Part 5: The Blessed Birth and Childhood of Prophet Muhammad(PBUH)

(Seerah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ | The Sealed Nectar Summary )

A Monday Morning in Rabi-ul-Awwal

Muhammad ﷺ, the Master of Prophets, entered this world on a Monday morning, the ninth of Rabi-ul-Awwal, in the very year of the Elephant, corresponding to the twentieth or twenty-second of April, 571 C.E. What a fitting month for us to be walking through this series together.

His mother, Aminah, described a radiant light that accompanied his arrival, a light bright enough, in her words, to illuminate the palaces of far-off Syria. Several remarkable signs are recorded alongside his birth, balconies of distant palaces settling into the earth, sacred fires of the Magians extinguishing themselves, and structures beside a distant lake giving way. Scholars remain careful about the strength of every chain of narration here, and this honest scholarly care is itself something we can admire, a tradition that valued truth even when celebrating something this joyous.

Word reached ‘Abdul-Muttalib , and he arrived with joy, lifted his grandson in his arms, carried him straight to the Ka’bah, and offered heartfelt gratitude to Allah. He chose for him the name Muhammad, a name rarely used among the Arabs of that time, as though he already sensed the praise this name would come to carry across the earth. Following the custom of his people, the boy was circumcised on the seventh day.

Who’s who

• Aminah bint Wahb — the Prophet’s ﷺ mother, whose account of the light at his birth is preserved in the earliest biographies.
• ‘Abdul-Muttalib — the Prophet’s ﷺ grandfather, who carried the newborn to the Ka’bah in gratitude and gave him the name Muhammad.

The first woman to nurse him after his own mother was Thuwaibah, a freed servant of Abu Lahab, who also had the honor of nursing his uncle Hamzah bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib, later one of the most beloved Companions رضي الله عنه.

Sent to the Desert: The Story of Halimah

Families of Makkah followed a cherished custom: sending their infants to bedouin wet nurses, where open desert air, pure speech, and simple living would shape strong bodies and eloquent tongues. In keeping with this custom, the infant Muhammad ﷺ was entrusted to Halimah bint Abi Dhuaib of Banu Sa’d.

It was a season of severe drought. Every woman in her travelling group secured a suckling child whose family promised generous reward, while the little orphan remained, for a while, without a foster mother, since most women naturally hoped for a reward from a living father. Halimah’s own account continues in her words:

“By Allah, I did not like the thought of returning without a baby in my arms while every other woman had one. So I said to my husband, let me go to that orphan. He answered, there is no harm in it, and perhaps Allah will bless us through him. So I went and took him, for he was truly the one left for me to take. The moment I placed him at my breast, milk flowed generously, more than enough for him and for my own child together, and both drifted into peaceful sleep, a rest that had eluded us the night before. My husband then went to our old she-camel, and to his amazement found her udder full as well. We drank until we were satisfied, and slept soundly that whole night. In the morning my husband said to me, Halimah, you have surely taken a blessed child.”

Who’s who

• Halimah bint Abi Dhuaib — the Prophet’s ﷺ beloved wet nurse from Banu Sa’d, whose household was blessed abundantly during the years she cared for him.
• Ash-Shayma bint Al-Harith — his foster sister, remembered for the tender care she gave him during those years.

The blessings continued throughout the journey home and beyond. The very mount that carried Halimah to Makkah, once slow and weary, moved with fresh vigor on the way back. The land around her encampment turned green, and the herds returned each evening full and content. The Prophet ﷺ remained with Halimah for two full years, until he was weaned, and she, sensing the barakah he brought her family, asked to keep him longer still, a request his mother graciously granted.

The Opening of the Chest

Around the age of four or five, while still among Banu Sa’d, an extraordinary event took place. As related by Anas bin Malik رضي الله عنه, the angel Jibreel عليه السلام came to him, gently opened his chest, and removed a small portion described as the share of Shaytan, then washed the heart with water from Zamzam in a golden vessel before restoring everything perfectly to its place. His playmates, alarmed, ran to tell his foster mother that something had happened to him, and they found him entirely well, save for a paleness in his face that soon passed. Anas رضي الله عنه would later say he personally saw the mark that remained on his blessed chest for the rest of his life.

Returning to His Mother, and a Final Journey Together

Following this event, Halimah ra, moved by love and gentle concern, returned the boy to his mother, and he remained in Aminah’s tender care until he was six years old.

Wishing to honor the memory of her late husband, Aminah undertook a journey of five hundred kilometers to visit his resting place in Yathrib, accompanied by her young son, his grandfather ‘Abdul-Muttalib, and the faithful servant Umm Ayman. She spent a month there before setting out for home. On the return journey, she fell seriously ill and passed away at a place called Abwa, resting between Makkah and Madinah, entrusting her precious son once again into the hands of his family.

The Loving Care of ‘Abdul-Muttalib

‘Abdul-Muttalib welcomed his grandson back to Makkah with deep tenderness, holding him even closer now that both parents had passed on. Every account of this period describes a grandfather whose affection for this particular grandchild exceeded even the love he held for his own children.

A cherished mattress was placed for ‘Abdul-Muttalib in the shade of the Ka’bah, a spot his grown sons approached only with reverence, sitting respectfully beside it rather than upon it. Young Muhammad ﷺ, however, would sit directly upon it, and when his uncles moved to gently guide him elsewhere, ‘Abdul-Muttalib would say, with evident pride, leave my grandson be, for I swear by Allah, this boy is destined for a truly great station. He would seat him close, pat his back affectionately, and delight in everything the boy did.

When Muhammad ﷺ reached eight years, two months, and ten days of age, his grandfather passed from this world, leaving his beloved grandson in the trustworthy hands of his uncle, Abu Talib.

Abu Talib: A Lifetime of Devotion

Abu Talib embraced this responsibility with his whole heart. He welcomed his nephew into his own household, treating him with a warmth and honor that, remarkably, he extended above his own children. For the following forty years, Abu Talib remained his nephew’s steadfast protector and supporter, a devotion that would prove essential during the trials the Prophet ﷺ would later face.

Who’s who

• Abu Talib — the Prophet’s ﷺ uncle and guardian for the next forty years, whose loyalty and protection would prove pivotal throughout the Prophet’s ﷺ life.

One beautiful account, related by Jalhamah bin ‘Arfutah, describes a season when Makkah faced a dry spell and the people turned to Abu Talib for prayer. He walked toward the Ka’bah together with a radiant young boy, a small cloud offering shade above his head. Together they stood and prayed, and clouds gathered swiftly from every direction, bringing abundant rain that revived the springs and greened the whole valley.

The Recognition of Bahira the Monk

At around twelve years of age, Muhammad ﷺ accompanied his uncle Abu Talib on a trading journey to Syria. Near Busra, a Christian monk named Bahira approached them with striking certainty, took the boy’s hand, and declared him the master of all humankind, destined to carry a message of mercy for every creation.

When Abu Talib asked how he had come to know this, Bahira explained that the stones and trees themselves had bowed low as the boy passed by the road, a sign reserved, in his understanding, for a Prophet alone, and that he recognized as well the seal of Prophethood between his shoulders, exactly as described in the sacred books entrusted to earlier communities. Out of genuine concern for the boy’s safety among certain travelers on that road, Bahira gently advised Abu Talib to send him home to Makkah rather than continue onward, counsel that Abu Talib honored with care, arranging for him to return safely with trusted companions.

Key Takeaways for Students

• The Prophet’s ﷺ birth arrived wrapped in signs, light, gratitude, and a name chosen with evident foresight, each pointing toward the greatness Allah had prepared for him.
• The story of Halimah shows us how blessings often arrive through the very choice that seems, at first glance, the least rewarding, she took the orphan, and abundance followed her family for years.
• Losing both parents by the age of six, and his grandfather by eight, placed the Prophet ﷺ early in life under the direct care of Allah Himself, a theme the Qur’an later affirms directly in Surah Ad-Duha.
• The devotion of ‘Abdul-Muttalib and later Abu Talib teaches us the beauty of family loyalty, and how Allah placed protectors around His beloved Messenger ﷺ at every stage of his life.
• Even as a boy, signs of his coming Prophethood were visible to those with eyes to notice, from the trees and stones honoring him, to the seal recognized by Bahira.

Let Us Discuss

• Which part of today’s story touched your heart the most, the light at his birth, Halimah’s account, or Abu Talib’s lifelong devotion?
• What lesson do you draw from Halimah choosing the orphan simply because he was the one left to care for?
• Have you reflected before on how the Prophet ﷺ experienced the loss of both parents and his grandfather all within his first eight years?

Please share your reflections in the comments, and please continue sharing this series with your friends and family, so that everyone may benefit from this beautiful story, in sha’ Allah.

May Allah send His peace and blessings upon our beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, upon his pure family, and upon all his noble Companions رضي الله عنهم أجمعين. Ameen.

Written by

Founder and Senior Editor

Ustadha Fahmina holds the Alimah sanad from two prestigious institutes and is a certified Optometrist Doctor. She teaches Tafsir, Hadith, Fiqh, Seerah to Women and Kids and is passionate about spreading authentic information about the religion of Islam. Connect with her to keep updated about her recent ebooks and projects.