WOMEN/FOSTER MOTHERS WHO FED THE HOLY PROPHET (P.B.U.H).

The Prophet of Islam, Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) is the central personality of Islam. Each and every aspect of his life is of utmost importance to Muslims and thus is studied in detail by researchers and scholars of all times. The aspect of foster mothers of the Prophet PBUH is no different. The present article discusses in detail the names and person of those venerable women in history who got the honor of breastfeeding the Prophet PBUH. Special attention has been given to the research of Makhdoom Hashim Thathvi RA and his renowned book on this topic.

The cast of Makhdoom Sahab was Panhore, genealogy of Panhore nation belongs to Arabs and his genealogy combines with "Haris Bin Abdul Mutallib". These people came along with Muhammad Bin Qasim and resided in Sindh. As far as the word "Makhdoom" is concerned, this is not a cast rather he used to be called "Makhdoom" due to his religious services whereas "Richardson" writes that "Makhdoom" was a designation in Sindh at that time for which many important persons used to take interest. (2) Birth: He was born on 10 th Rabi ul Awal 1104 hijri, 19 th November 1692 at Thatta.

Teachers and Spiritual Leaders:
He was blessed with intelligence and cuteness from his birth. Your first teacher was your own father who was a noble personality and blessed with Islamic education. He started getting earlier education from his father Makhdoom Abdul Ghafoor on 113A.D and completed Holy Quran within six months and read a few books. (4) The rest of education was taken from the famous Scholars of Thatta (which was the center of education) in which one of them is Makhdoom Ziauddin 1171A.D who was the embodiment of knowledge and Art in that Era. He is amongst the sons of Shaikh Shahab Uddin Soharwardi.
He also gained knowledge from Makhdoom Saeed in Thatta, but not much details could be found about it. It is said that Makhdoom Hashim Thatvi (R.A) completed all education by the age of nine. (5) When he visited in 1135A.D he bowed his head towards their Scholars despite of being a Scholar and gained knowledge from them including Sheikh Abdul Qadir S/o Abu Bakar Siddiqui Makki (1138)A.D who was designated on the post of Ahnaf. He read the books of Ahadees and Fiqah and got the expertise in these sciences and got respect among the others. He took complete advantage of him specially from his book written as "Al Tahaif Al Akabir Bimarwyat Al Shaikh Abdul Qadir" from which love and affection for his teacher can be imagined. (6) Similarly, he gained knowledge from Sheikh Eid S/o Ali Namarsi Misri Shafai (7) Sheikh Muhammad S/o Ibrahim Kardi Korani Madni R.A (1145) A.D was among his teachers as well. (8) Teaching and Betterment: He built a Madarsa near his area Bhore and carried on the hobby of teaching but your teachings and voice of truth was not liked by the Feudalists and Islamic Scholars. Therefore, he was compelled to move from there and stayed in Thatta permanently and also made a Madarsa there in which students used to get Islamic education.   (22) 6. It has been written in Seerat-e-Halbi that these three women fed less and they got milk in their breast due to Muhammad (P.B.U.H) had to get milk feed, their names were "Atiqa" that is why it has been written in Hadees that " ‫علین‬ ‫هي‬ ‫العواتک‬ ‫اثي‬ ‫ًب‬ ٓ ‫ا‬ '' means I am the son of Atiqas who belonged to Bani Saleem (23) . 7. Umm-e-Farwa (R.A) who was discussed by Imam Mastagri. A hadees was taken from Abu Ishaq " ‫ظئش‬ ‫فشوح‬ ‫ٔم‬ ‫ا‬ ‫عي‬ ‫الٌجی‬ ‫ﷺ‬ " (24) 1113 Caretaker is the meaning of ‫ظئش‬ in Arabic ‫الشبهی(‬ ‫)کزاقبل‬ According to some references from Allama Shami R.A Muhammad (P.B.U.H) was breastfed by ten women, eight are the same as above, the other are Hazrat Khola D/o Manzar Ansaria "Bani Adi", and Umm-e-Aiman who was being provided from his father through inheritance. She was the foster mother of Muhammad (P.B.U.H), but the last woman who fed Muhammad (P.B.U.H) was discussed in "Marzaat-e-Rasool". It is not confirmed even she was the foster mother of Syedna Hazrat Ibrahim. Similarly Ibn-e-Saad, Abu Umaro etc and Qazi Aza Uddin S/o Qazi Badar Uddin wrote in their book that Khola R.A was included in foster mothers, similarly in literature of "Al Asaba" that " ٰ ّ ‫للا‬ ‫سعول‬ ‫اثي‬ ‫هشضعۃ‬ ‫الوٌزس‬ ‫ثٌت‬ ‫ﷺ‬ " this is the mistake of publisher, He left the word ‫"اثي"‬ because it is written as follows in Corrected edition of Al Asaba: " ‫سعو‬ ‫اثي‬ ‫هشضعۃ‬ ‫الوٌزس‬ ‫ثٌت‬ ‫للا‬ ‫ل‬ " The rest Umm-e-Aiman Although she was included in Foster mothers but according to famous saying she took care of Muhammad (P.B.U.H) but not was a Foster Mother. (25) About some doubts that exist, answers are necessary which are as follows:

Answer:
There are differences about her religion Islam, but as per majority her religion Islam is justified. Sharah-e-Mawahab Sheikh Muhammad Zarqani said that the real fact is that Haleema was Muslim and was involved in the differences of Sahaba, and majority of the scholars have the same stand. Amongst those Ibn Abi Khasheema in his book "Alhadi", Minder in "Mukhtasar Al Sanan", Hafiz Mughtai in "Tohfa-e-Hasmia" and Hafiz Ibn-e-Hajr in "Asaba", all of them considered her as Sahabia ( 28 ) Allama Shami (R.A) argued for it in details in this regard and its signs and Ahadees were discussed who justified her as Muslim and as Sahabia, even there is a reference from Haleema Sadia and opposed and negated the other side.

Fourth Doubt:
What was the name of Haleema's son who got milk feed with Muhammad (P.B.U.H)?

Answer:
His name was Abdullah.

Fifth Doubt:
It is justified that Muhammad (P.B.U.H) got milk feed from Bibi Haleema for complete two years, but when was this duration started and ended?

Answer:
There is in Book "Samyat ad Dor" that when Haleema (R.A) adopted Muhammad (P.B.U.H) when he was 4 months old but Allama Halbi (R.A) said that when Bibi Haleema adopted him he was 2 months old and Allama Shami agrees with this that Muhammad (P.B.U.H) got milk feed from Sobia for a few days, even Haleema came after.

1114
Sixth Doubt: Who was the woman whom Muhammad (P.B.U.H) got milk feed who belonged to Bani Saad?
Answer: Its answer is that it is not being discussed in detail.

Seventh Doubt:
What was the name of Sobia's son who was also got milk feed as Muhammad (P.B.U.H) by Sobia and was she a muslim or not?

Answer:
His name was Masrooh. Hafiz Ibn Hijr (R.A) said that I have no information about the religion of Masrooh, therefore there is a doubt about his religion. (31) Eighth Doubt: Is religion Islam is confirmed of the rest of women besides Sobia and Haleema?