The Sun of Happiness (Muhammad) was now four years old. He had become quite robust and had flourished considerably.

The peculiarities that were seen on him, particularly the slit on his chest, caused Hazrat Halima to think through and through and to worry deeply. In fact, she was now anxious because she was afraid that some ill fate would come upon to our Master (PBUH), who she loved as one of her own children.

This thought, anxiety, and fear forced Halima and her husband to make the following decision:

“We must return this child to his mother before anything happens”.

Halima was burning sizzlingly inside, but what could she do?

After all, The Radiant Child was given to her for temporary custody and she was not going to seize what had been entrusted to her.

The Sun of Happiness, who had emitted radiance in Sa’ds’ homeland for four years, was now being brought to Mecca by his foster mother so that he could emit light to the world with a completely different kind of majesty and magnificence.

Halima and her husband arrived in Mecca at night. At one point, our Beloved Master (PBUH) disappeared.  Halima and her husband began to panic. They went to inform his grandfather, Abdulmuttalib.

The compassionate grandfather immediately became overwhelmed with concern as soon as he heard that his lovely grandson was missing. He rushed to look for him in sadness. However, our Master (PBUH) was nowhere to be seen. Abdulmuttalib was desperate. He opened his hands and begged, “My Lord, please return my Muhammad to me”.

In the meantime, two individuals were seen with a child alongside of them. They were Waraqa bin Nawfal, a friend of Waraqa, and our Holy Prophet (PBUH). Abdulmuttalib pressed his Sun of Happiness whom he had been yearning for against his chest, embraced him to his heart’s content, and then mounted him upon his neck. They went straight towards the Kaa’ba and circumambulated it together. Afterwards, he took our Beloved Holy Prophet (PBUH) to his mother. (1)

At a later time, Abdulmuttalib had some animals sacrificed and threw a special banquet for the Meccans to celebrate the happy and blissful occasion of having been reunited with his grandson.

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) was now in his saintly mother’s warm lap, in between her compassionate arms, and in his happy and humble home.

His foster mother, Halima, left her Sun of Happiness in Mecca and returned to her homeland. However, neither she nor our Master (PBUH) forgot one another throughout their entire lives. He never lost deference and respect for the arms that embraced him for four years. Whenever he saw her, he would call her, “mother dearest”, would address her with respect and deference, and would always honor and be kind to her. He would consistently ask if she needed anything, and if he she did, he would rush to fulfill her needs.

A long period of time would pass and yet another drought and famine would beset Sa’ds’ homeland. Halima was unable to bare the dread of this famine and drought, so she went to Mecca hopes of seeing the Holy Prophet (PBUH).

When she saw the Master of the Universe (PBUH), she complained to him about the drought and famine in her homeland. Our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) pure hearted wife, Hazrat Khadija, who was wealthy as well as appreciative and benevolent, immediately gave Halima forty sheep and a camel to carry both her and her luggage.

Here is another example of fidelity and benefaction: Shayma was one of our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) foster siblings. He spent many sweet and lovely days with her in Sa’ds’ homeland.

Many years later during the Hunain War, Shayma was among the slaves taken captive from the Muslims’ side. When Shayma introduced herself, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) showed her the utmost of affection that a little sister could ever receive.

From time to time, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) would reminisce about the days from his childhood that he spent with his foster mother, Halima, to his companions (Sahaba) and would say:

“I am the most pure Arab among you, because I am a Qurayshi. At the same time, I was nourished near Bani Sa’d bin Bakr and that is why my dialect is the same as theirs”. (2)

The Prophet is with his Mother

During the year 575 in the month Gregorian Calendar, our Venerable Master of the Universe (PBUH) was five years old when his wet nurse Halima returned him to his mother.

The pain of having been separated from her husband, Abdullah, who passed away during the first months of their marriage, sat in Halima’s heart like a punch having resulted from torture. Even if the degree of alleviation was small, her only son, Muhammad (PBUH), was her only consolation to this pain.

Hazrat Amina tried her best to hug her son with the utmost affection and compassion so that he would not feel the pain of being orphaned.

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) was the rose, light, blessing, peace, and happiness of his modest Meccan home. Even at a young age, he never refrained from helping his mother. In fact, his saintly mother was amazed by his diligence in cleanliness.

He was not only helpful and considerate towards his mother, but towards everyone he knew. He would take pleasure in helping his friends. For this reason, his friends loved and respected him, and would yearn to spend time with him.

Yes, God Almighty was raising the one whom He was going to appoint as His messenger and who would uphold the highest and holiest duties of Prophethood in the best way possible and was disciplining him in the most excellent manner.

The Visit to His Father’s Grave

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) was six years old when the desire to visit Medina had emerged within Hazrat Amina.

Her purpose was both to see the sons of Adiyy bin Najjar, who were her maternal uncles through Abdumuttalib’s mother, and to visit the grave of her fortunate husband who had been buried there.

Preparations were made with this intention in mind. When the day came, she set off from Medina with her only son and his nanny, Umm Ayman. Although Hazrat Amina’s world was supposed to be filled with cheer and joy, it was covered with grief, instead. She kept turning her head to look back at Mecca as if she was never going to return to the sacred city and the holy home where this Sun of Happiness was born.

They arrived in Medina after completing their tiresome journey that occurred during the hottest days of the season. They visited the home of Nabigha, who was the son of our Holy Prophet’s paternal uncle.

Hazrat Amina collapsed by her husband’s grave that was in the courtyard of this home in the midst of tears. Her teardrops abundantly watered the soil of Abdullah’s grave.

At the sight of this scene, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) felt the pain of orphanhood within his soul for the first time. He, too, sprinkled his holy tears upon his honorable father’s grave.

It was as if these tears were being presented to Hazrat Abdullah in place of a bouquet of roses.

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) Captured the Attention of Jewish Scholars

On one of the lovely days during his visit to Medina, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) was sitting in front of the door of the home that they were visiting with his nanny, Umm Ayman. Two Jews clothed in religious garments were passing by and immediately focused their attention on him. Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) went inside as if he were bothered by these stares.

The Jews did not walk on. Instead, they approached Umm Ayman and asked, “What is this child’s name?”

Umm Ayman did not know them; therefore, she considered the possibility that they might have malevolent intentions and so, she said, “Why do you ask?” 

The men replied in an assurance and confidence giving evoking manner, “We asked because he looks like a child we know. Could you please tell us his name?” 

Umm Ayman then answered “His name is Ahmad’.

The two looked and smiled at one another as if they had found what they were looking for. Then one of them pleaded, “Could you please call him here?”

Umm Ayman was hesitant once more. Why did they want to see and speak with him so badly?  However, the man helped to remove her doubt with this answer:

“We do not think or want anything but goodness. We do not and will not harm anyone. We love him for the sake of Allah. Could you please call him here?”

Umm Ayman did not reject their plea. She went inside. A little while later, she came outside with our Holy Prophet (PBUH).

As soon as they saw him, the two Jews bowed all the way to the ground. Afterwards, they approached our Master (PBUH) in a manner that was mixed with both love and reverence. They eyed him from head to toe. Afterwards, they pulled up his clothing to see his back to look.

Excitement and astonishment were seen in their eyes. Umm Ayman heard one of them telling the other:

“This child is the Prophet of this community. He will migrate to this city. Many bloody wars, emigrations, and huge events are going to take place here”.

After uttering these words, both men walked away.

According to another narration, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) learned how to swim in a body of water called, “The Well of Bani Najjar” during this visit.

[1] Ibn Hisham, Sirah, V. 1, p. 176.
[2] Ibn Hisham, ibid, V. 1, p. 176; Ibn Sa’d, Tabaqat, V. 1, p. 113; Balazuri, Ansab, V. 1, p. 96.
[3] Ibn Sa’d, Tabaqat, V. 1, p. 116.
[4] Ibn Sa’d, ibid, V. 1, p. 116.