Wet Nurses of Prophet Muhammad

The early life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was marked by the care and nourishment of several wet nurses. This article explores the women who nursed him, their backgrounds, and their influence on his upbringing. From his mother Amina to Halima al-Sa’diyyah, each woman played a crucial role in his early years. We also highlight the famous Chest Splitting event and clarify the role of Umm Ayman as his caretaker rather than a wet nurse.

His Mother, Amina bint Wahb

The first woman to nurse the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was his mother, Amina bint Wahb, the daughter of Abdul Manaf ibn Zuhrah ibn Kilab ibn Murrah, and the wife of Abdullah ibn Abdul Muttalib.

Amina nursed the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) for only a few days, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) had no siblings from her, as she did not give birth to any other children.

Thuwaybah, the Slave of His Uncle Abu Lahab

After that, the slave woman of his uncle Abu Lahab nursed the Prophet (peace be upon him) for a few days as well. Her name was Thuwaybah al-Aslamiyyah, and the Prophet Muhammad had brothers & sisters through breastfeeding from her, who were:

• Masruh, the son of Thuwaybah, was nursed alongside the Prophet (peace be upon him).
• Hamza ibn Abdul Muttalib, one of the uncles of the Prophet Mohamed, was nursed by Thuwaybah before the Prophet (peace be upon him). The Messenger of Allah once said about Hamza’s daughter: “She is the daughter of my brother through nursing”.
• Abu Salama ibn Abdul Asad al-Makhzumi, whom Thuwaybah nursed after the Prophet (peace be upon him). This is confirmed by the saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him) regarding Abu Salama’s daughter: “She is the daughter of my brother through nursing. Thuwaybah nursed both me and Abu Salama”.

Halima bint Abi Dhu'ayb al-Sa’diyyah

Halima bint Abdullah ibn al-Harith ibn Sa’d ibn Bakr ibn Hawazin was one of the most well-known wet nurses of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). She was the wife of Al-Harith ibn Abdul Uzza, and she nursed the Prophet until he completed his entire nursing period.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) had a foster brother from his wet nurse Halima, named Abdullah ibn al-Harith ibn Abdul Uzza, with whom he was nursed alongside. He also had two foster sisters from her: Al-Shayma’ and Anisah.

Halima and her husband were very poor, but as soon as the Prophet (peace be upon him) joined their small family, blessings began to descend upon them. Some of these blessings included:

• The milk in her breasts, which had not been enough for her son, started to flow abundantly, providing enough nourishment for both the Prophet and her son Abdullah.
• The old she-camel they owned became full of milk, allowing Halima and her husband to drink their fill.
• Their sheep, which previously returned from pasture hungry, started coming back full and brimming with milk, despite the prevailing drought.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) remained with Halima after his nursing period was completed, until the event of the "Chest Splitting" occurred. This event involved two angels descending in the form of two white birds. They laid the Prophet (peace be upon him) on the ground, split open his stomach, removed his heart, and extracted two black clots from it. They then washed his chest with ice and his heart with cold water, before placing tranquility inside it and stitching it back.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) told his foster mother Halima what had happened, and she returned him to his mother.

A Woman from Banu Sa’d Who Nursed Hamza

The Prophet’s fourth wet nurse was a woman from Banu Sa’d, other than Halima al-Sa’diyyah. She was nursing his uncle Hamza (may Allah be pleased with him) at the time, and thus she also nursed the Prophet (peace be upon him) alongside him.

Thus, Hamza (may Allah be pleased with him) was the Prophet’s milk-brother twice - once through Thuwaybah and once through this woman from Banu Sa’d.

Umm Ayman: Not a Wet Nurse but a Caretaker

It is important to note that Umm Ayman was not one of the Prophet’s wet nurses; rather, she was his caretaker. Her name was Barakah al-Habashiyyah.

She had been a servant of Abdullah, the father of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and became the servant of the Prophet after his father's death. Later, the Prophet (peace be upon him) freed her after marrying Khadijah bint Khuwaylid. After the beginning of his prophethood, he married her to Zayd, and she gave birth to Usama ibn Zayd.