MUHAMMAD'S BIRTH AND FORTY YEARS PRIOR TO PROPHETHOOD

2] you must understand that you have been able to get a blessed
child." And I replied: "By the grace of Allâh, I hope so."
The tradition is explicit on the point that Haleemah's return journey
and her subsequent life, as long as the Prophet (Peace be upon
him)stayed with her, was encircled with a halo of good fortune. The
donkey that she rode when she came to Makkah was lean and almost
foundered; it recovered speed much to the amazement of Haleemah's
fellow travellers. By the time they reached the encampments in the
country of the clan of Sa'd, they found the scales of fortune turned
in their favour. The barren land sprouted forth luxuriant grass and
beasts came back to them satisfied and full of milk. Muhammad (Peace
be upon him) stayed with Haleemah for two years until he was weaned as
Haleemah said:
We then took him back to his mother requesting her earnestly to have
him stay with us and benefit by the good fortune and blessings he had
brought us. We persisted in our request which we substantiated by our
anxiety over the child catching a certain infection peculiar to
Makkah. At last, we were granted our wish and the Prophet (Peace be
upon him) stayed with us until he was four or five years of age.
When, as related by Anas in SahihMuslim , Gabriel came down and ripped
his chest open and took out the heart. He then extracted ablood-clot
out of it and said: "That was the part of Satan in thee." And then he
washed it with the water of Zamzam in a gold basin. After that the
heart was joined together and restored to its place. The boys and
playmates came running to his mother, i.e. his nurse, and said:
"Verily, Muhammad (Peace be upon him) has been murdered." They all
rushed towards him and found him all right only his face was white.
BACK TO HIS COMPASSIONATE MOTHER:
After this event, Haleemah was worried about the boy and returned him
to his mother with whom he stayed until he was six.
In respect of the memory of her late husband, Amina decided to visit
his grave in Yathrib (Madinah). She set out to cover a journey of 500
kilometers with her orphan boy, woman servant Umm Ayman and her
father-in-law 'Abdul-Muttalib. She spent a month there and then took
her way back to Makkah. On the way,she had a severe illness and died
in Abwa on the road between Makkah and Madinah.
BACK TO HIS COMPASSIONATE GRANDFATHER:
'Abdul-Muttalib brought the boy to Makkah. He had warm passions
towards the boy, his orphan grandson, whose recent disaster (his
mother's death) added more to the pains of the past. 'Abdul-Muttalib
was more passionate with his grandson than with his own children. He
never left the boy a prey to loneliness, but always preferred him to
his own kids. Ibn Hisham reported: A mattress was put in the shade of
Al-Ka'bah for 'Abdul-Muttalib. His children used to sit around that
mattress in honour to their father, but Muhammad (Peace be upon him)
used to sit on it. His uncles would take him back, but if
'Abdul-Muttalib was present, he would say: "Leave mygrandson. I swear
by Allâh that this boy will hold a significant position." He used to
seat the boy on his mattress, pat his back and was always pleased with
what the boy did.
When Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was eight years, two months and ten
days old, his grandfather 'Abdul-Muttalib passed away in Makkah. The
charge of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) was now passed on to his
uncle Abu Talib, who was the brother of the Prophet's father.
Abu Talib tookthe charge of his nephew in the best way. He put him
with his children and preferred him to them. He singled the boy out
with great respect and high esteem. Abu Talib remained for forty years
cherishing his nephew and extending all possible protection and
support to him. His relations with the others were determinedin the
light of the treatment they showed to the Prophet (Peace beupon him).
Ibn 'Asakir reported on the authority of Jalhamah bin 'Arfuta who
said: "I came to Makkah when it was a rainless year, so Quraish said
'O Abu Talib, the valley has become leafless and the children hungry,
let us go and pray for rain-fall.' Abu Talib went to Al-Ka'bah with a
young boy who was as beautiful as the sun, and a black cloud was over
his head. Abu Talib and the boy stood by the wall of Al-Ka'bah and
prayed for rain. Immediately clouds from all directions gathered and
rain fell heavily andcaused the flow of springs and growth of plants
in the town andthe country.