Question

Regarding this post

I read in an article that Ummu Ayman (radiyallahu ‘anha) also breastfed Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) as well as Sayyiduna Hamzah (radiyallahu ‘anhu) and thus they were foster brothers. Is this true?

 

Answer

Your query has a few issues:

1. Did Sayyidatuna Umm Ayman (radiyallahu ‘anha) breastfeed Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)?

– No. Although some writers have mentioned her as one of the foster mothers (مرضعة) of Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), she is more popularly recorded as the (حاضنة) nurse/one who cared for him (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) in his childhood.

(Subulul Huda war Rashad, vol. 1, pg. 378)

2. Was Sayyiduna Hamzah (radiyallahu’anhu) the foster brother of Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)?

– The answer to this is that Sayyiduna Hamzah (radiyallahu ‘anhu) is indeed the foster brother (and biological uncle as well) of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) who was two years elder than Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) as clearly mentioned in Sahih Bukhari, Hadith: 5100 and Sahih Muslim, Hadith: 3566.

3. How was Sayyiduna Hamzah (radiyallahu ‘anhu) the foster brother of our Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)?

– The common view is that it was Thuwaybah (the slave girl of Abu Lahab) who breastfed both; Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and Sayyiduna Hamzah (radiyallahu ‘anhu).

(Fathul Bari, Hadith: 5100 and Nurun Nibras, vol. 1, pg. 215)

– The writers of Sirah also mention an un-named woman from the Banu Sa’d (besides Sayyidah Halimah) who was the suckling mother of Sayyiduna Hamzah (radiyallahu ‘anhu). She did, on one occasion also breastfeed Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam).

Therefore, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and Sayyiduna Hamzah (radiyallahu ‘anhu) were foster brothers via two women.

(Nurun Nibras, vol. 1, pg. 215 and Subulul Huda war Rashad, vol. 1, pg. 377)

 

And Allah Ta’ala Knows best,

Answered by: Mawlana Muhammad Abasoomar

Checked by: Mawlana Haroon Abasoomar