What is the meaning of the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) statement when his son Ibrahim died: "He has a nurse in Paradise"?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you, O Shaykh. It is established in Sahih al-Bukhari from the hadith of al-Bara' ibn 'Azib (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said when his son Ibrahim passed away: . So what is the explanation of this hadith?
The Shaykh : Yes, Ibrahim means the son of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), and he was from Maryam the Copt, meaning that he was the child of a concubine and not the child of a wife. He passed away during the period of breastfeeding, before he was weaned, at about sixteen months of age. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) informed that he has a nurse in Paradise, meaning that this child is in Paradise and that he has someone to breastfeed him. As for how that is, we do not know, because this is among the matters of the unseen. As for the matters of the unseen, we must believe in their meaning and refrain from asking about their modality. We do not ask how. We believe that Ibrahim ibn Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) has a nurse in Paradise, but as for how that is, it is not for us to ask, because we know that the Companions about whom the Messenger said this statement were more eager for knowledge than we are, and yet they did not say: How, O Messenger of Allah? How can he have a nurse in Paradise when he has died?
So we say as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Ibrahim has a nurse in Paradise, but we do not know how that is. Did you understand?
The questioner : Yes, indeed.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Without figurative interpretation.
The Shaykh : Never, we say it this way.
He has a nurse in Paradise
إنّ له في الجّنة مرضعاًThe Shaykh : Yes, Ibrahim means the son of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), and he was from Maryam the Copt, meaning that he was the child of a concubine and not the child of a wife. He passed away during the period of breastfeeding, before he was weaned, at about sixteen months of age. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) informed that he has a nurse in Paradise, meaning that this child is in Paradise and that he has someone to breastfeed him. As for how that is, we do not know, because this is among the matters of the unseen. As for the matters of the unseen, we must believe in their meaning and refrain from asking about their modality. We do not ask how. We believe that Ibrahim ibn Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) has a nurse in Paradise, but as for how that is, it is not for us to ask, because we know that the Companions about whom the Messenger said this statement were more eager for knowledge than we are, and yet they did not say: How, O Messenger of Allah? How can he have a nurse in Paradise when he has died?
So we say as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Ibrahim has a nurse in Paradise, but we do not know how that is. Did you understand?
The questioner : Yes, indeed.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Without figurative interpretation.
The Shaykh : Never, we say it this way.