The Life of the Prophet Muhammad by Ibn Kathir - Volume 1 of 4

160 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD
An A~count of the rearing and suckling of the Prophet (WS).
Umm Ayman, whose given name was Baraka, reared hi. The Prophet (SAAS)
had inherited her from his father. When he grew up he emancipated her and
married her to his mawlz, his freed-slave, Zayd b. H&itha. She gave birth to
Usana h. Zayd, God be pleased with them all.
The Prophet (SAAS) was suckled, as well as by his mother, by the freed-slave of
his uncle Aha Lahab who was named Thuwayba, and later by Halima al-SaWiyya.
Al-Bukhai and Muslim extracted in their two ~ahih tradition collections from
a hadith of al-Znhri, from Wrwa h. al-Zuhayr, from Zaynab daughter of Umm
Salama, from Umm Habiba daughter of Aba Sufyan, as follows. She said, "0
Messenger of God, marry my sister, Ahu Sufyzn's daughter." According to
Muslim's account the words used were, "my sister ' ha, Abo Sufym's daughter."
The Messenger of God (SAAS) replied, "Would you like that then?" She
replied, "Yes; I'm not unmarried (and available) for you. And the person who
shares best with me in goodness is my sister."
The Prophet (SAAS) responded, "But that would not be permissible for me."
She commented, "We are discussing your manying Abo Salama's daughter."
Also in an account the words, "Duma, Aba Salama's daughter," are given.
"You mean Umm Salama's daughter?"
"Yes," I replied.
"But", he explained, "even if she were not under my care in my household,
she would not be permitted for me. She is my niece by suckling. Her father Abii
Salama and I were both suckled by Thuwayba. So don't propose your daughters
or your sisters for me."
Al-Bukhsi's account adds, "Wrwa said, 'And Thuwayba was a mawlat, a
freed-slave woman of Aba Lahab whom he had emancipated. So she suckled the
Messenger of God (SAAS).'"
And when Aba Lahab was dead, one of his family, greatly disappointed, was
shown him. The man asked him, "What happened to you?" Aba Lahab replied,
"I experienced nothing good after (leaving) you, except for being given to drink
from this for my having emancipated Thuwayba." And he pointed to the hollow
between his thumb and adjoining fingers.
Al-Suhayli and others report that the one who saw him was his brother
alLCAhbas. And this occurred a year after the death of Aha Lahah, after the battle
of Badr. Their account relates that Aba Lahah said to al-(Abbbbas, "It (i.e. the
punishment of hell) is alleviated for me on Mondays."
This is explained as being because when Thnwayha told him the news of the
birth of his nephew Muhammad, son of 'Abd All*, he emancipated her at once.
And he was rewarded thus for that.