Aminah bint Wahb

Who was Aminah bint Wahb?

Aminah bint Wahb was the mother of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. From a noble family of the Quraysh, she married Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib, who passed away before the Prophet ﷺ was born. Aminah thus gave birth to the future Messenger of Allah as an orphan, and she herself would leave him while he was still a small child.

Her Story

Aminah married Abdullah, the son of Abd al-Muttalib, but their time together was brief — Abdullah died while she was still pregnant or shortly after. She gave birth to Muhammad ﷺ in the Year of the Elephant. As was the custom of the noble families of Mecca, the infant was given to a wet-nurse, Halimah as-Sa'diyya, in the desert. When the Prophet ﷺ was around six years old, Aminah took him to visit his maternal relatives in Yathrib (later Medina). On the return journey, she fell ill and died at a place called al-Abwa, leaving her young son in the care of his grandfather Abd al-Muttalib, and then his uncle Abu Talib. Years later, the Prophet ﷺ visited her grave and wept, and those around him wept at his tenderness toward his mother.

Her Place in the Seerah

• She is honoured as the mother of the final Messenger ﷺ, part of his pure lineage.
• The Prophet's ﷺ early orphanhood — losing his father before birth and his mother in childhood — is reflected in the Quran: "Did He not find you an orphan and give you refuge?" (93:6).

Her Legacy

Aminah is remembered with deep love and respect as the mother of the Prophet ﷺ. Her story, and the early losses the Prophet ﷺ experienced, remind believers of Allah's care for the orphan and the vulnerable, and of the special command in Islam to honour and protect orphans — a cause especially close to the heart of the Prophet ﷺ, who had himself been one.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Aminah die?

She died at al-Abwa, between Mecca and Medina, when the Prophet ﷺ was about six years old, on the way back from visiting relatives. Her death left him an orphan in the full sense, cared for thereafter by his grandfather and then his uncle.

How did the Prophet ﷺ remember his mother?

He held her in great love. It is reported that he later visited her grave and wept, and made those with him weep, showing his deep filial affection and the human tenderness of the Messenger ﷺ toward his mother.