Infancy in the desert
It was the tradition of the noblemen in Makkah to send their children to be breastfed by the Bedouin wet nurses. They felt that the open space of the desert was far better for the children in their early years than the close atmosphere in the city. They thought that when a child was nursed in the desert he was certain to grow up physically strong and healthy.
Every now and then, Bedouin women came to Makkah to seek newborn babies. They were prepared to wet-nurse them for the wages and gifts which were certain to be given to them by the babies' parents. There was no set fee for the task: it was left to the generosity of the father.
A group of such Bedouin women arrived in Makkah shortly after Muhammad was born. Each of them looked at Muhammad but declined to take him when she realized that his father was dead. Apparently, none of them thought the grandfather would do as well for them as the boy's own father.
Each one of them managed to get a child to nurse, except Halimah bint Abi Dhu'ayb. She later reported what she did that day:
I travelled with my husband and our young boy along with a number of women from our tribe, Sa'd ibn Bakr, to seek babies to nurse. It was a bad year in our area of the desert. We had nothing to survive on. I was riding a mule and we had with us an old she-camel which gave us not a drop of milk. We spent many a sleepless night because our little boy was always crying of hunger. I did not have enough milk to satisfy him. Our camel was hopeless, but we still hoped for rain and better days.
Because my mule was also weak, I kept falling behing my companions. I gave them so much trouble because of our weakness. When we arrived in Makkah every woman of us was offered Muhammad to nurse. When she learnt that he was an orphan, she declined. We simply hoped for gifts and presents from the baby's father. Hence, we always replied when we were offerered him: "An orphan! What could his mother or grandfather do for us!"
Every woman in the party was able to obtain a child to nurse except me. When we were about to set out on our journey back home, I said to my husband: "I hate to be the only one to go back empty-handed. I am going to take that orphan." He said: "It is a good idea. He may bring upon us blessings." I went back and brought him. As soon as I put him to my breast, I felt that both my breasts were full of milk. He had his fill, and so did his brother, my own son. Both went to sleep immediately afterwards: we had not had much sleep in the preceding nights because of our boy's crying.
It is also reported that in those days the Prophet only sucked the same breast: he never accepted the other one. It was as if he was made to feel he had a partner, and he left him his share.
Halimah said: "My husband thought that it was worth trying to milk our old camel. He soon discovered that she had full breasts. He milked enough for both of us to have our fill. It was our best night for a long while. My husband said to me in the morning: 'You know, Halimah, you have taken a blessed child.' I said: 'I sincerely hope so.'"
We started our journey that morning and I rode the same mule and carried Muhammad with me. She was now moving fast, ahead of all my friends. They were amazed, and asked me whether it was the same mule I was riding on the way to Makkah. When I affirmed that it was, they were very surprised.
When we arrived at our quarters, it was hit by severe drought. Nevertheless, my sheep were always full of milk. We had more than we needed, while no one else had enough. Most of their sheep had no milk at all. People would tell their shepherds to keep their sheep alongside mine, hoping to have some milk. It was only my sheep which had their breasts bursting with milk every evening. We continued to have this Divine blessing untul he was two years of age, when I weaned him. He was growing like no other child did. When he was two, he was very strong for his age. I took him back to his mother, forming in my mind the best argument I could muster to persuade her to allow me to keep him for a while longer. I said to her: "I wish you would leave my child with me for a little longer until he gets stronger. I fear that he may catch an infection of some sort or another in Makkah." I tried hard until she was persuaded to send him back with me.