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Abu Talib , Muhammad’s uncle – Wikimedia Commons

Top 10 Outstanding Facts about Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib

Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib was the leader of Banu Hashim, a clan of the Qurayshi tribe of Mecca in the Hejazi region of the Arabian Peninsula. He was an uncle of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and the father of Ali. After the death of his father Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim ibn Abd Manaf, he inherited this position and the offices of Siqaya and Rifada. He was well-respected in Mecca, despite a declining fortune.

Abu Talib was born in the city of Mecca in the Hijaz region in 535 CE. He was the son of the Hashimite chief, Abd al-Muttalib, and a brother of Muhammad’s father, Abdullah, who had died before Muhammad’s birth. After the death of Muhammad’s mother Aminah bint Wahab, Muhammad, a child still, was taken into the care of his grandfather, Abd al-Muttalib. When Muhammad reached eight years of age, Abd al-Muttalib died. One of Muhammad’s uncles was to take him in.

Here are the top 10 outstanding facts about Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib.

1. Abu Talib was known as a gifted poet

Abu Talib is remembered as a gifted poet, and many poetic verses in support of Muhammad are attributed to him. Once, as Abu Talib was about to leave for a trading expedition, Muhammad wept and could not bear being separated from him. 

To this Abu Talib responded, By God, I will take him with me, and we shall never part from each other.

2. Abu Talib acted as a protector to Muhammad

Timuridic representation of Mohammed – Wikimedia Commons

As the leader of the Banu Hashim, Abu Talib acted as a protector to Muhammad. After Muhammad began preaching the message of Islam, members of the other Qurayshite clans increasingly came to feel threatened by Mu岣�ammad. 

In attempts to quiet him, they pressured Ab奴 峁�膩lib to silence his nephew or control him. Despite these pressures, Abu Talib maintained his support of Mu岣�ammad, defending him from the other leaders of the Quraysh. 

Leaders of the Quraysh directly confronted Abu Talib several times. Abu Talib brushed them off and continued to support Muhammad even when it put a rift between him and the Quraysh.

3. Abu Talib was a believer in Abrahamic monotheism

He was amongst the custodians of the Kaaba. However, there is a difference of opinion if he was a Muslim or not.  According to Seerat al-Nabi volume :1, page 157, The muhadditheen commentators of hadith are of two opinions. 

The majority of muhadditheen have the opinion that he did not accept Islam. However, other muhadditheen say that at the time of Abu Talib鈥檚 death he was found to be murmuring something which couldn鈥檛 be heard properly. As Allah is well aware of everyone鈥檚 intention it鈥檚 best not to judge and leave the matter neutral.  Only Allah knows best. He is the best of the planners.

4. The Quraysh tried to bribe Abu Talib to stop defending Muhammad

Symbol of Quraysh –

They told Abu Talib that if he let them get hold of Muhammad, then he could adopt Umarah ibn al Walid ibn al Mughirah, the most handsome youth in Quraysh. When this also failed, the Quraysh elicited the support of other tribes to boycott trading with or marrying members of the Banu Hashim lineage. 

This boycott started seven years after Muhammad first received revelation and lasted for three years. The goal was to put pressure on the Hashimites and even starve them into submission.

5. Abu Talib’s brother, Abu Lahab, sided with the Quraysh 

Abu Lahab thought Muhammad was either mad or an impostor. He sided with the Quraysh on this issue; he moved to a house in the district of Abd Shams to demonstrate support for the Quraysh.

Abu Lahab was Muhammad’s half-paternal uncle. He was one of the Meccan Quraysh leaders who opposed Muhammad and his followers and was condemned in the surah Lahab Surah al-Massad of the Quran for antagonizing Islam.

6. After Abu Talib’s death, Muhammad was left unprotected

Painting of Abu by J. Northcote RA –

Abu Talib’s brother and successor as the Chief of the family, that is Abu Lahab, did not protect him, as he was an enemy of Muhammad, so Muhammad and his followers faced incredible persecution.

Muhammad is quoted as exclaiming, “By God, Quraysh never harmed me so much as after the death of Abu Talib. The early Muslims relocated to Abyssinia and then to Medina in order to escape persecution by the Quraysh.

7. Shia believe that Abu Talib was an upright supporter of Muhammad

Shia is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated 士Al墨 ibn Ab墨 峁�膩lib as his successor and the Imam after him, most notably at the event of Ghadir Khumm, but was prevented from succeeding Muhammad as the leader of the Muslims as a result of the choice made by some of Muhammad’s other companions at Saqifah. 

8. Abu Talib was the true confidant of the Prophet Muhammad

When Khadijah proposed to marry Prophet Muhammad, he took the advice of Abu Talib in such an important decision of his life.

In addition, when Muhammad married Khadija, Abu Talib recited the sermon of the marriage. This fact has also been used to prove Abu Talib’s monotheism. 

  9. Prophet Muhammad made Abu Talib鈥檚 son Jafar the chief of migrants

When Muslims faced challenging circumstances created by the Quraysh when they were to migrate to Ethiopia, Prophet Muhammad made Abu Talib鈥檚 son Jafar the chief of migrants.

Prophet Muhammad took responsibility for Abu Talib鈥檚 son Ali ibn Abu Talib. They both shared a loving and respectful relationship. Later Ali was amongst the first few to enter the fold of Islam and became the son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad as he was married to Fatimah. He was also amongst the four caliphs of Islam. 

10. The year Abu Talib passed away was the year of sorrow

Ab奴 峁�膩lib died around 619 AD, at more than 80 years of age. This was around 10 years after Prophet Muhammad’s preaching started.

This year is known as the Year of Sorrow for Muhammad, because not only did his uncle Abu Talib die, but also his wife Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, within a month of Abu Talib.