The Childhood of

Halimah: 'Inquiring for his name and position, I was told that he was A'bd-ul Muttalleb, the prince of the Qoraish; accordingly I approached him and presented myself.  He asked me who I was, whereon I informed him that I was of the tribe Bani Sa'ad and that my name was Halimah.  He replied: Felicity (Sa'ad) and meekness (Halam) are two sweet good qualities which cause eternal salvation."  Then he continued:  "I have an infant orphan, Muhammad (saws) by name, whom I offered to all the women of the Bani Sa'ad, but they replied: 'He has no father, and no profit results from an orphan;' I hope however, thou wilt take him."  I replied that I would go and consult my husband; A'bd-ul-Muttalleb consented, and when I explained the matter to my husband the Almighty filled his heart with joy, and he exclaimed: "Halimah, make haste and take the child, lest others should make away therewith."  But my cousin said: "Alas! the women of the Bani Sa'ad have taken the infants of noble and wealthy people, nad have thus obtained riches and honours, and thou hast taken an orphan child, which will only become an occasion of more sorrow to you."  Halimah continued: 'These words shook my firmness, but immediately the revelation dawned upon my mind: "If thou abandonest Muhammad (saws) thou wilt never be happy."  I therefore ran to A'bd-ul-Muttalleb and asked for the boy.  He immediately prostrated himself, and after raising his head exclaimed:  "O Lord, make this woman a blessing to Muhammad (saws)."  Then he took me to the house of Aminah, whose face I beheld shining like the moon.  She smiled at me and showed me her infant, whose countenance was radiant like the world-illuminating sun.  I was so excited by his beauty and attractiveness that mill began suddenly to flow in my veins.  I placed the nipple of my right breast into his mouth, and he began immediately to suck it; but when I presented to him my left breast he refused to do so.'  Ebn A'bbas says that even at that time the sense of justice was so great in his lordship that he left the other breast for the use of his partner.    

Halimah says:  'During the whole time his lordship always took mild only from my right breast, and whenever I desired to wipe his blessed lips after he had done sucking, I was forstalled in that act from the invisible world; nor would my son take the nipple into his mouth until the prince of the world had finished.  Inshort, my husband, having perceived the beauty of his lorship, fell on his face in adoration, and said: "O Halimah, I have never seen a more handsome boy among the children of men."  

During the week we remained in Mekkah, we went every day to the house of Aminah, had taken place during her pregnancy, and at the time of her confinement.  When we depated to our home we took leave of her; I mounted our donkey and took Muhammad (saws) in front of me.  The donkey capered, raised his head skywards, placed it thrice on the ground, returned, and joyfully left Mekkah, so that he took in the journey the lead of all the others.  The women of the Bani Sa'ad were astonished, and exclaimed: "O Halimah, is this the same donkey who had no strenght to walk when we journeyed to Mekkah, and who was the hidmost of all?  A secret is in this, and something great is in store for thee."  I overheard the donkey saying to himself:  "By Allah!  it is a great matter that I have been revived, and have acquired threnght.  Ye women of the Bani Sa'ad, are you aware whom I am carrying?  I am the bearer of Muhammad (saws), the apostle of the Lord of the universe, upon whom the joy of this world and the light of the next depend!"  During that journey I also heard the words: "O Halimah, thou hast been favoured in the latter part of they life, and hast become the noblest among the women of hte Bani Sa'ad." 

Halimah says: 'In every stage we alighted we found plenty of water; grass and fruit-trees sprang into existence by the power of Allah, and during that journey I witnessed so many strange and wonderful events that the tongue of eloquence is unable to record them. 

When we arrived in the country of the Bani Sa'ad, it looked parched and without grass, other sheep returned home without milk, but ours, which had before been sickly and emaciated, had now grown healthy and fat; when they came home every evening from their pasturages they were replete with food and milk, whilst quite the contrary was the case with the sheep belonging to other people.   

When th men of the tribe became aware of this great difference, and saw our meadows full of water and grass, but hteirs dry and parched, they complained to their chiefs that our cattle were grazing in their pasturages.  It was related that for this reason the Lord blesses also the flocks of the whole tribe, and as long as Muhammad (saws) was among us, many benefits redounded on the tribe, because of the favour of his presence.' 

Halimah says:  'Muhammad (saws) never answered the calls of nature in his clothes, but had an evacuation every day at a fixed time, and whenever I intended to wash his body I found it pure and clean.  Nor did that infant hate anything more than to have his limbs bared, but cried and became angry every time suck a thing took place, until they were again covered.  Otherwise he never wept, nor showed signs of bad humour, so that everyone who saw him fell in love with him.   

One night I awoke and heard him pronouncing the following words, better ones than which do not exist: "There is no God but Allah the Most Holy as long as long as eyes endure, the Merciful One who is not overtaken by slumber or sleep!" and these wore his first words.  From the time he began to speak he never handled anything without saying: "In the name of Allah."  Nor did he ever touch anything with his left hand.   
 

Halimah reports that the prince of this world said:  "They weighed me first against ten men, but I preponderated; then with five hundred, and I preponderated; on eof them said the the other:  "Let him alone.  If he be balanced with the whole nation he will preponderate."  Halimah says:  "When I brought Muhammad (saws) back to the house, the people said:  "He ought to bea taken to a soothsayer, because he is touched by the genii.  But Muhammad (saws) replied:  "I am free, and safe from what you imagine, nor has anything befallen me."  The people, nevertheless, insisted so much that we were obliged to comply.  After we had stated the circumstandces to the sorcerer, he desired the boy himself to explain them, as he was more familiar with them [than we could be].  When Muhammad (saws) had narrated the event, the soothsayer jumped up, pressed him to his breast, and exclaimed:  "O Arab people, put him to death and me also.  For if he remains alive he will consider your wise men to be fools, and will abolish your religion.  He will invite you to worship a God whom you do not know, and to profess a religion contrary to your own."  Halimah says:  "When I heard these words I snatched Muhammad (saws) from his arms and said:  "Thou art a fool!  Had I known that thou wouldst utter such sentiments I would not have brought the child.  Find a man to kill thee, for we shall not slay Muhammad (saws)."

Hemistich:  "U'zz had no honour, and Lat no power."