Ibrahim Son of the Prophet Muhammad

Birth of Ibrahim, Son of the Prophet

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was blessed with a son named Ibrahim, whose mother was Maria al-Qibtiyya. She was gifted to the Messenger of Allah by the ruler of Alexandria, Muqawqis, who sent her to him along with Hatib ibn Abi Balta'ah. When she arrived at the Prophet, Hatib presented Islam to her, and she embraced the faith. The Messenger of Allah accommodated her in the al-Aliyah area, where she became pregnant with Ibrahim and gave birth to him there. Ibrahim was born to her while Salma, a freedwoman of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), served as her midwife.

Abu Rafi', the husband of Salma, came to the Prophet to give him the glad tidings of his son's birth. In joy, the Messenger of Allah gave him a gift. When he wanted to name the child, he said, "A boy was born to me last night, and I named him after my father, Ibrahim". Ibrahim was born in the month of Dhul-Qi'dah in the eighth year of the Hijrah. His mother had little breast milk, so the women of the Ansar eagerly competed to breastfeed him. He was nursed by Umm Saif, whose husband was Haddad.

The Prophet Muhammad’s Affection for His Son Ibrahim

Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) described the compassion of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) toward his children, saying, "Ibrahim was breastfed in the dwellings of Medina, and he would come with us. He would enter the house, and it would be filled with smoke. His cradle was made of tanned leather, and the Prophet would take him, kiss him, and then return him". Later, Ibrahim was entrusted to Umm Barda, the daughter of al-Mundhir from the Ansar and her husband from the Banu Mazin tribe, to be breastfed.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) was overjoyed by the birth of his son Ibrahim and would never leave his side. He constantly looked at his face, held him in his arms, and would carry him around to show his wives the resemblance between them. At the time of his birth, the Prophet requested to shave the hair on Ibrahim's head, which was done by Abu Hind al-Baida'i from the Ansar. The Prophet also gave away silver equal to the weight of his hair as charity and then buried the hair in the ground. This took place on the seventh day after his birth. A ram was sacrificed as his 'Aqiqah (a traditional celebration for a newborn).

Maria al-Qibtiyya: The Mother of Ibrahim, Son of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

Maria al-Qibtiyya was a noble woman of Coptic Christian origin from Egypt and is best known in Islamic history as the mother of Ibrahim, the son of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). She holds a respected place in Islamic tradition as one of the Prophet’s wives or concubines, depending on different Islamic schools of thought, and as the mother of his only son who survived infancy.

Maria was gifted to the Prophet by the ruler of Egypt, Muqawqis, during the Prophet’s lifetime. Along with her sister, Sirin, she was sent as part of a diplomatic gesture in response to a letter inviting the ruler to embrace Islam. Upon arriving in Medina, Maria embraced Islam and became close to the Prophet.

She gave birth to Ibrahim in the year 8 AH (around 630 CE). This was a moment of great joy for the Prophet Muhammad, as his earlier sons, Qasim and Abdullah, had died in infancy. The Prophet showed deep affection for Ibrahim, frequently visiting and spending time with him. He named him after the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham), reflecting his esteem for the patriarch.

Maria lived for a few years after Ibrahim’s death. The Prophet ensured she was treated with dignity and provided her with a home and sustenance. She passed away during the caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab, who arranged her burial in Jannat al-Baqi, the cemetery in Medina where many family members of the Prophet are buried.

The Death of Ibrahim and the Prophet's Grief

The arrival of Ibrahim brought joy, hope, and happiness to the house of the Prophet (peace be upon him). However, Ibrahim fell ill not long after his birth. Maria and her sister Sirin took care of him, but his illness worsened, and signs of his impending death became apparent. His mother was sent to inform our Master Muhammad (peace be upon him), and he was overcome with profound sadness. He rushed to the child and found him in his mother's arms. He took Ibrahim from her, held him close to his chest, and wept. Ibrahim's mother and aunt also cried as the soul of Ibrahim departed to its Creator, extinguishing the candle of hope that had shone with his arrival. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "O Ibrahim, if it were not for the fact that it is a true saying, a promise from Allah, and an inevitable course, with the last of us joining the first, we would grieve for you more than this".

The Prophet (peace be upon him) wanted to console and comfort Maria, so he said, "The eyes shed tears, the heart is saddened, but we only say what pleases our Lord. Indeed, we are grieved by your parting, O Ibrahim".

Ibrahim passed away while in the house of Umm Barda when he was either eighteen or sixteen months old. Some say that Umm Barda herself washed him, while others say it was done by al-Fadl ibn al-Abbas, the Prophet's uncle. They placed him on a small bed, and the Prophet ordered that he be buried beside Uthman ibn Maz'un in al-Baqi'. The Prophet sat at the edge of the grave, and al-Fadl and Usama ibn Zaid buried him. The Prophet requested a stone, which he placed at Ibrahim's head, and he sprinkled water on the grave.

The wisdom of Allah dictated Ibrahim's death, as the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the final prophet. Had there been another prophet after him, Ibrahim would have lived.

The Solar Eclipse on the Day of Ibrahim's Death

On the day of Ibrahim's death, a solar eclipse occurred, leading some people to believe that the sun was eclipsed due to his passing. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stood before the people as their preacher and said, "The sun and the moon do not eclipse for the death or life of anyone. They are two signs among the signs of Allah that He shows to His servants. So, when you see an eclipse, rush to the prayer".

Indeed, Allah, the Almighty, causes eclipses of the sun and the moon to demonstrate to His servants that they both move according to His will. Allah has said, "And We sent not the signs except as a warning" (Quran 17:59). This served as an incentive for people to turn towards Allah and increase their worship of Him. Therefore, when the sun was eclipsed, the Messenger of Allah sent a crier and instructed him to call out to the people, "The prayer is a congregation". He repeated this three times to inform the people about the eclipse. When they gathered, he led them in a two-unit prayer and then delivered a sermon.