The Prophet’s (s.a.w.) Mother Passed Away When He was 6 Years Old

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Shaykh ‘Utsman Nuri Tufbas wrote, in “The Prophet Muhammad Muswthafa the Elect (s.a.w.)”, while the Prophet (s.a.w.) was still six years of age, accompanied by Sayyidatina Umm Ayman Barakah bint Tsa’labah (r.a.), Sayyidatina Aminah bint Wahb (r.a.) took him to Madina, to visit his father’s grave.  They stayed for a month in Madina next to Sayyidatina Aminah’s (r.a.) brothers.  The visit proved fruitful as the Prophet (s.a.w.) was able to mix with his cousins, even learning how to swim. 

Recalling those days, the Prophet (s.a.w.) remembered certain Jews coming next to him and staring lengthily at him, recounting, “Again after inspecting me for a while, a Jew left the scene, only to come back a few moments later.  ‘What’s your name, child?’ he asked. 

‘Ahmad’, I said. 

Then, he looked at my back and murmured, ‘He has got to be him.’  I told the incident to my uncles, who then informed my mother.  She began to feel uneasy, so without further ado we prepared to return to Makkah.” 

But Sayyidatina Aminah (r.a.) fell ill on the return journey and, at thirty years of age, breathed her last near Abwa’, where she was buried.  Moments before her death she gazed at her little orphan with loving eyes, filled with tender affection, hugged him and said the following: “May Allah Bless you!  If what I have seen in my dreams is true, you shall be Assigned by the Glorious and the Generous Allah to inform mankind of the good and bad.  Allah will Protect you from idols and idolatry.  All that is alive will die, all that is new is bound to become old and all that is old is destined to perish.  I will too now move on but knowing I will be forever remembered because I leave behind a pure child and a loving memory.” 

Sayyidatina Umm Ayman (r.a.), the Prophet’s (s.a.w.) caretaker, was another who the Prophet (s.a.w.) would address as “mother” and frequently visit.  In expression of his loving respect, the Prophet (s.a.w.) is known to have referred to her as “a second mother”, and a member of his immediate family.