The Abyssinian Woman Who Raised the Orphaned Prophet ﷺ and Whom He Called "My Mother After My Mother"

Umm Ayman

أُمّ أَيمَن

Summary

The Abyssinian woman who raised the orphaned Prophet ﷺ and whom he called 'my mother after my mother.'

The Story

Baraka, known as Umm Ayman, was an Abyssinian servant in the household of the Prophet's father. She cared for Muhammad ﷺ from childhood, after the loss of his parents.

He held her in the highest esteem and described her as part of his family. She embraced Islam early, emigrated, and lived into the early years of the caliphate.

Her son Usama ibn Zayd was one of the most beloved of the Companions. Umm Ayman embodies loyalty, tenderness, and the place of honour held by women — and African women — at the heart of the first community.

The Lesson

Loyalty · Devotion · Tenderness