Abu Talib breastfed the Prophet?

 

Abu Talib breastfed the Prophet? 

There is an odd narration found in al-Kafi that says that the Holy Prophet was breastfed by Abu Talib before Halima, his wet-nurse.

[al-Kafi, Volume 1 page 448]

Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Sa‘d ibn ‘Abdallah from Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Thaqafi from Ali ibn Mu‘alla from his brother, Muhammad from Durust ibn Abu Mansur from Ali ibn Abu Hamza from Abu Basir from Abu ‘Abdullah al-Sadiq (عليه السلام):

“When the Holy Prophet ﷺ was born he remained for days without milk. Abu Talib himself breast fed him and Allah sent milk through his nipples. It continued for several days until Abu Talib found Halima al-Sa‘diya and the child was given to her”

27ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الله عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الثَّقَفِيِّ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْمُعَلَّى عَنْ أَخِيهِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ دُرُسْتَ بْنِ أَبِي مَنْصُورٍ عَنْعَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ لَمَّا وُلِدَ النَّبِيُّ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) مَكَثَ أَيَّاماً لَيْسَ لَهُ لَبَنٌ فَأَلْقَاهُ أَبُوطَالِبٍ عَلَى ثَدْيِ نَفْسِهِ فَأَنْزَلَ الله فِيهِ لَبَناً فَرَضَعَ مِنْهُ أَيَّاماً حَتَّى وَقَعَ أَبُو طَالِبٍ عَلَى حَلِيمَةَ السَّعْدِيَّةِ فَدَفَعَهُ إِلَيْهَا

At first glance one would find this narration to be odd and strange and may go as far as to reject it.

However, is this phenomenon really unfathomable? Or does it have basis in the Holy Qur’an?

Let’s examine! :)

وَبِكُفۡرِهِمۡ وَقَوۡلِهِمۡ عَلَىٰ مَرۡیَمَ بُهۡتَـٰنًا عَظِیمࣰا 

“And [We cursed them] for their disbelief and their saying against Mary a great slander.” (4:156)

The Jews could not fathom the idea that Sayeda Maryam the Virgin gave birth to Prophet ‘Isa without a male partner. As such, they went on to slander Sayeda Maryam and accuse her of fornication- because they could not comprehend the idea that Allah could, through His Power, make Sayeda Maryam give birth to a child without a male partner.

Even today, a lot of sects of Judaism reject Jesus as an apostle of God or a part of the Trinity (per christian belief) and claim that it is not possible for Jesus to have been born without a father.

Yet Islam is clear in its view that Prophet ‘Isa was born through a miracle of Allah, when He blowed into the garment of Sayeda Maryam through His angel Jibra’eel.

“And [the example of] Mary, the daughter of 'Imran, who guarded her chastity, so We blew into [her garment] through Our angel..” (66:12)

Thus Sayeda Maryam gave birth without a male partner, a scientifically impossible phenomenon , yet nothing is impossible for God as,

“He is over all things ,competent. (5:120)

Similarly, Abu Talib’s breastfeeding of the Holy Prophet, although might seem like a scientifically impossible phenomenon, it is very much possible through supernatural means, by the permission of Allah.

For more perspective, there is an interesting and similar hadith reported about Imam al-Hussain being fed milk by the Holy Prophet.

[al-Kafi, Volume 1 page 464]

“In another hadith from Abu al-Hasan al-Ridha, it is stated that the Holy Prophet would come to al-Hussain and would place his tongue in his mouth and it would suffice him (as food) and that he did have any milk from any female.”

وفي رواية أخرى، عن أبي الحسن الرضا عليه السلام أن النبي صلى الله عليه وآله كان يؤتى به الحسين فيلقمه لسانه فيمصه فيجزئ به ولميرتضع من أنثى.

Wa Allahu ‘Aalam.