The Story of the Blessed Birth of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his Blessed Nursing

This brief yet comprehensive work details events connected to the blessed birth of the noble Prophet ﷺ, beginning with his lineage, and followed by the description of his actual birth. It then moves into a description of Halimah al-Sa'diyyah رضي الله عنها and the intriguing events that led to her being blessed to receive the Prophet ﷺ for nursing, as well as the many blessings that manifested in her, her family, and her livestock due to his blessed presence amongst them, which all led them to the logical conclusion that this boy ﷺ was an extraordinarily blessed soul.
The text also mentions the story of when Jibril عليه السلام visited the Prophet ﷺ whilst he was still a young boy, and washed his heart after splitting his chest. It concludes by describing the Prophet’s sublime attributes and character traits, and his beautiful outer appearance ﷺ.
Authored by the magnificent scholar Imam Abu al-Fida' 'Imad al-Din Ibn Kathir al-Dimashqi, popularly known as Imam Ibn Kathir, who is predominantly celebrated for his magnum opuses – a complete Qur’anic exegesis and a prophetic biography. Imam Ibn Kathir was born in the year 701/1301 in a village on the outskirts of Basra in Syria, passing away in 774/1373 in the bustling city of Damascus.
The immense love that Imam Ibn Kathir had for the Prophet ﷺ consistently shines brightly throughout this excellent translation. It is a short work that can be revisited often, particularly in Rabi' al-Awwal, with each perusal leaving the reader with increased love and adoration for the noble Prophet ﷺ.