Among the most noble women in all of creation was the mother of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him — Aminah bint Wahb. Her womb carried the most honored of all human beings, and her story is inseparable from the story of Islam itself. The following is an excerpt from Women around the Messenger by Muhammad Ali Qutb, pages 31–33.
Aminah bint Wahb — The Mother of the Prophet
The womb of Aminah bint Wahb was certainly the noblest and most honourable of all wombs. It was in this womb that the noble fetus of Allah's Messenger settled.
This seed had been moving from the loins of men, generation after generation, until Allah in His Divine wisdom decreed that it passed to Abdullah ibn Abdul-Muttalib — the youthful Qurayshi who excelled his contemporaries in greatness and beauty, and in whose eyes the light of Prophethood was shining.
Abdullah was the most precious person the Arabs had ever known. And it was Abdul-Muttalib who finally chose Aminah bint Wahb, of the Zuhr clan, as a wife for his son. Aminah was at that time the best Qurayshi woman in lineage and status.
When Aminah was a few months pregnant, Abdullah undertook a journey to Syria. When he was returning, he fell ill and stayed with his maternal uncles from the tribe of Bani Najjar in Yathrib, where they nursed him and took care of him. However, Abdullah died in that illness, and his young wife was left a widow.
Aminah was greatly saddened by the death of her beloved husband, who had stayed with her after their marriage for only a few months. She wept bitterly and wailed severely. Yet the destiny of Allah was unfolding — and in her womb was the light of the final Prophethood, the seal of all messengers, peace and blessings be upon him.
Allah says:
"Allah chose Adam, Nooh, the family of Ibraheem and the family of Imran above humankind and jinns. They were descendants one of another. Allah is the All-Hearer, All-Knower." (Qur'an 3:33–34)
The circumstances that surrounded Abdullah — his excellent upbringing, his chastity, his high moral conduct, and the light with which he was known — had made many women wish to become his wife. But as Allah would have it, it was Aminah that Allah chose. Her womb was sooner to bear the noble fetus of the Prophet; it carried out the duty that was meant for it, and the destiny remained in the Hand of Allah who disposes of it as He likes.
A Reflection
The story of Aminah bint Wahb is a reminder that Allah's choices are not random. Every link in the chain — every mother, every father, every lineage — was selected by Allah to bring about the birth of His final Messenger. This is tawhid expressed through history: nothing happens outside of Allah's plan, and His plan is perfect.
For the Muslim woman especially, this is a powerful reminder. The honor of a woman is not measured by the standards of the world but by her role in what Allah has decreed. Aminah bint Wahb carried the most honored of all creation — and that honor was hers by the will of Allah alone.
This same theme of Allah's perfect, deliberate plan unfolding through history is reflected in our piece on Islam's First House of Knowledge.
About the Book
Women around the Messenger by Muhammad Ali Qutb brings into focus the biographies of the first generation of Muslim women and the important roles they played in the development of early Islamic society. It is essential reading for every Muslim woman seeking real role models. Available at The Islamic Book Cafe for $22.00.
Baarakallahu feekum — The Islamic Book Cafe | Portland, Oregon
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