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This Separation İs From Love

Written in Turkish by Mutlu BİNİCİ

Translated into English by Yunus Emre KAPIYOLDAŞ

For a mother, her child is the most beautiful and most important being in the world, and he is also the sweetest gift God has given her. Guess it is not possible to describe the happiness of a woman who gives birth after a long period of troubles and unbearable pains. The child's upbringing, which begins after birth and lasts much longer, brings many sacrifices, sleepless nights and countless worries for the mother; however, no mother even remembers to abandon her offspring and reduce her love and care for her, despite all the difficulties she has experienced. It is because Allah gave mothers unlimited love and compassion.

HZ. AMİNE

Amine's place among mothers is quite significant. Because our prophet was not just a son for Amine ,he was also a saint memory from her husband, Abdullah, who passed away. He was the one who connected her to life and was the only thing that made life meaningful for her. The only thing she had was his dear son after being widow at the age of 17. However, the circumstances of that day compelled Amine to leave her child, to remain alone and unconscious, and to burn with the longing of her offspring who would live among other people for years in different lands. Separation was a hard sacrifice that was difficult to bear for Amine, a deep pain that seemed impossible to be patient.

A ROSE GROWING IN THE DESERT 

During the period of Jahiliyya, the well known people of Mecca used to give their newborn children to the foster-mothers in the desert because the weather in Mecca is too bad and is not suitable for newborn children. Desert is both cleaner and healthier. Children growing up in the desert have a much stronger body. In addition, the most pure and beautiful Arabic speakers are the Bedouins in the desert. Especially, the members of the Hevazinli Beni Sa’d tribe would use all the dialects of Arabic in the best way. A child who starts to speak between them has a pure and proper language. Growing in the vast deserts instead of the city's overwhelming environment, children would look at life more freely and healthier. Because of all these reasons, Amine decided to give him to a foster-mother to prepare him for the future in the best way. His separation from our master is from his infinite love and compassion for Him. Love sometimes requires sacrifice and sometimes separation; for those who love to afford to leave are those who give the right to love. For a mother, leaving her single baby for his future is a sacrifice that modern man cannot understand.


SUVEYBE

Amine breastfed our Master only for a few days. After his mother, Suveybe Hatun, the concubine of his uncle Abu Leheb, suckled our Prophet for a short time. Suezbe also breastfed Hamza, the uncle of our Master, and Abu Saleme, who would later become one of his companions. In this connection, our Prophet, his uncle Hz. Hamza and Abu Saleme became milk-brothers. [1]
The Prophet did not forget Suveybe Hatun throughout his life and showed her a deep loyalty. He gave her gifts, pocket money, even after immigration to Medina he did not neglect her, he didn’t leave her alone. When he came back from the Khyber War, he learned that Süveybe had died, and his eyes were tearful, and when they told him that her son Mesruh had passed away, he searched the remaining relatives and folks.[2]
This state of our Prophet, who felt owed to a woman who breastfed for only a few days, gives  a lesson to the Muslims who don’t even show a warm smile to their mothers who served them for years.
When Suveybe was breastfeeding our Master, Abdulmuttalib was searching for a foster-mother for his beloved grandson, and the desert's fortunate woman entered Mecca after an adventurous journey to reach Muhammad.


Hz. HALIME


That year, Beni Sa’d , the homeland of qavm-al Beqr, was suffering severe famine and drought. People were longing for a drop of rain. When poverty reached an unbearable level, the newly-born women of the tribe set out for Mecca with their husbands. The women of this tribe would come to Mecca twice a year and take them to their homeland to nurse newborn children.
A woman who breastfeeds a noble family in Mecca deserves both a certain wage and to become a relative to a wealthy family of the Quraysh. In the following years, it is very important for a woman who lived in the desert to be the foster-mother of a rich and reputable leader of the Quraysh.
Halime bint Abi Züeyb was one of the ten women who set out with the dream of finding a rich child to breastfeed and the most ordeals. Because the weak and frail animal she rode on would move too slowly, and the old female camel they took with them did not give any milk. When Halime's milk was  not enough for her son, Abdullah, she could not cure the hunger and cry of her child. She looked painfully behind the convoy moving away from her rapidly and disappearing. The woman, left alone on the road with her husband and calf, thought that her friends would take the children of the rich families and that she may return home empty-handed. Halime, whose sorrow had increased one more time, still continued on her way.
Benî Sa’d b. The women of the Bakr tribe did not accept to breastfeed the lover of Allah and the orphan of Amine and to be a mother to Him. What can a poor mother or grandfather of a child without a father give to them? What can a child who lost his father before he was born and lost his future with his father - in the sense of ignorance? Standing next to an orphan on which the mourning winds blow is not a profit of reason.


A WOMAN WITH SADNESS

Abdülmuttalib, the wise, old and prominent leader of Quraysh, walked through the streets of Mecca with his sadness of not finding a foster-mother for his beloved baby, his only grandson, and met Halime with a sad face. The woman, who was looking for a baby to breastfeed all day long, realized that there were no children left in the evening and her hopes were gone. 
When Abdulmuttalib asked Halime to accept her grandson, she hesitated. She came here to get rid of the clutches of famine and poverty, and to take a sigh of relief under the patronage of a wealthy family. When this child was taken away, this situation would neither benefit him nor his orphan, who could convince him that he could feed himself. She could not give Abdulmuttalib a final answer.
She told her husband, Haris. She said she wanted to take this orphan to her village instead of being empty-handed and ridiculed. Hâris agreed with his wife. Perhaps thanks to this orphan, blessings would be bestowed on their homes. Halime went to Abdulmuttalib and told him that she accepted his offer and was going to nurse the child. The old grandfather joyfully took Halime to Amine's house to show her Muhammad. Muhammad was sleeping wrapped in a white cloth. Underneath was a green silk cover. When Halime saw the most beautiful baby on earth, her heart rate increased. Is this the child that her friends didn’t want to see and that she herself accepted as forced?
The greatest treasure of the worlds, the most beautiful thing in the world was in the arms of Halime. When she kissed in the middle of two eyebrows, Muhammad's eyes opened, he looked at Halime and smiled. Halime returned to her husband with Muhammad Mustafa.
This is so. Joseph was sold in the markets for a very low price, became the ruler of Egypt. Muhammad became mercy on the worlds while the poor women didn’t deign.


THE SUPREME GUEST

When Halime wanted to breastfeed Muhammad, she found that her breast was full of milk. Both Muhammad and his son Abdullah sucked milk, got full up and slept. Her husband, Haris,said that their old and scrawny camel had changed that night. Milk from the camel fed both Haris and Halime. It is the first time that night they had a happy and peaceful sleep. The last word of the night falls from the lips of Haris: “ O Halime, this child has brought good and blessings to our home.” [3]
All children are beautiful, all children are good and fertile. The point is to look at the child with love and compassion, and to know that that child is a valuable trust of the Almighty Allah. The black child growing up in the most remote part of the earth without a mother and father is the beloved legacy of an orphaned prophet and cares for his nation. Those who love Muhammad must feed and raise orphans like their own children. Then, our God, who has blessed Halime's home, will grant blessings to our households.
In the morning, Halime and her family took their holy guest, Muhammad, with them. Halime's donkey, which used to move with difficulty on it’s way to Mecca, went so fast that they left behind the Hevazin group that set out before them. When her friends asked her, “Isn't this the frail animal you were riding when you were coming to Mecca? Halime said,“ Yes, that is it, but I have received a very fortunate and blessed child. ” Those who did not compliment Amine's orphan already regretted it.
According to Halime's statement, the land inhabited by the Beni Sa’d tribe was the most inefficient and barren area on earth. The flock of Halime got full, and the milk became abundant. While other people could not find a drop of milk, Halime's family was fed. The neighbors encouraged their shepherds to graze their livestock on the spot where Halime's herd grazed, but the miracle was not from the grassland where the flock grazed, yet it is from the holy guest Mohammad. [1]
Young children bring home blessings, happiness and bliss. It seems like another spoon is added to the table, but it is perhaps the sustenance of the new member of the family that supports, nurtures, and rejoices the entire family. Muhammad gave a new excitement to the desperate family.


THE WEATHER OF MACCA DAMAGES MOHAMMAD, MAKES AMİNA SAD

After two years of breastfeeding, Halime weaned our Lord and took her to Mecca to his mother, Amine. Amine tightly hugged to her only young child. But, Halime did not want to leave Muhammad who was the cause of mercy and blessings. Not to leave him, Halime told Amine about the plague of Mecca and the damages that may cause to the child. Amine resented at first, she did not even want to hear these words. How could she distance from her son that she had waited her with longing, trembling with the excitement of his vuslat? But, Halime's words were true. The weather of this city was not good for children. She would step on her bosom and leave her child in tears. Halime was pleased as she brought Muahmmad  back to her village. [4]
Muhammad aleyhisselam spent the first years of his life in the dorm of Beni Sa’d with his milk-siblings, Abdullah, Üneyse and Şeyma. Lady Halime’s house was the happiest and most beautiful home on earth. However, the incident of Shakku’s-sadr, splitting of the Muhammad’s chest, which is mentioned in the hadith and siyar sources and reported to be experienced in Halime's homeland, put Halime and Haris in deep concern. While the Prophet was out with his siblings, the angel of revelation, who came to him in the guise of a human being, took his heart from his chest, and then he put it back into place after cleaning with water. His brothers, who witnessed this event, informed Halime of the situation and said that their brother Muhammad from Quraish was killed. When Halime and her husband went out in a panic, they saw that our Master was alive, but his face was discolored. [5]Halime and her husband who were concerned about Mohammad’s safety decided to take Muhammad to Mecca and give him to his mother.


I AM, MOHAMMAD B. ABDULLAH B. ABDULMUTTALİB

When Halime went to the uphills of Mecca, she saw a crowd. She moved a little away for a need. When she returned, she could not find our Prophet. No matter how much she called, she could not get a result. She cried. Finally, she told the situation to his grandfather, Abdulmuttalib. Abdulmuttalib mobilized all his people to find his grandson. After hours he saw a child standing under a tree and playing with the leaves of the tree. He approached and asked; “ um Baby, who are you? ” The child looked up and said:“ Me! Muhammad b. Abdullah b. Abdulmuttalib, ”. The old man embraced the child, and cried of joy, He said; “Look Son, I am your grandfather, Abdulmuttalib” and he took our Master to Mecca and hand him over to his mother, Amine. [6]


FOR THE SAKE OF A MOTHER

In the following years, the Messenger of Allah never forgot his foster-mother Halime. Every time he saw her, he called out her as “Mommy”. Years later, Halime knocked on the door of Muhammad alayhisselam. Beni Sa’d land was experiencing famine and drought and the animals of Halime were dying. When there was no money and animals,she went to Mohammad and asked for help. The Messenger of Allah and his wife Hz. Hatice gave Halime forty sheep and a camel for her to ride, and many gifts. [7] Whenever our Lord saw Halime, he would stand up and take out his rida and put it to the ground for her to sit down.
Our master aleyhisselam's Foster-mother from Hevazin and his wife, and all his brothers, became Muslims by believing in Muhammed aleyhisselam. [8] Six thousand people from Hevazin who were taken captive in the battle of Huneyn were released for the sake of the Foster-mother and brothers who were from Hevazin. A city was donated for a mother's sake, hoping not to break the memory of our mothers…

Click on the link to read the Turkish translation of the article: https://www.siyerinebi.com/tr/siyerinebidersleri5/hz.halime

[1] İbn Sa’d,I,108, Belâzurî, Ensâb,I,103.

[2] İbn Sa’d,I,108.

[3] İbn Hişâm, I,163; Halebî,I,147.

[4] İbn Sa’d,I,112.

[5] Müslim, İman 162; Halebî,I,153-4.

[6] İbn Hişâm,I,167; Halebî,I,154.

[7] İbn Sa’d,I,114; İbnü’l-Cevzî,I,114.

[8] İbn Abdilber,IV,270; Asri Çubukçu, Halime,DİA,XV,338.

[9] İbn Sa’d, I,115.

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