Abu Taleb
Abu Taleb ibn Abdul Muttaleb, the father of Ali (peace be upon him), was one of the most influential figures in the early days of Islam. He manfully supported the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) when the great prophet of Islam was being targeted by the poisonous arrows of the polytheists of Mecca from all sides, and thus played an important role in the spread of Islam and the strengthening of Muslims.
Abu Taleb (Abd Manaf or Imran Qorayshi) was the uncle and great supporter of the Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him and his family) and one of the great figures of Qoraysh.
His father was Abdul Muttaleb and his mother was Fatimah, daughter of Amr. Fatimah was the mother of Abdullah, the father of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and Zubayr ibn Abdul Muttaleb. Abu Taleb had inherited the position of Rafadat and Seqayat (hospitality and provision of water for pilgrims) from his father, but due to poverty, he gave this position to Abbas ibn Abdul Muttaleb in exchange for a debt he owed.
Abu Taleb was a generous, intelligent, and influential man with a mind and a sense of justice that the Arab tribes of Mecca accepted and recognized him as their judge. He also stood by the truth in judgment. Despite this, he was a man of little means but high-spirited. He was an eloquent man and poet. His poems have been collected in a collection titled Divan Abu Taleb (collected works of poet). One of his most famous Odes is the Ode of Lamiyeh.
Name and lineage of Abu Taleb
Abu Taleb's name is Imran, and some people have called him Abd Manaf. Since his eldest son was Taleb, they called him Abu Taleb. He was born 35 years before the birth of the Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him and his family) in Mecca, into a prominent and pious family. He was the brother of Abdullah, the father of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family).
His father, Abdul Muttaleb, was the grandfather of the Prophet of Islam, whom all Arab tribes knew for his greatness and nobility, and they remembered him as a man of competence and a preacher of the monotheistic religion of Abraham. Abdul Muttaleb was so popular in the world of that day which he was called Seyyed al-Batha, the lord of the land of Mecca and its suburbs, the cupbearer of the pilgrims, the provider of water to the House of God, Abu al-Sadeh, the father of the nobles, and the maker of the Zamzam well.
Abdul Muttaleb was very diligent in preserving and protecting the blessed existence of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family). Both Shia and Sunnis acknowledge this fact.
Abu Taleb was born to such a father and was raised in the home of such a great and divine personality. Abu Taleb had four sons and two daughters. His sons were ten years apart in age. Taleb is his eldest son, from whom no descendants have survived. His second son was Aqeel, and the third was Ja'far, known as Ja'far al-Tayyar, and his fourth and last son was Hazrat Ali (a.s.).
His two daughters were one named Fakhteh, who was called Umme-hani, and the other daughter was Ritah or Asma. Abu Taleb's children were all from Fatimah bint Asad [1].
A part of Abu Taleb's glorious life
Abu Taleb was raised in a God-fearing and monotheistic family, under the shadow of a father like Abdul Muttaleb, who enjoyed spiritual perfections and privileges. Like his father, he followed the path of the Hanif(It means monotheism and following the true religion of Abraham(peace be upon him) Abrahamic religion and took on the position of watering and providing water to the pilgrims of the House of God and protecting the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family).
Abu Taleb not only did not fall under the influence of polytheism and idolatry of the people of Mecca, but he also resisted the practices of ignorance, forbade himself from drinking alcohol, and guarded himself against any corruption and pollution[2].
He was the first one who established a tradition in the matter of judgment about the victim’s parents swearing to to prove the murder, and later Islam established it under the name of Qasamah [3].
Historians have written: “Abu Taleb died three years before the migration, and after the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his companions had left She’b(Mountain pass), in the month of Shawwal or Dhul-Qa’deh at the age of 84.”[4].
He left this world with his heart full of faith in God and love for Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family). His body was buried in Mecca in the tomb of Hojoon, known as the cemetery of Abu Taleb. His death cast a shadow of sadness and grief over the Prophet of Islam and the Muslims of that day, who numbered less than fifty, because they had lost their best supporter, defender, and devotee in the cause of Islam.
Ibn Kathir and Ibn Athir narrate: “After the death of Abu Taleb, the infidels of Qoraysh would pour dirt - and sometimes sheep intestines - on the head of the blessed Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family)[5] .
The grief of the Muslims was doubled a few days later with the death of Hazrat Khadija, another pillar of Islam and supporter of the Prophet of God.
The death of Abu Taleb and Khadijah Kobra was a great calamity for the Messenger of God. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) said: “As long as Abu Taleb was alive, the Qoraysh could not do anything unpleasant to me”[6].
After the death of Abdul Muttaleb, Abu Taleb took over the guardianship and care of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), who was eight years old, and until his death, he circled his life like a butterfly for 42 years. He protected and guarded him completely in all situations, during travel and at home, and spared no effort in the path of the holy goal of the Prophet of Islam, which was to spread the religion of monotheism and eradicate polytheism and idolatry.
He even spent three years with the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and the rest of the Bani Hashim in She'b Abi Taleb - a dry and scorching valley. He always hid his faith in order to better defend Islam and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family).He also recounts this truth in his poems.
لیعلم خیار الناس ان محمدا
نبی کموسی و المسیح بن مریم
اتانا یهدی مثل ما اتیا به
فکل بامر الله یهدی و یعصم
و انکم تتلونه فی کتابکم بصدق
حدیث لا حدیث المرجم
Let the learned know that Muhammad: is a prophet like Moses and Jesus. Just as those two prophets had divine guidance, so he has it too: and all prophets guide people by God’s command and forbid them from sin. And you read his descriptions in the heavenly books with truth: and this is the correct statement and it is not stoning to the unseen[7].
The proofs of Hazrat Abu Taleb's faith
Among the Islamic figures who were oppressed in history is Hazrat Abu Taleb, the honorable father of Imam Ali (AS), these oppressions are only because he is the father of Ali (AS). Ali, who was the number one enemy of the deviationist line among Muslims; such as the hypocrites and a freedman from the Umayyads. This group was unable to confront him Because everyone knows that he was the first person to embrace Islam and the closest person to the Messenger of Allah, and according to what is stated in the verse of Mubaheleh, he was the soul of the Messenger of Allah, they came up with another way to attack that Prophet, such as they told that his father Abu Taleb died while a disbeliever !? While this is nothing more than a slander and a lie. Our great scholars have refuted these slanders in a well-reasoned manner, in such a way that there is no room for any doubt or hesitation in the faith of Hazrat Abu Taleb. We will mention a summary of these answers here
A review of his scientific and literary works
From among the scientific and literary treasures of Hazrat Abu Taleb and his long poems, we have selected a few passages that indicate Hazrat Abu Taleb's faith, and their content is as follows: "Let the noble and understanding people know that Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) is a prophet like Moses and Christ
He also has the same heavenly light that they both had, and all prophets guide people and forbid them from sin by the command of God, O leaders of Qoraysh! You imagine that you can get your hands on him, while you are harboring a wish that is no less than a disturbed dream: he is a prophet Revelation descends upon him from God[8].
In another part of his poems, he wrote: "O Quraysh, do you not know that we have found him (Muhammad) like the Prophet Moses, and his name and description are recorded in the heavenly books, and the servants of God have a special love for him, and one should not be wronged in the case of one whose love God has deposited in the hearts[9].
It is also stated elsewhere: "O nephew, until Abu Taleb sleeps in the dust and makes his grave his bed, the enemies will never reach you." Reveal to him what you have been entrusted with, fear no one, give glad tidings, and enlighten the eyes. You have called me to your religion, and I know that you are my adviser and trustworthy and truthful in your call. Indeed, the religion of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) is among the best religions[10].
The implication of these poems and words on the firm faith of Hazrat Abu Taleb (peace be upon him) is clear and undeniable.
His behavior and actoins in society
Hazrat Abu Taleb is a great man who, throughout his life, was not content to see his beloved nephew hurt or heartbroken, even for a moment, and despite all the difficulties and lack of opportunities, he took the trouble to accept him to go to Syria with him.
His faith in his nephew is so strong that he took him to the prayer room with him, swore to God for his position, and asked God for rain of mercy.
He did not hesitate for a moment to protect the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and preferred three years of exile and a difficult life in the mountain crevice and depths of the valley (Abi Taleb's She’b) to the presidency and sovereignty of Mecca, to the point that this three-year exile exhausted him and made him sick, and he passed away a few days after the economic blockade was broken.
His faith in the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) was so strong that he was willing to let all his beloved children be killed but he himself would live. When the noble verse, "And warn your nearest relatives" [Sho'ara' -214] was revealed and the Prophet gathered all his uncles and relatives around him and introduced to them the religion of Islam, Abu Taleb said to him: "My dear nephew, rise up!"You are a great authority! Your party is one of the most honorable parties! You are the son of a great man! Whenever a tongue offends you, sharp tongues will rise to defend you and sharp swords will snatch them away. By God, the Arabs will be submissive to you like a child to its mother[11].
The opinion of his disinterested friends and relatives about him
A: When Imam Ali (a.s.) informed the Prophet (pbuh) of Abu Taleb's passing, he wept bitterly and ordered Ali (a.s.) to be washed, shrouded, and buried, and he asked God for forgiveness for him[12].
While the washing, shrouding and burial of a Muslim's dead body are obligatory, and a disbeliever is not required to wash, shroud or bury it[13].
And no Muslim has the right to ask God for forgiveness for an unbeliever:
It is not permissible for the Prophet and those who believe, nor is it lawful or rationally correct for them to ask forgiveness for the polytheists, even if they are their relatives, after it has become clear to them that they are the people of Hell[14].
B: Imam Baqer (a.s.) said: The faith of Abu Taleb is superior to the faith of many people, and the Commander of the Faithful (Ali (a.s) would order that they perform Hajj on his behalf [15].
C: Imam Sadeq (a.s.) said: Hazrat Abu Taleb (a.s.) is like the companions of the cave who believed in their hearts and pretended to be polytheists, so they will be rewarded twice for this[16].
This narration is proof that at certain points in his life, he concealed his faith in order to protect Islam and the life of the Prophet, but this concealment not only did not harm his faith in any way, but it was also a sign of his high level of faith and his double reward with God.
D: Imamiyyah and Zeydyyeh scholars, following the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.), all agree that Abu Taleb was one of the prominent figures of Islam and on the day his soul left his body, his heart was full of faith and sincerity towards Islam and Muslims, and they have written many books and treatises on this subject[17].
E: Many great Sunni scholars such as Allamah Barzanji, Sheikh Ibrahim Hanbali and Ibn Jowzi, as well as all great Shia scholars such as Amin al-Islam Tabarsi, Muhammad Baqer Majlesi, Allamah Sheikh Abu Ja’far, Ibn Fattal Neyshabori, Seyyed Abdullah Shobbar, Muhaqeq Rawandi, Sheikh Sadooq, Allamah Karajki, Seyyed Ibn Tawoos, and Seyyed Murtaza have testified and affirmed the faith of Abu Taleb [18].
Abu Taleb's poem
Abu Taleb was a famous poet and many verses are attributed to him; of course, not all of them are repeatedly and continuously; but a collection of poems has been narrated in such a way that their attribution to him cannot be denied. These poems are collected in four divans called the Poems of Abu Taleb [19].
And from the first centuries of Islam to the following periods, it has always been the focus of the writers and poets of the Islamic world.
Among them, his Ode of Lamyyeh is very famous. Orientalists, despite the many doubts about the correctness of attributing these poems to Abu Taleb, have not completely denied them[20].
According to historical narrations, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) referred to these poems and recited verses from them on two occasions in Medina: one was the Prophet's prayer for rain [21].
and the other was when he saw the people who murdered in the battle of Badr [22].
in which Abu Taleb predicted the victory of the Bani Hashem and the Muslims.
Some of the verses attributed to Abu Taleb indicate his beliefs and some have historical value; so that researchers cite them in the events of Arabia and the early years of the Prophet's (peace be upon him and his family) mission. Some orientalists have also paid attention to them[23].
Death of Abu Taleb
There are different opinions about the date of Abu Taleb's death. Sheikh Toosi considered the 26th of Rajab, the 10th year of the Prophethood, to be the day of his death[24].
Yaqoobi considered Abu Taleb's death to be in the month of Ramadan, three days after the death of Hazrat Khadija, and according to him, Abu Taleb was 86 or 90 years old at the time of his death [25].
Some have also mentioned 1 Dhol-Qa'deh and 15 ShawwalAl [26] .
On the day of his death, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) was deeply saddened and crying. He ordered Imam Ali (peace be upon him) to wash and shroud him, and he asked for mercy for him[27].
And when he reached his burial place, he said: I seek forgiveness and intercession for you in such a way that the Jinn and humans will be astonished[28].
His body was buried in the cemetery of Hojoon in Mecca, next to the grave of his father Abdul Muttaleb [29].
The Prophet called the year of the death of Abu Taleb and Khadijah (peace be upon them) the Year of Sorrow[30].
References
- ↑ Ebne Sabbagh, Al -Maleki.(2001).Al-Fosool Al-Mohemmah. Qom: Dar-alhadith publications
- ↑ Ali Ebne Ebrahim .(2006). Sirah al-Halabi . Vol. 1,Beirut:dar-alkotobolelmeyyah
- ↑ khonaizy,Abdullah.(2004) Abu Taleb, the faithful of Qoraysh,Qom;dar-alghadeer
- ↑ Ebne Al-Athir ,Ezzoddeen.(1987).Al-Kamel fi al-tarikh(The complete history). Vol.1 .Beirut:darolkotobolelmyyah
- ↑ Ebne Kasir.(1988).Al-bedayah va Alnahayah( Beginning and End). Vol. 3,Beirut:Dar Ehya Altoras Alarabi.Ebne Al- Athir ,Ezzoddeen.(1987).Al-Kamel fi al-tarikh(The complete history). Vol. 2.Beirut:darolkotobolelmyyah
- ↑ Ebne Kasir.(1988).Al-bedayah va Alnahayah( Beginning and End). Vol. 3,Beirut:Dar Ehya Altoras Alarabi. Ebne Al-Athir ,Ezzoddeen.(1987).Al-Kamel fi al-tarikh(The complete history). Vol. 2.Beirut:darolkotobolelmyyah
- ↑ Tabarsi,Abu Ali Fazl ebne Hassan.(1988). Tafsir Majma’ al-Bayan. Vol. 7. Beirut:Dar al- Marefah
- ↑ Subhani, Ja'far, (1999)Excerpts from the History of the Prophet of Islam. Mash'ar Publishing House, quoted from Divan Abu Taleb, and Ibn Hesham.(1955).Sirah. vol. 1. Beirut:Dar al- Marefah
- ↑ Subhani, Ja'far.(1999)Excerpts from the History of the Prophet of Islam. Mash'ar Publishing House, quoted from Divan Abu Taleb and Ibn Hesham.(1955). Sirah). vol. 1, Beirut:Dar al- Marefah.
- ↑ Ebne Kasir.(1988).Al-bedayah va Alnahayah( Beginning and End). Vol. 2.Beirut:Dar Ehya Altoras Alarabi; Written by a group of authors; under the supervision of Nasser Makarem Shirazi. (1974). Tafsir-e-Nemooneh .Vol. 5.Tehran: Dar al-Kuttob al-Islamiyyah
- ↑ Seyyed ibn Tawoos.(1979). Al-Taraef. Qom:Khayyam publications
- ↑ Seyyed ibn Tawoos.(1979). Al-Taraef..Qom:Khayyam publications
- ↑ Makki Ameli, Muhammad ibn Jamal al-Deen.(1995). Al-Loma' al-Dameshqiyyah.Qom: Dar al-Fekr Institute,; Imam Khomeini (may Allah have mercy on him).(1995). Tahrir al-Wasilah. vol. 1,Qom: Dar al-Ilm,; Towsih al-Mas'el.(2004).by thirteen M'raj, vol. 1, issue 542. Qom:Islamic Preaching Office affiliated with the Qom Seminary Teachers' Association
- ↑ Sura Repentance (At-tawbah) Verse :113
- ↑ Ibn Abi al-Hadid.(1965) Sharh Nahj al-Balagha, Vol. 14. Beirut: Darolhayat al-Turas al-Arabi
- ↑ Sobhani, Jafar.(1998) Forough Abadyyat, Vol. 1.Qom: Islamic Preaching Office Publication Center, quoted from Osool al-Kafi
- ↑ Mardani, Kheir Allah.(2005). a bright face of Abu Taleb.Qom:Rahe Quran Publications, quoted from Ameli,Sheikh Horr(1993). Wasa'il al-Shi'ah. vol. 11. Qom: Al-Albayt le ehyae toras
- ↑ Tabatabaei, Mohammad Hossein.(1984). Tafsir al-Mizan. translated by: Mousavi Hamedani, Mohammad Baqer. vol. 2. Qom:Islamic Publications Office; Makarem Shirazi, Nasser.(1992). Tafsir al-Nemooneh. vol. 24.Qom: Dar al-Maktab al-Islamiyyah
- ↑ Poems of Abu Taleb.(2003).Beirut: Dar- al-Helel
- ↑ he Great Islamic Encyclopedia.(1993). Vol. 5.Tehran: The Great Islamic Encyclopedia publicaions
- ↑ Ibn Abi al-Hadid.(1965). Sharh Nahj al-Balagha, Vol. 14. Beirut: Darolhayat al-Turas al-Arabi
- ↑ Ibn Abi al-Hadid.(1965). Sharh Nahj al-Balagha. Vol. 14. Beirut: Darolhayat al-Turas al-Arabi
- ↑ The Great Islamic Encyclopedia.(1993). Vol. 5.Tehran: The Great Islamic Encyclopedia publicaions
- ↑ Yoosofi Gharavi,Mohammad Hadi.(1996). Encyclopedia of Islamic History. vol. 1. quoted from Sheikh Toosi.( 2004). Mesbah al-Motahajjed.Beirut:Al-Aalami publications
- ↑ Yaqoobi, Ahmad ibn Ishaq.( 1939). Tarikh al-Yaqubi . vol. 1. Beirut:al-'Alami publications
- ↑ Al- Maqrīzī, Aḥmad ibn Alī.(1999). Imta` al-Asma. vol. 1.Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyah
- ↑ Majlesi, Mohammad-Baqer .(1983).Behar al-Anwar. vol. 35; Tehran:Dar-Alkotoboleslamyyah, Sibt Ibn al-Jawzi.(1997). Tadhkirat al-khawāṣṣ .vol. 1.Qom: Al-Sharīf al-Raḍī publications
- ↑ Ibn Abi al-Hadid.(1965) Sharh Nahj al-Balagha, Vol. 14. Beirut: Darolhayat al-Turas al-Arabi
- ↑ Al-Balādhurī, Aḥmad B. Yaḥyā B. Jābir.(1996).Ansāb al-ashrāf). vol. 1.Beirut:Dar Al-fekr
- ↑ Al- Maqrīzī, Aḥmad ibn Alī.(1999). Imta` al-Asma’. vol. 1.Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyah