Muhammad: Seal of the Prophets — Page 23
MUHAMMAD : SEAL OF THE PROPHETS 23 years afterwards, when he entered Medina as a refugee, he recognized the place, and said: ‘In this house I sported with Uneisa, a little girl of Medina; and with my cousins, I used to put to flight the birds that alighted upon the roof. ’ As he gazed upon t he scene, he added: ‘Here it was my mother lodged with me; in this place is the tomb of my father; and it was there, in that pond, that I learned to swim. ’ After staying at Medina for about a month, Amina decided to return to Mecca, and set out in the same manner as she had come. When they reached a spot called Abwa, about halfway to Mecca, Amina fell ill and died; and was buried there. The little orphan was carried back to Mecca by Um Aiman, who, although only a girl was a faithful nurse to the child, and continued to be his constant attendant. It has been opined that the early loss of his mother imparted to the youthful Muhammad something of that pensive and meditative character by which he was afterwards distinguished. In his seventh year, he could appreciate the bereavement and feel the desola tion of his orphan state. Many years later, during his journey from Medina to Hudaibiyya, he visited his mother’s tomb by the way, and lifted up his voice and wept, and his companions also wept. When they asked him about it, he said: ‘This is the grave of my mother; the Lord hath permitted me to visit it. So I called my mother to remembrance, and the tender memory of her overcame me and I wept. ’ The charge of the orphan was now undertaken by Abdul Muttalib who had by this time reached the age of eighty. The child was treated by him with singular fondness. A rug used to be