Seerah.Net

Anas bin Malik, the son of Umm Sulaym reported:

A son of Abu Talhah by Umm Sulaym died. Umm Sulaym told her family, "Do not tell Abu Talhah about his son until I tell him about it." Abu Talhah came home, so she prepared dinner for him, and he ate and drank. Then she beautified herself in a way that she had never done before, and he had sexual intercourse with her.

When she saw that he was satisfied, she said, "O Abu Talhah, do you think that if a people lent something to a household, then asked for it back, do they have the right not to return it?"

He said, "No."

She said, "Then resign yourself to the death of your son."

Abu Talhah became angry and said, "You let me indulge myself and then you tell me about my son!"

He went to the Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam and told him what had happened. The Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said, "May Allah bless both of you for this night!"

Umm Sulaym became pregnant. The Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam went on a journey, and she accompanied him. Whenever the Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam came back from a journey, he never entered Madinah at night. When they (the travelling-party) approached Madinah, her labour-pains started. Abu Talhah stayed with her, and the Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam went on ahead to Madinah.

Abu Talhah said, "O Lord, You know how I love to go out with Your Messenger when he goes out, and to come back with him when he comes back, and I have been detained, as You see."

Umm Sulaym said, "O Abu Talhah, I do not feel as much pain as I did before, so let us go on."

When they reached (Madinah), her labour-pains started again, and she gave birth to a boy.

My mother said to me, "O Anas, nobody should feed him until you take him to the Messenger of Allah in the morning."

So when morning came, I took the baby to the Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, and when I met him he was carrying an iron tool. When he saw me, he said, "I hope that Umm Sulaym has given birth."

I said, "Yes." So he put down the tool and I brought the child to him and placed him in his lap. The Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam called for some of the dates of Madinah. He chewed it until it became soft, then he put it in the baby's mouth and the baby began to smack his lips. The Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said: "See how much the Ansar love dates!" Then he wiped the baby's face and named him `Abdullah.

~ Saheeh Muslim, 16/11, Kitab fada'il al-Sahabah, bab fada'il Umm Sulaym