A significant event occurred whilst he, peace and blessings be upon him, was amongst the family of Ḥalīma bint Abī Dhuayb as-Sa’dīya. This event was the opening of his blessed chest and the removal of the Ḥazz ash-Shaytān [1] from him. This gave Ḥalīma a tremendous fright and she returned him to his mother giving her the following account: whilst he and his brothers were in the grazing lands behind our homes, one of his brothers came rushing to me. He said to me and his father, “Two men wearing white have taken hold of our Qurayshi brother. They laid him out and slit open his abdomen and began searching inside.” I and my husband ran out to him and found him off-colour. I and my husband took hold of him and questioned: “What happened to you son?” And he, peace and blessings be upon him, replied, “Two men dressed in white came to me and one questioned the other saying, “Is he the one?” His companion replied, “Yes.” They took hold of me, lay me down and cut open my body searching for something. They found it and threw it away. I don’t know what it was?” [2]
Death of Aāmina and his guardianship
His mother Aāmina then took sole custody of him. She took him to visit his father’s uncles, the Banū ‘Adī bin an-Najjār, in al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah and on the return journey she passed away at al-Abwāa. Upon her death Umm Ayman nursed him and he was in the guardianship of his grandfather ‘Abd al-Muttalib. ‘Abd al-Muttalib cared for his blessed grandchild more than all his other grandchildren as he was fully aware of the signs that indicated the potential in his future. He greatly respected him.
When the Messenger of Allah was eight ‘Abd al-Muttalib also passed away so the Messenger of Allah’s paternal uncle Abū Tālib took over his blessed guardianship. He was extremely compassionate towards his nephew and earnest in all his matters. Abū Tālib was poverty-stricken however Allah Almighty greatly blessed the little he had.
During this period of his life the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, was exemplarily content and according to the observations of his nursemaid Umm Ayman he was distant from the nonsense of other children of his age. At meal times others would forcefully snatch at the food whereas he would be satisfied with what would easily come his way.
[1] Literally Satanic portion – which is said to be naturally found in every human.
[2] Reported by ‘Abdullah bin Ahmad in Zawāid al-Musnad. The reporters in the chain are all strong as authenticated by Ibn Ḥabbān. It is also taken by al-Ḥākim and Ibn ‘Asākir, all on the authority of Mu’ādh bin Muḥammad bin Mu’āz bin Ubayy bin Ka’b from his father and grandfather, from Abū Hurraira from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. al-Haythamī has mentioned it in Majma’ az-Zawāid [v.8 p.223].
Beacon of Certainty 