grandfather to name him such that His command may be delivered. His nursemaid was the Ethiopian Umm Ayman Barakah, the slave girl of ‘Abdullah. The first who suckled him was Thuwayba, the slave girl of his uncle Abū Lahab.
His Suckling
It was the custom of the Arabs to seek out rural wet nurses to suckle their young to ensure a healthy upbringing. They used to say that the one nurtured in the city is slow and obtuse. So the women of Banū Sa’d bin Bikr came looking for children to suckle. The Blessed New Born, peace and blessings be upon him, was the destiny of Ḥalīma bint Abī Dhuayb as-Sa’dīya whose husband was Abū Kabsha. This is who the Quraysh would relate the Messenger of Allah to when they intended to tease him. They would say: “Here comes the son of Abū Kabsha who talks about the heavens!” Blessings flowed upon this household whilst he, peace and blessings be upon him, remained suckling with them. They nurtured him until he was four years old.[2]
[1] A famous event that took place in Makkah. As was the custom of the Arabs they would calculate their dates in relation to significant events that took place in their history. The blessed Qurān has mentioned this event in the Chapter of the Elephant (al-Fīl, Chapter 105). In short, there was an Ethiopian King who conquered Yemen and then intended to advance towards Makkah with the aim of destroying the Ka’ba. His army was led by a mighty elephant the likes of which had never been seen by the Arabs. So as an honorary for the Awaited Prophet and the honour of His House, Allah Almighty caused their attack to end in confusion, sending down upon them birds in flocks, and casting against them stones of baked clay and so rendering them like eaten straw. Thus the Quraysh were relieved of the potential hardships they faced.
[2] as-Sīra al-Ḥalabīya
Beacon of Certainty 