Halima the prophet’s foster-mother used to say that she went forth from her dwelling with her husband and little son whom she was nursing, among the women of her tribe, in search of other babies to nurse.

"It was a year of famine when we were destitute. I was riding my dusky (greenish) she-donkey . There was with us an old she-camel which did not yield a drop of milk. We could not have a wink of sleep the whole night because of the weeping of her hungry child. There was not enough milk in my breasts, nor could the she-camel feed him, but we were hoping for rain and relief. ‘I rode upon my donkey which had kept back the other riders through its weakness and malnutrition so that it was a hardship for other riders.

When we reached Mecca, we looked out for foster children, and the prophet of Allah was offered to everyone of us, and each woman refused him when she was told he was an orphan, because we hoped to get payment from the child’s father. We said, “An orphan! and what will his mother and grand father do?”, and so we disdained because of that. Every woman who came with me got a suckling except me, and when we decided to depart I said to my husband: “By Allah, I do not like the idea of returning with my friends without a suckling; I will go and take that orphan.” Her said, “Do as you please; perhaps Allah will bless us on his account.” So I went and took him for the sole reason that I could not find anyone else. I took him back to my baggage, and as soon as I put him in my bosom, my breasts overflowed with milk which he drank until he was satisfied, as also did his foster-brother. Then both of them slept, whereas before this we could not sleep because of my son's crying. My husband got up and went to the old she-camel and to his surprise, her udders were full; he milked it and he and I drank of her milk until we were completely satisfied, and we passed a good night. In the morning my husband said: “Do you know, Halima, you have taken a blessed creature?” I said, “By Allah, I hope so.”

Then we set out and I was riding my she-donkey and carrying him with me, and she went at such a pace that the other donkeys could not keep up so that my companions said to me, “Woe daughter of Abu Dhu'ayb! stop and wait for us. Isn’t this the donkey on which you came with us?” “Certainly it is,” I said. They replied, “By Allah, something extraordinary has happened.” Then we came to our dwellings in the Banu Sa'd country and I do not know a country more barren than that.

When we had him with us my flock used to yield milk in abundance. We milked them and drank while other people could not have a drop, nor could they find anything in their animals’ udders, so that our people were saying to their shepherds, “Woe to you! send your flock to graze where the daughter of Abu Dhuayb’s shepherd goes.” Even so, their flocks came back hungry not yielding a drop of milk, while mine had milk in abundance. We ceased not to recognize this bounty as coming from Allah for a period of two years, when I weaned him. He was growing up as none of the other children grew and by the time he was two he was a strong child. We brought him to his mother, though we were most anxious to keep him with us because of the blessing which he brought us. I said to her: “Would you leave my little boy with me until he becomes a bigger, for I am afraid on his account of the epidemic in Mecca.” We persisted until she let him back with us.

Some months after our return he and his brother were with our lambs behind the tents when his brother came running and said to us, “Two men clothed in white have seized that Quraysh! brother of mine and thrown him down and opened up his chest, and are moving it up.” We ran towards him and found him standing up with a pale face. We took hold of him and asked him what was the matter. He said, ‘‘Two men in white garments came and threw me down and opened up my chest and searched for something I do not know.” So we took him back to our tent.

His (foster) father said to me, “Halimah, I am afraid that this child has had a stroke, so we should return him back to his family before the anything appears.” So we carried him up and took him to his mother who wondered, 'Why did you bring him while you were anxious for his welfare and desirous of keeping him with you ?" I said to her, “Allah has let my son live so far and I have done my duty. I am afraid that harm will befall him, so I have brought him back to you as you wished.” She asked me what happened and insisted to know the truth until I told her what had happened. She said, 'Do you fear a demon possessed him ?' , I replied that I did. She answered that no demon had any power over her son who had a great future before him, and then she told how when she was pregnant with him a light went out from her which illumined the castles of Busra in Syria, and that she had borne him with the least difficulty imaginable. When she delivered him he put his hands on the ground lifting his head towards the heavens. “Leave him then and go in peace,” she said