Table of Contents
The Practice of Sending Children to the Desert
In the society of Makkah, noble families commonly sent their newborns to be nursed in the desert by Bedouin wet nurses. They believed that the desert climate was healthier than the crowded city, that the children would grow strong and resilient, and that they would learn pure and eloquent Arabic from the tribes who lived away from the markets and foreign influences of Makkah. For the people of Quraysh, this was a sign of honor and good upbringing.
The Prophet ﷺ was not an exception to this custom. Although he was an orphan, his family still desired for him the best possible upbringing, and Allah arranged for him a special place and a special woman to nurse and care for him, whose name was Halimah bint Abi Dhu’ayb as Sa’diyyah, from the tribe of Banu Sa’d.
Who Was Halimah as Sa‘diyyah?
Halimah as Sa’diyyah belonged to the Bedouin tribe of Banu Sa’d bin Bakr. They were known for the purity of their language and their simple, tough lifestyle in the desert near Makkah. Halimah was married to al Harith ibn ‘Abd al ‘Uzza, also known as Abu Kabshah, and they had their own small children. They were very poor at the time of her journey to Makkah, and the land was suffering from drought and hardship.
Allah chose Halimah for a special honor. She became the milk mother of the Prophet ﷺ, and through this, she and her family experienced blessings that they themselves later testified to in detail. Through her, we have one of the most touching early accounts of the life of the Prophet ﷺ as a baby.
The Journey to Makkah in a Time of Hardship
The famous hadith collections of Seerah and the works of scholars such as Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Hisham, and later Ibn Kathir, describe how Halimah left her desert home with a group of women from Banu Sa’d. Their purpose was to find newborns from wealthy families in Makkah whose parents would pay them to nurse and raise their children for the first few years.
Halimah herself narrated, as reported in Seerah works:
قالت حليمة السعدية: "خرجتُ من بلدي في نسوةٍ من بني سعد بن بكر نلتمس الرضعاء على أتانٍ لي قمراءَ ومعنا شارفٌ لنا، والله ما تبض بقطرة…"
“Halimah as Sa’diyyah said: ‘I went out from my land in the company of women from Banu Sa’d ibn Bakr, seeking infants to nurse. I was on a grey donkey of mine, and we had with us an old she-camel. By Allah, it did not give a single drop of milk…’”
Her story describes a powerful scene. Their animals were so weak from lack of food that they could hardly move. Her own baby cried from hunger, because there was not enough milk. The she camel they had brought, which should have given milk, was dry. Their journey to Makkah was slow and painful, and the other women complained about the pace of Halimah’s mount.
This difficult situation makes what happened next stand out even more clearly as a sign of Allah’s care for His beloved Prophet ﷺ.
The Initial Refusal and the Unique Choice
When the women from Banu Sa’d reached Makkah, the families of Quraysh began to offer them newborns to nurse. Each woman hoped to receive a child from a wealthy, influential family so that she would be given good payment and gifts in return.
The Prophet ﷺ had been born without a living father, and the people of Makkah knew that his father, Abdullah, had died before his birth. When the women heard that he was an orphan, they turned away from him. In their minds, an orphan could not offer them the same financial return as a child whose father was alive and able to spend generously.
Halimah herself did the same at first. She narrated:
"فعُرِض علينا رسول الله ﷺ، فأبيناه، لما علمنا أنه يتيم، وقلنا: ما عسى أن تصنع أمه وجده؟"
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was offered to us, but we refused him when we learned that he was an orphan. We said: ‘What can his mother and grandfather possibly do for us?’”
One by one, the women from Banu Sa’d found children to nurse. Only Halimah was left without a child. Every other baby had been taken, except Muhammad ﷺ. Halimah then consulted with her husband. She did not want to return empty handed, and she felt it would be shameful to go back with no infant at all.
She said to her husband something to the effect of: “I do not like to return with my companions while they all have nurslings and I have none. I will go to that orphan boy and take him.” Her husband encouraged her, saying, as reported in the Seerah:
"قال لي أبو كَبْشَةَ: خُذِيه، فَعَسَى الله أن يجعل فيه لنا بركة."
“Abu Kabshah said to me: ‘Take him, perhaps Allah will place blessings for us in him.’”
Halimah took the Prophet ﷺ not because of wealth or status, but after everyone else had turned away, and Allah filled her heart with acceptance and hope in His blessing.
Thus, in what seemed like a worldly disadvantage, Allah concealed an immense honor and mercy. The poorest woman took the orphan child, who would become the best of all creation.
Immediate Blessings After Taking the Prophet ﷺ
Halimah narrates that the very moment she took the Prophet ﷺ and gave him to her breast, miracles of blessing began to appear in her life.
She says that as soon as she held him and began to nurse him, her milk flowed abundantly after having been scarce. Her own child, who had been crying from hunger, now drank to his fill, and so did the Prophet ﷺ. Both babies slept peacefully that night, something they had not done before due to hunger.
The next sign appeared on their journey back to the desert. The donkey that had been the weakest and slowest in the group suddenly became the fastest. Halimah relates that her companions were astonished and asked her if she was riding the same animal she had come with, because it now moved quickly and strongly ahead of the others.
She also described the transformation in their old she camel. When her husband went to it that evening, he found its udders full of milk. He was amazed, and he asked her, “O Halimah, by Allah, you have taken a blessed soul.” They both drank until they were fully satisfied, which had not happened for a long time.
These details are reported in classical Seerah books as signs of barakah, or divine blessing, that came with the arrival of the Prophet ﷺ in her household. The Quran speaks in general about Allah’s ability to give unexpected provision:
﴿وَمَن يَتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُۥ مَخْرَجًا. وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ﴾
“And whoever is mindful of Allah, He will make for him a way out. And will provide for him from where he does not expect.”
(Surah at Talaq 65:2 3)
Although these verses were revealed later, Halimah’s story is a lived example of Allah’s unexpected provision and mercy through the presence of His chosen Prophet ﷺ.
Life in the Desert with Banu Sa‘d
When Halimah and her family reached their home with the infant Muhammad ﷺ, the blessings continued and increased. Their land had been suffering from drought, and the animals were thin and weak. After his arrival, Halimah noticed that their goats went out to graze and returned with full bellies and udders heavy with milk, while the animals of the other families remained weak and dry.
The other people in the tribe began to complain to their shepherds. They asked them why the animals of the family of Abu Kabshah were well fed and full of milk, while theirs were not. The shepherds replied that they all grazed in the same places, but only the animals of Halimah and her husband were thriving. It became clear that this was not a coincidence, but a special blessing tied to the presence of the Prophet ﷺ.
Halimah loved the child intensely. She would later say that no child had ever grown more quickly or more beautifully than he did. Though still very young, he was healthy, strong, and calm. He did not cry excessively or behave in a troublesome way. Allah was preparing him from the very beginning with a noble and serene nature.
The Prophet ﷺ himself would later acknowledge the goodness of the tribe of Banu Sa’d. In one narration, when he saw some women from that tribe, he stood up to welcome them and said:
«إني كنت في بَنِي سَعْدٍ، وأُرْضِعْتُ فيهم»
“I was with Banu Sa’d, and I was nursed among them.”
This shows his continued gratitude and respect for the people who cared for him in his earliest years, and for Halimah in particular.
The Emotional Bond Between Halimah and the Prophet ﷺ
The relationship between Halimah and the Prophet ﷺ was more than a formal arrangement. According to Arab custom, a wet nurse became like a second mother, and her children became his foster siblings. This is called ar rada‘ah in Islamic law, and it creates a type of family bond.
Halimah, her husband, and their children loved the Prophet ﷺ deeply. He became part of their family, and they were proud to be connected to him. She saw in him a special light and character that she did not see in other children. Even when she did not fully understand his future, she sensed that he was not like others.
The Prophet ﷺ never forgot this. Throughout his life, he honored Halimah and treated her with great humility and kindness. When she would come to him later in Madinah, he would spread his cloak for her to sit on, speak with her gently, and give her gifts. This was his way of recognizing the rights of those who had cared for him in his early years.
The Quran commands kindness to parents and those who have raised us:
﴿وَقَضَىٰ رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِيَّاهُ وَبِٱلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ إِحْسَٰنًا﴾
“And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, and that you show excellence to parents.”
(Surah al Isra 17:23)
Although Halimah was not his biological mother, his attitude toward her was in the spirit of this command. He honored every person who had shown him love and care.
The Return to Makkah and Request to Keep Him Longer
According to the custom of the Arabs, the period of nursing and staying with the Bedouin tribe usually lasted about two years. After this time, the child would be weaned and returned to the parents in Makkah. When the Prophet ﷺ reached this age, Halimah took him back to his mother Aminah and to his grandfather Abdul Muttalib.
When Aminah saw her son again, she was very happy with his health and his appearance. He was strong, bright, and beautiful. She was pleased with the care that Halimah had given him. At this point, something noteworthy occurred. Halimah felt very attached to the child and was afraid to return him permanently. She longed to keep him with her for longer in the desert.
Halimah and her husband were also aware of the ongoing blessings that came with his presence. They did not want to lose this barakah. She asked Aminah to allow the child to stay a while longer with Banu Sa’d. She mentioned the spreading illness in Makkah and suggested that the fresh air and open space of the desert would be better for his health. Aminah agreed, out of concern for her son’s well being.
So Muhammad ﷺ returned with Halimah to the desert for an extended period beyond the usual two years. This extra time with Banu Sa’d is important because it shows how Allah kept him in a pure, simple environment, away from the idolatry and corruption of the city in his earliest formation.
The later extraordinary event of the opening of his chest in childhood occurred while he was with Halimah. That event will be covered in a separate chapter, but it is important to know here that it took place during his extended stay with Banu Sa’d, which again shows the close connection between his early spiritual preparation and his time with his foster family.
Lessons From the Story of Halimah as Sa‘diyyah
The story of Halimah as Sa’diyyah and her nursing of the Prophet ﷺ is more than a touching tale from the distant past. It contains several clear lessons for anyone who reflects upon it.
One lesson is that Allah often hides His greatest gifts in situations that people look down upon. The baby whom everyone refused because he was an orphan became the source of mercy for the worlds. Allah says:
﴿وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَٰكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةًۭ لِّلْعَٰلَمِينَ﴾
“And We have not sent you except as a mercy to all the worlds.”
(Surah al Anbiya 21:107)
Another lesson is that barakah is real. Through the Prophet ﷺ, Allah brought sudden, unexpected provision and ease to a poor, struggling family. Their animals prospered, their child slept, and their hearts were filled with love. Material calculation alone could not have predicted this. It is a reminder that sincere intention and trust in Allah can open doors that seem completely closed.
Worldly poverty or weakness does not prevent Allah’s favor. What matters is the presence of iman, sincerity, and the care Allah has for His chosen servants.
A further lesson is the importance of gratitude and loyalty. The Prophet ﷺ never forgot Halimah or her kindness. When he grew older and became a Messenger, then a leader of a state, he still treated his foster mother with humility and honor. This teaches us that no matter how high a person rises, they should remember and respect those who helped them when they were small and weak.
Finally, the story shows how Allah prepared His Messenger ﷺ from the earliest days, protecting him, placing him with caring and upright people, and surrounding him with mercy. Every stage, including his nursing by Halimah as Sa’diyyah, was guided by divine wisdom, preparing him for the immense responsibility of conveying Allah’s message to humanity.