Abu Talib ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib
Encyclopedia
Abi Tlib ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib (549 – 619) also known as Abu Talib ibn al-Muttalib.Talib was in reality the elder son of Abd Munāf and elder brother to Ali Ibn Abd Munāf. He was an head of Bani Hashim (Arabic: بنو هاشم) clan of Quraysh tribe of Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...

 in Arabia. He was married to Fatima bint Asad and was an uncle of the Islamic prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...

. It is said that Abd Munāf (Abu Talib) after the death his elder brother Az-Zubayr ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib supported Muhammad, when he was about 20 years old.

Pre-Islamic era

The real name of Abu Talib ibn al-Muttalib is Abd Munāfson of Abdul Mutallib and Fatimah bint Amr
Fatimah bint Amr
Fatimah bint Amr was the grandmother of Islamic prophet Muhammad, and one of the wives of Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim. She was from Quraysh of the Banu Makhzum clan, her co-wives were from outlaying tribes and had relatively little influence in Makkah.Her full name was: Fatimah bint `Amr ibn...

.However mostly people know him on his nick as Abu Talib meaning(Father of Talib). while Shi'ite historians assert that his real name was ‘Imraan'. He was a brother of the Prophet Mohammad's father, 'Abdullah ibn 'Abdul Muttalib, who became severely ill and died before Mohammad's birth. He was a scion of the noble Bani Hashem clan, after the death of his elder brother Az-Zubayr ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib. became the head of Bani Hashem. By physical appearance he was disable from one leg and used to make and sell Perfume at home.

After the death of Muhammad's mother Aminah bint Wahab, Muhammad was taken into the care of Abdul Muttalib (grandfather to Muhammad). When Muhammad reached 8 years of age, he went under the care of Abu Talib as a result of the death of Abdul Muttalib. When Muhammad grew older, he began to work for his uncle, and he took responsibility for Abu Talib's son Ali ibn Abu Talib.

When an economic crisis struck Mecca, Abu Talib was heavily affected, and so Muhammad asked his uncles Hamza and Al-Abbas to help his uncle Abu Talib by adopting some of his children, either Ja'far, Talib, Aqeel, or Ali. They discussed this matter with Abu Talib, who said to them "Leave Aqeel to me and take whoever you want!" Abu Talib loved Aqeel greatly. Al-Abbas chose Talib and Hamza chose Jafar and Muhammad chose Ali. Muhammad then said to them "I have chosen who Allah has chosen".

Abu Talib and the Spread of Islam

Three years had passed since Mohammad receive the first revelation before he claimed Allah ordered him to publicize it by revealing to him the verse "And warn your nearest kin". Mohammad claimed to have received this order and was determined to invite people to Islam. He asked his cousin Ali to invite the Hashimites, the children of Abdul Muttalib, the children of Nawfal, and other children of Abd Manaf, and asked him to serve a meal of a sheep leg, about one kilo of wheat, and three litres of yogurt. The invitees, who were forty men among whom were Al-Abbas, Abu Lahab etc., came. Mohammad offered the food and said to them, "Eat in the name of Allah". They had food and yogurt until they were full. Even though the food was not much, they all became full, and they were astonished at that fact. Mohammad wanted to start speaking, Everyone was silent except Ali who said passionately, "I, Oh Prophet of Allah, will be your vizier on it." But Abu Lahab quickly interrupted by saying "We have not seen magic like this of today. Let us leave!" All of them parted, some of them mocking and making fun of Mohammad. Mohammad did not get a chance to speak. The next day, Mohammad once again invited them for a meal. They ate and drank and then Mohammad stood up and made a speech before them saying:
"O children of Abdul Muttalib, by Allah, I do not know that a young man amongst the Arabs has brought to his people a thing better than what I have brought you. (i.e. Islam) I have brought to you the good of this life and of the afterlife, and Allah the Almighty has ordered me to invite you to it. Which of you shall support me in this matter to be my brother, guardian and successor among you?"

Everyone was silent again except Ali who said passionately, "I, Oh Prophet of Allah, will be your vizier on it."
The people lent Mohammad deaf ears and none of them responded to him except his uncle Abu Talib, and Abu Talib's son, Ali.

Protecting Muhammad

After Muhammad began preaching the message of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and .   : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...

, members of the other Quraishite clans increasingly came to feel threatened by Muhammad. In attempts to quiet him, they would lean on Abu Talib to silence his nephew or control him. Despite these pressures, Abu Talib did nothing but support Muhammad and defend him from the other heads of the Quraysh. He sacrificed a lot to protect his nephew, Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...

, therefore Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and .   : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...

, as well.

Death

Abu Talib was on his death-bed when the Quraish leaders of Mecca came to visit him and Mohammad to ask them to stop preaching the Islamic message or to settle a religious agreement. The death of Abu Talib happened in year 619 or 623 , at around the same time as Mohammad's wife Khadijah. This year was known as the saddest year of the life of Mohammad, the Year of Sorrow
Year of Sorrow
The Year of Sorrow is an Islamic term for a Hijri year that coincided with 619 or 623 CE. It is called so since both Abu Talib and Khadijah—the Islamic prophet Muhammad's uncle and first wife, respectively—died that year....

. With the death of his uncle and wife, Muhammad had then lost his very dear ones.

Shortly after the death of both his uncle and wife, Muhammad left Mecca and went to Yathrib (Medina) following an attempt by the Quraish leaders of Mecca to kill him and his companions for preaching the Islamic message. And so, Muhammad and his Muslim followers performed the first year of Hijra, which was the year of Muslims to migrate to Yathrib.

Family

Abu Talib had four sons
  • Talib ibn Abi Talib
  • Ja'far ibn Abi Talib
    Ja`far bin Abi Talib
    Ja‘far ibn Abī Tālib , also known as Ja‘far at-Tayyār, was the son of Abu Talib ibn 'Abdul Muttalib , and the elder brother of the fourth Sunni and first Shia caliph, Ali ibn Abi Talib...

  • Aqeel ibn Abi Talib
    Aqeel ibn Abi Talib
    Aqeel ibn Abi Talib was born in the year 590.Aqeel was second of four sons of Abu Talib, who was the uncle and protector of Muhammad and brother of Ali ibn Abi Talib. Aqeel's nickname was Abu Yazid...

  • Ali ibn Abi Talib


and two daughters:
  • Fakhitah bint Abi Talib (Umm e Hani)
  • Jumanah bint Abi Talib

See also

  • Family tree of Abu Talib ibn 'Abdul Muttalib
    Family tree of Ali
    Ali ‎ was an early Islamic leader. He is revered by Sunni Muslims as the last of the four Rightly Guided Caliphs and as a foremost religious authority on the Qur'an and Fiqh . Shi'a Muslims consider him the First Imam appointed by the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the first rightful caliph...

  • 'Abdul Muttalib (name)
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