18 – Abu Bakr al-Tamimi narrated to me; Ibn Abi Maryam narrated to us; Muhammad ibn Mutarrif, from Zayd ibn Aslam, from his father, from ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), reported:

Captives were once brought to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Among them was a woman whose breasts were flowing with milk. Whenever she found an infant among the captives, she would take the child and press it against her belly. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) asked, “Do you think this woman would throw her child into the Fire?” They replied, “By Allah, no—so long as she is able to keep from doing so.” He said, “By Allah, Allah is even more merciful to His servants than this woman is to her child.”