(Sayyidah Haleemah Sa’diyyah رضي الله عنها – Part One)
In pre-Islamic Arabia, it was customary for the noble Arabs to send their suckling infants out to the rural villages, in order for them to grow up healthy and strong in the uncontaminated air of the countryside. Moreover, the purpose was also to expose the child to the eloquent and pure Arabic language that would be spoken in the rural areas, and for him to pick up noble characteristics. Hence, the women of the Banu Sa’d tribe would make a biannual trip to Makkah Mukarramah in search of suckling infants.
It so happened that during the time of the blessed birth of Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم, the Banu Sa’d were experiencing a severe drought.
When they set out to Makkah Mukarramah, Sayyidah Haleemah Sa’diyyah رضي الله عنها, who was part of this tribe, also joined them, accompanied by her husband, Sayyiduna Haarith bin ‘Abdil ‘Uzza رضي الله عنه, her infant suckling child, Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah رضي الله عنه, and her two daughters, Sayyidah Unaisah and Sayyidah Shaimaa رضي الله عنهما. Their conveyance was an extremely weak donkey and they also had an old she-camel that could not provide a single drop of milk. They were unable to sleep all night because of their child continuously crying as a result of extreme hunger. Neither did Sayyidah Haleemah رضي الله عنها have sufficient milk to satiate the child, nor did her camel. After much difficulty, they eventually reached Makkah Mukarramah.
Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم was presented to every single woman of the Banu Sa’d, however, as soon as they would learn that he was an orphan, they would refuse to take him and would remark, “(He is) an orphan. What could his mother and grandfather possibly do (i.e. offer us in remuneration)?”
The grandfather of Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم, ‘Abdul Muttalib, also presented his blessed grandson to Sayyidah Haleemah رضي الله عنها. She however asked him to give her some time to consult her husband before accepting.
As the hour of departure drew closer, and all the other women besides Sayyidah Haleemah رضي الله عنها had obtained at least one child to return home with, she found it somewhat difficult to return emptyhanded. At that moment, Allah Ta‘ala جل جلاله placed the feeling in her heart that she should take the orphan boy who nobody else wanted to take. She thus told her husband, “By Allah, I will most certainly go to that orphan and take him.” Her husband supported her decision and remarked, “There is no harm in doing so. Perhaps Allah will bless us with barakah (blessings) through him.”
When Sayyidah Haleemah رضي الله عنها brought Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم to their camp site in Makkah Mukarramah, as per their expectation, Allah Ta’ala threw open the doors of blessings for her and her family. Hence, as soon as she placed Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم in her lap, her bosom filled with milk. She thus fed Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم and her son till they both were satiated and fell off to sleep. Moreover, when her husband went to their camel, which did not have a single drop of milk prior to this, its udders were now full of milk. He milked it and they drank to their fill. Prior to this, they could not sleep well because she had nothing to feed her child. That night, however, they slept peacefully and passed the night in splendid comfort.
The blessings that Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم brought had become quite apparent to them. Therefore, when they awoke the next morning, her husband remarked in delight, “O Haleemah! By Allah, I believe that you have undoubtedly taken an exceptionally blessed being.” Sayyidah Haleemah رضي الله عنها responded, “By Allah, I am truly hopeful of that.”
This was just the beginning of the many blessings that came about in the life of Sayyidah Haleemah رضي الله عنها as a result of the blessed being of Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم.
(Seerah Ibni Hishaam vol. 1, pgs. 161 – 163 and Sharhuz Zurqaani vol. 1, pgs. 265-270)
(to be continued)
Lessons:
- When Allah Ta‘ala جل جلاله decrees goodness for a person, he will ‘force’ it upon him, and if he does not destine it for him, he will be deprived of it although it may be ‘staring him in the eye’. Hence, all the other women refused to take Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم although he was presented to them, and Sayyidah Haleemah Sa’diyyah رضي الله عنها could not just find any other child besides him, and was thus ‘forced’ to take him.
- Since Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم was a personification of blessings, as soon as Sayyidah Haleemah رضي الله عنها ‘adopted’ him, she witnessed his immense blessings with her own eyes. Similarly, if we have to ‘adopt’ the blessed lifestyle of our Beloved صلى الله عليه وسلم, we will definitely experience countless and unimaginable blessings in every aspect of our life.
(Source: Uswatul Muslimah)