Conception of Prophet Muhammad

Prophet Muhammad was conceived by Aaminah after her marriage with Abdullah , on Friday, the 12th of Zil-Hajja. The blessed nur (light) or the seed of the Holy Prophet was transferred from Adam to Abdullah ibn Abdul Muttalib through pious and respectable people. When the Holy Prophet was conceived, his mother, Aaminah had many divine experiences which enlightened her regarding the fact that she was carrying the Last Prophet of

Almighty in her womb.

Marriage of the Abdullah and Aaminah

Abdul Muttalib took his son to Madinah and went to visit the paternal uncle of Aaminah , who was her guardian as well. Abdul Muttalib asked Aaminah’s hand in marriage for his son, which was accepted. Hence, the wedding ceremony was arranged and the nikkah (marriage) was conducted. Ibn Saad states:

  كانت آمنة بنت وهب بن عبد مناف بن زهرة بن كلاب في حجر عمها وهيب بن عبد مناف بن زهرة فمشى إليه عبد المطلب بن هاشم ابن عبد مناف بن قصي بابنه عبد اللّٰه بن عبد المطلب أبي رسول اللّٰه صلى اللّٰه علیه وسلم فخطب عليه آمنة بنت وهب فزوجها عبد اللّٰه بن عبد المطلب...لما تزوج عبد اللّٰه بن عبد المطلب آمنة بنت وهب أقام عندها ثلاثاوكانت تلك السنة عندهم إذا دخل الرجل على امرأته في أهلها. ¹

  Aaminah bint Wahb ibn Abd Munaf ibn Zuhra ibn Kallab , was in the guardianship of her paternal uncle Wahb ibn Abd Munaf ibn Zuhra. Abdul Muttalib ibn Hashim ibn Abd Munaf ibn Qusayy took his son (the father of the Holy Prophet , Abdullah ) to their place and asked Aaminah for him (for marriage)…Abdullah ibn Abdul Muttalib , when wedded to Aaminah , stayed in her house for three days because it was a custom (of Arabs) that when they went to their wives after marriage, they would stay in that house for three days.

Acknowledgment of the Sacred Pregnancy

After staying at her house for three days, Abdullah then took Aaminah to his house, which he gave in her possession. Soon after, she had the honor of conceiving the Holy Prophet in that house. ² At that time, an angel was ordered to announce in the heavens and the earth that the Holy Prophet had been transferred to the blessed womb of his mother. ³ Imam Isbahani adds that many supernatural events happened that night. The narration is recorded as:

  قال ابن عباس: فكان من دلالات حمل النبي صلى اللّٰه علیه وسلم أن كل دابة كانت لقريش نطقت تلك الليلة وقالت: حمل برسول اللّٰه صلى اللّٰه علیه وسلم ورب الكعبة وهو أمان الدنيا وسراج أهلها ولم يبق كاهنة من قريش ولا قبيلة من قبائل العرب إلا حجبت عن صاحبتها وانتزع علم الكهنة ولم يكن سرير ملك من ملوك الدنيا إلا أصبح منكوسا والملك مخرسا لا ينطق يومه ذلك ومرت وحوش المشرق إلى وحوش المغرب بالبشارات وكذلك البحار يبشر بعضهم بعضا به فى كل شهر من شهوره نداء فى الأرض ونداء فى السماء: أن أبشروا؛ فقد آن لأبى القاسم أن يخرج إلى الأرض ميمونا مباركا. ⁴

  Ibn Abbas narrates that every animal of Quraysh spoke at that night: by the lord of Ka’aba! (Our king) Muhammad has been conceived; he is the leader of the world and a guidance to the people. Therefore, it is kept hidden from all the tribes of Arab and the fortune-tellers, and their foresight was taken away from them. And all the thrones of the kings were turned upside down that day, and every king was turned dumb for the whole day. Birds of the east went to the birds of the west to deliver the good news and similarly, the creatures of water congratulated each other. In every month of the sacred pregnancy of the Holy Prophet , it was called in the land and the sky: give glad tidings! Abu al-Qasim (Muhammad ) will come to this world soon, with all his blessings and benediction.

This narration was endorsed by Qastallani as well. ⁵ Some people quote Al-Kazaruni and state the pregnancy did not occur for a number of years, ⁶ however, this view has been rejected by the scholars of history and hadith who deem it to be false.

Days of Acknowledgement

The most prevalent citation regarding the day when Prophet Muhammad was conceived is 12th of Zil Hajj. Ibn Asakir states that some scholars are of the opinion that Prophet Muhammad was conceived in the month of Rajab while some state that he was conceived on the 10th of Muharram, however the most authentic citation is that he was conceived on the 12th of Zil Hajj. This date is based on the account narrated by Ibn Saad which states that a woman named Khuthaima wanted to get intimate with Abdullah . Abdullah denied and said that he had to perform Rami Jamar (stoning of the Satan). After performing that ritual, he went home to his wife Aaminah , got intimate with her and hence, Prophet Muhammad was conceived. After that, Khuthaima saw Abdullah and asked him: Have you got married? He said: Yes. Khuthaima said: the glow that I witnessed on your forehead is not there anymore. Send my greetings to Aaminah as she is conceiving the greatest of the men of the Earth. ⁷ Since Rami is performed in the days of Hajj, it shows that Prophet Muhammad was conceived in those dates as mentioned above. ⁸ Sheikh Abd Al-Haq also endorsed it and wrote that the authentic citation regarding the pregnancy is that it was acknowledged in the days of Hajj, amongst the selected dates (Ayyam Tashreeq), on a Friday night. ⁹

A Question Related to the Date of Prophet Muhammad’s Birth

Almost all scholars and historians agree that the Holy Prophet was born in the month of Rabi-Al-Awwal. However, since the pregnancy was established in the month of Zil Hajj, some people stated that his birth is not possible in the month of Rabi Al-Awwal, as the duration of a normal pregnancy is of 8 to 10 months, and the duration between Zil Hajj and Rabi Al-Awwal is of 3 months only.

The answer to this problem is that in the age of Jahiliyya, the Arabs used to practice a ritual known as ‘Al-Nasi’ through which they used to change the sacred months to non-sacred and the non-sacred months to sacred, and even change the order of the months. Due to these actions, the original order of the months was moved from their original state. This is why their actions were denounced by Allah Almighty in the Holy Quran as well. ¹⁰ If the ritual of manipulation of months in the time of ignorance is considered, it indicates that the sacred pregnancy might have occurred in Shaban or in Jamadi Al-Akhira as mentioned by Jareer, Munzar and Mardvia. Imam Shami states that numerous scholars have conveyed that the Holy Prophet was conceived in the month of Rajab (but it was Zil Hajj, according to the tampered calendar). With its acceptance, the famous citation is thus authenticated that the Holy Prophet was born in the month of Rabi al-Awwal (because in that way, it makes nine months till Rabi al-Awwal) ¹¹ but as per their prevailing calendar it was 12th of Zil Hajj which is quoted here.

Time Period of the Pregnancy

The sacred pregnancy lasted for exactly 9 months. ¹² Sheikh Qastallani quotes Abu Zakariya and states:

  بقى صلى اللّٰه علیه وسلم فى بطن أمه تسعة أشهر كملا، لا تشكو وجعا ولا مغصا ولا ريحا ولا ما يعرض لذوات الحمل من النساء، وكانت تقول: واللّٰه ما رأيت من حمل هو أخف منه ولا أعظم بركة منه. ¹³

  The Holy Prophet stayed in the belly of his mother for complete nine months and during that period Aaminah experienced no headache or stomachache, neither any other discomfort which the pregnant women usually experience; she was safe from that. She used to say: I swear to Allah! I have not seen any pregnancy lighter and more blessed than this one.

Zurqani also endorsed this narration. ¹⁴ These accounts explicate the time period of the sacred pregnancy of the Holy Prophet which was of nine complete months.

The Nine Months

Aaminah said that when she conceived the Holy Prophet , she saw Prophet Adam , Seth , Enoch , Noah , Hud , Abraham , Ishmael , Moses and Jesus in her dreams, in each of the 9 months, who congratulated her for conceiving Prophet Muhammad . ¹⁵ She also narrated that when she got pregnant, she didn’t had to face the pain and struggles of pregnancy which other women normally did. ¹⁶

The Birth of Prophet Muhammad

When Prophet Muhammad was born, Abdul Muttalib and other relatives expressed their joy in different manners. When Abu Lahab (Uncle of the Holy Prophet ) heard about it, he freed his concubine named Thuwaiyba ¹⁷ Regarding Abdul Muttalib’s celebrations, Ibn Saad states:

  ولما ولدت آمنة بنت وهب رسول اللّٰه - صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم - أرسلت إلى عبد المطلب. فجاءه البشير وهو جالس في الحجر معه ولده ورجال من قومه. فأخبره أن آمنة ولدت غلاما. فسر ذلك عبد المطلب وقام هو ومن كان معه فدخل عليها. فأخبرته بكل ما رأت وما قيل لها وما أمرت به. قال: فأخذه عبد المطلب فأدخله الكعبة وقام عندها يدعو اللّٰه ويشكر ما أعطاه. ¹⁸

  When Aaminah bint Wahb , the mother of the Messenger of Allah , gave birth, she sent for Abdul-Muttalib. The bearer of glad tidings came to him while he was sitting in Al-Hijr with his son and other people his nation. He informed him that Aaminah had given birth to a boy. When the man told Abdul Muttalib that Aaminah had given birth to a boy, Abdul Muttalib became so happy that he stood up and the people around him stood up as well and went to visit her. She informed him of everything she had seen, heard, and been commanded. Abdul-Muttalib took the child and entered the Ka'bah with him, standing by it, praying to Allah and thanking Him for what He had bestowed.

Ibn Ishaq has also narrated this account. ¹⁹ Ibn-e-Jawzi adds that Abdul Muttalib recited the following poetry to praise and thank Allah Almighty:

  الحمد للّٰه الذى اعطانى
ھذا الغلام الطیب الاردان
قد سادفى المھد على الغلمان
اعیذہ بالبیت ذى الاركان
حتى اراہ بالغ البنیان
اعیذہ من شر ذى شنان
من حاسد مضطرب العیان ²⁰

  All Praise be to Allah, who bestowed me with this child in pure clothes and an exalted status, who surpassed other children being in his cradle. I give him in the protection of this house of Allah that has sacred pillars and corners. Even I desire to see him in his complete mighty youth. I give him in the protection of Allah from the evil of enmity, and the evil of the envious, whose eyes suffer from the disease of envy.

The poetry can be found in Ibne Saad's work as well. ²¹ The nur (light) of the Holy Prophet which was transferred from Adam till Abdullah , entered this world via the wedlock of Abdullah and Aaminah . The greatness of Prophet Muhammad , which was foretold in the dreams and other religious scriptures, was then seen by the world as he grew older.

 

---

• ¹ Muhammad ibn Saad Al-Basri (1990), Tabaqat Al-Kubra, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 76.
• ² Muḥammad ibn Isḥaq ibn Yasar Al-Madani (2009), Al-Seerat Al-Nabawiyah le-ibn Ishaq, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Pg. 94.
• ³ Ahmed ibn Muhammad Al-Qastallani (2009), Al-Mawahib Al-Laduniyyah bil Manh Al-Muhammadiyyah, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 61-62.
• ⁴ Abu Nua’ym Ahmed ibn Abdullah Al-Asbahani(2012), Dalail al-Nabuwwah, Maktaba Al-Asariyah, Sidon, Lebanon, Pg. 362-363.
• ⁵ Ahmed ibn Muhammad Al-Qastallani (2009), Al-Mawahib Al-Laduniyyah bil Manh Al-Muhammadiyyah, Dar al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 61-62.
• ⁶ Marion Holmes Katz (2007), The Birth of the Prophet Muhammad Devotional Piety in Sunni Islam, Culture and Civilization in East, Routledge, New York, USA, Pg. 30.
• ⁷ Abu Al-Qasim Ali ibn Al-Hasan ibn Asakir (1995), Tareekh Damishq, Dar al-Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 3, Pg. 404.
• ⁸ Ahmed Raza Khan (2004), Fatawa Rizwiyah, Raza Foundation, Lahore, Pakistan, Vol. 26, Pg. 406.
• ⁹ Abd Al-Haq Dehalvi (1997), Madarij-un-Nabuwwah, Nuriyah Rizwiyah Publishing Company, Lahore, Pakistan, Vol. 2, Pg. 13.
• ¹⁰ Holy Quran, At-Taubah (Repentance) 9: 37
• ¹¹ Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Ahmed Al-Halabi (2013), Al-Seerat Al-Halabiyah, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 85.
• ¹² Nur Al-Din Ali ibn Ahmed Al-Samhudi (2015), Al-Mawarid Al-Haniyyah fe Maulid Khair Al-Bariyyah, Zawiyah Publishers, Lahore, Pakistan, Pg. 111.
• ¹³ Ahmed ibn Muhammad Al-Qastallani (2009), Al-Mawahib Al-Laduniyyah bil Manh Al-Muhammadiyyah, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 63.
• ¹⁴ Muhammad ibn Abd Al-Baqi Al-Zurqani (2012), Sharah Zurqani Ala Al-Mawahib Al-Laduniyyah bil Manh al-Muhammadiyyah, Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 204.
• ¹⁵ Shahab Al-Din Ahmed ibn Hajr Al-Haitami (2011), Al-Nimat Al-Kubra Ala Al-'Aalam fe Maulid Syadu Waladi Adam, Maktabah Al-Haqeeqah, Istanbul, Turkey, Pg. 19-20.
• ¹⁶ Muhammad ibn Saad Al-Basri (1990), Al-Tabaqat Al-Kubra, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 78.
• ¹⁷ Abu Muhammad Mahmood ibn Ahmed Badar Al-Din Al-A’ini (N.D.), U’mda tu Al-Qari Sharah Sahih Bukhari, Dar Ihya Al-Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 20, Pg. 95.
• ¹⁸ Muhammad ibn Saad Al-Basri (1990), Tabaqat Al-Kubra, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 82.
• ¹⁹ Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Yasar Al-Madani (2009), Al-Seerat Al-Nabawiyah le-ibn Ishaq, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 97.
• ²⁰ Abu Al-Faraj Abd Al-Rahman ibn Jawzi (2009), Sifat Al-Safwah, Dar Al-Hadith, Cairo, Egypt, Vol. 1, Pg. 22.
• ²¹ Muhammad ibn Saad Al-Basri (1990), Tabaqat Al-Kubra, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 83.