Islamiyat · May / June 2023 · Paper 12 · Question 5

Write an account of the lives of Amina bint Wahb and Halima Sa’adia during their time with the Prophet (pbuh).

Mark according to the marking grid for AO1 – Knowledge on page 4. Answers may include some of the following ideas, but all valid material must be credited.

Amina bint Wahb:

She was the mother of the Prophet (pbuh). She had only been married to ‘Abdullah for a few months when he passed away, leaving her widowed and pregnant. She said she did not feel any hardship during her pregnancy. At his birth, Amina said: ‘When I delivered him a light came out with him that illuminated what is between the East and West. The light illuminated palaces and markets of Syria until I saw the necks of the camels in Basra. I saw three flags erected: one in the East, one in the West and a third over the Ka’ba.’ From this she knew that her son would be special. Amina sent her baby to a wet-nurse in the desert as was the custom of that time. When he was 2 years old, his foster mother took him to Aminah and requested that she let him remain with her, to which Amina agreed. After the incident in which Prophet (pbuh) was visited by some angels who came to clean the Prophet’s heart, he was returned to Amina.

When the Prophet (pbuh) was six, his mother took him to visit family in Yathrib, as well as the grave of his father ‘Abdullah. She became ill and on their return to Makka she passed away at a village called Abwa.

Halima Sa’adia:

She was the Prophet’s wet-nurse. She had decided to take the baby Muhammad (pbuh) when no one else wanted to, as she did not want to go back to her home in the desert without a baby. She had started noticing some miracles on their way back from Makkah.

Her and her family’s fortunes changed while the Prophet (pbuh) lived with them, their animals gave more milk, and were healthier.

Due to the good fortune, he had brought them, she asked to keep the Prophet (pbuh) for longer than the initial two-year period because she felt a close bond with him.

While living with his foster family, the Prophet (pbuh) was visited by some angels who came to clean the Prophet’s heart, and she was shaken by the story and worried something was going to happen to the Prophet (pbuh) in her care. She therefore returned the Prophet (pbuh) to his mother.

The Prophet (pbuh) was known to call Halima ‘my mother’. Halima once returned to the Prophet (pbuh) at Makka and Khadija gave her 40 sheep as gift.

It is said that Halima Sa’adia once again came to the holy city of Madina in her last days. She died there and was buried in Janatul Baqi.

The Prophet (pbuh) was an orphan and raised by various people. How might this be an example for Muslims today?

Mark according to the marking grid for AO2 – Understanding on page 5. Answers may include some of the following ideas, but all valid material must be credited.

You might learn that family is important, but it doesn’t always have to be blood relations that look after you. Whether they are blood relations or not, living with people who look after you with care and love develops lifelong bonds. Being raised by different people can give you a different perspective on life and could provide a greater range of learning.

It could help to understand people by being able to live amongst others who have different traits and different backgrounds.

It also sets an example for Muslims to look after orphans and vulnerable children which is a highly meritorious act in Islam.