Abbas Ibn Abdul Mottaleb
Abbas Ibn Abdul Mottaleb was the son of Abdul Mottaleb and his nickname was Abul Fadl. His mother was Noutayleh, the daughter of Jenab Ibn Kalib, the first woman to cover the Kaaba with silk and fine silk cloth.
He was born in Mecca three years before the Ammolfil( Year of the Elephant). His father was a prominent figure in Mecca. After his father's death, Abbas inherited important positions in Mecca, including: watering the pilgrims and constructing the Masjedolharam(The Grand Mosque).
Watering the Pilgrims and constructing the Masjedolharam(The Grand Mosque)
Abbas was a wise, intelligent, and resourceful man. He was especially kind to his relatives and was helping them too much , and for this reason, he was honored and respected by the Prophet (PBUH), who praised him as follows: “This is Abbas Ibn Abdul Mottaleb, the most generous of the Qoraysh and the most compassionate to his relatives.”[1] 1-Alemi Damghani, Muhammad Ali.(1969). Peyghambar va Yaran(The Prophet and his companions),Vol.4,Qom: Danesh Publishing.
The Watering the Pilgrims consisted of having access to the Zamzam well, which was unique in the city of Mecca. He himself would stand by the well and give the pilgrims water from various water and drinks, and sometimes he would give people milk and honey instead of water and drinks.
The constructing the Masjedolharam(The Grand Mosque) also consisted of a group of people who made a pact and swore an oath not to let anyone speak in vain or swear in the mosque, and if anyone did so, they would be expelled him or her from the Masjedolharam(The Grand Mosque). The leader of this group was Abbas Ibn Abdul Mottaleb. He assumed these positions after the death of his father Abdul Mottaleb, although he was the youngest of all his brothers.
Abbas Ibn Abdul Mottaleb Converts to Islam
Abbas, the beloved uncle of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), after the migration, asked the Prophet for permission to come to Medina so that to be a Muslim there, but since Abbas had a strong devotion to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and his love for him was in his heart and he conveyed the news of Mecca to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) told him: Stay in Mecca and convey the news of Mecca to him. He remained in Mecca until the Battle of Badr, but in his heart he believed in the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and hid his faith. After all the Bani Hashem accepted Islam, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) ordered that they all migrate to Medina. Abbas also migrated to Medina after the Battle of Badr; although before the Battle of Badr, he had converted to the religion of the son of a his brother(prophet) in Mecca.
Ismail Ibn Qeys Ibn Sa’ad Ibn Zeyd Ibn Sabet , from Abu Hezam, from Sahl Ibn Sa;ad, has said: Al-Abbas asked permission from the Prophet of God (peace be upon him and his family) to migrate, so he wrote to him, "O uncle, stay in mecca, for God has decreed migration for you as He decreed prophethood for me." Al-Waqedi”, from Ibn Abi Sabrah, from Hussayn Ibn Abdullah, from Akramah from Ibn Abbas has said: Al-Abbas accepted Islam in Mecca before Badr, and his wife “Ommolfazl” accepted Islam with him at that time, while they were in Mecca... [2] 2-Ibn Hajar Asqlani.(1993). Tahdhib al-Tahdhib. Vol. 5, Beirut: Darolhayat al-Turas al-Arabi.
However, after the Battle of Badr, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) gave permission for Abbas and the remaining members of the Bani Hashem who were in Mecca to migrate to Medina, and they migrated to Medina and repeated the two testimonies(Creed or formula of the Islamic faith).
The Prophet's (PBUH) Love for Abbas in Ahadith
Abbas Ibn Abdul Mottaleb had a high and lofty position near the Prophet (PBUH). In this regard, we will mention three narrations about Abbas's high position in Prophet’s view:
1. Jaber Ibn Abdullah Ansari says: One day Abbas came to the Prophet (PBUH) and he was a tall and handsome man. When the Prophet (PBUH) saw him, he said:
Indeed, my uncle! you are very beautiful! Abbas asked: O Messenger of Allah! What is the beauty of a man? The Prophet said: honesty in telling the truth. Abbas asked: Then what is perfection? The Prophet said: By the piety of the man and by his good morals.[3] 3-Ibn Hesham.(1955).Sirah. vol.1,Beirut:Dar al- Marefah.
2. It is narrated from Ali (a.s.) that he said:
The Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) said: Respect me about my uncle Abbas, who is the memory of my fathers.it means that he is the rest of my ancestors [4]
4-Al-Tabari, Ibn Jarir.(1994). Al-Mustarshed fi Imamat Ali Ibn Abi Taleb (peace be upon him). Editor/Proofreader: Mahmoudi, Ahmad,Qom: Kushanpur
3. Abu Saeed Khederi narrated from the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he said:
I recommend and advise you about Ali and Abbas, whoever respects them for my sake and avoids harming them, Allah will give him a light with which he will return to me on the Day of Resurrection. [5] 5-Ibid
And in other cases it has been reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him and his family) said many times: “Indeed, Abbas is from me and I am from him.”
And there are many such narrations, both in historical and narrational resources, which show the high position of Abbas in Prophet’s view (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him and his family). He also said: “Whoever insults Abbas, indeed he has insulted me.”[6] 6-Ibn Saad, Muhammad ibn Saad.(1995). Tabaqat al-Kubra. translated by Dr. Mahmoud Mahdavi Damghani,Vol.4, Tehran:Culture and Thought Publications
Abbas's Captivity in the Battle of Bad
It is stated in history that Abbas, along with Qoraysh and some other Bani Hashem, were captured in the Battle of Badr.
The origin of this historical news is that "When Qoraysh set out for Badr, they did not ask Bani Hashem for help or confirmation, but when they reached the “Marrozzahran”, suddenly Abu Jahl woke up from this neglect and shouted: it is a shame! Do you know what you have done? How did you neglect Bani Hashem and leave them alone in Mecca and then all of you left? Are you not afraid that if you were victorious over Muhammad, they would take revenge on your women and children? And if Muhammad were victorious over you, they would do the same to your family in Mecca?! Do not let them stay in Mecca, but made them to move with you, even though their coming is not benefit to you.
They all accepted Abu Jahl's proposal and returned to Mecca and forcibly made Abbas, Aqeel, Noofel, and Taleb to move with them. When the Battle of Badr began, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) (who was aware of this event) said: Whoever encounters with one of the Bani Hashem, do not kill him, because they have been forced to fight.
some people were not satisfied with this Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) words, to the extent that Abu Hozayfeh Ibn Aqabah said: By God, if I find any of them, I will kill them. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) was informed about Abu Hozayfeh's words. He rebuked him and asked: Did you say that? He replied: Yes, O Messenger of God! Because it was hard for me to see my father, brother and uncle were killed and they are safe! The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: Your father, brother and uncle have come to fight us with enthusiasm and complete interest. But the Bani Hashem were forced and reluctant, otherwise none of them would have been willing to fight us. On the day of the battle, Abbas was captured by Abu Yosr, although Abbas was a strong and robust man, while Abu Yosr was short and weak. When Abu Yosr approached Abbas, Abbas stood motionless like a log, and Abu Yosr held his shoulders. Because Abbas had no intention of defending himself.”[7] 7- Ibid
In any case, Abbas was forced to battlefield and was captured in the Battle of Badr without any resistance.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) took a ransom from Abbas, while knowing that he was not with the Qoraysh in his heart and he had been taken to the battlefield by force, in order to observe justice among the captives. He paid eighty ouqiyeh of gold(560 mesghal), with one thousand dinars for himself, Aqeel and Nawfal, and the Prophet did not make any difference between his uncle and the other captives.
However, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) later returned that money to Abbas from the wealth of Bahrain that had been brought to him and by this action compensated that ransom .
On the night he was captured, Abbas was moaning and crying until the morning. The companions saw that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) did not sleep that night and was crying. They asked: O Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family), why are you not sleeping? He said: Abbas's moaning has made me restless, and I am saddened by Abbas's sadness and grief! They released Abbas at night and brought him to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family). When they saw Abbas, they felt relieved and went to sleep. 8] 8- Ibid
The Virtues of Abbas Ibn Abdul Mottaleb
Abbas Ibn Abdul Mottaleb has many virtues, all of which would exceed the scope of this article; therefore, we will mention the prominent titles:
1. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) hosting Abbas at the beginning of his mission in Mecca:
One of the glorious events in Abbas's life is a banquet that he organized in honor of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) before Islam.
"The Prophet attended a detailed banquet hosted by Abdullah ibn Jadaan, who had sworn the Prophet to Abdul Mottaleb, and at the end of the banquet, when saying goodbye, he said: "Tomorrow you and the entire tribe of Tayyem will be my guests." When the Prophet returned, they were thinking about how to organize a banquet, until Abu Taleb decided to seek help from Abbas, and Abbas accepted wholeheartedly and sent a messenger to announce that everyone from any tribe should attend Muhammad's banquet. Thus, he organized a grand feast and dressed the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) in luxurious clothes and seated him at the head of the session. The beauty of his face and the beauty of his clothes gave him a special charm that dazzled the eyes of every beholder. After the feast, everybody was talking about Abbas' feast and everyone praised and admired it."[9] 9-Majlisi, Muhammad Baqer.(1982). Behar al-Anwar.Vol.8, Beirut: Darolhayat al-Turas al-Arabi
2. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) gave the Okaz market to Abbas by order of Gabriel. "At the conquest of Mecca, Gabriel descended to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and said: Abbas has a great right over you. He expects you to hand over the Okaz market to him. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) gave the Okaz market to Abbas and said: May God curse the one who took the Okaz market from Abbas."[10]
Ibn Saad, Muhammad ibn Saad.(1995). Tabaqat al-Kubra. translated by Dr. Mahmoud Mahdavi Damghani,Vol.4, Tehran:Culture and Thought Publications
3. Opening the entrance of Abbas's house to the Grand Mosque(Masjedolharam), which became known as Bab al-Abbas.
4. Placing the gutters of Abbas's house inside the Prophet's Mosque (PBUH) by order of Gabriel.
"The gutters that were installed by the order of the Prophet (PBUH) remained until the time of the second Calipha, Umar Ibn al-Khattab... Umar ordered the gutters to be removed and swore that whoever installs it, I will behead him." [11]
Alemi Damghani, Muhammad Ali.(1969). Peyghambar va Yaran(The Prophet and his companions),Vol.4,Qom: Danesh Publishing
Abbas complained to Ali and complained about the removing the gutters.
"Ali (PBUH) who saw his uncle in such a state, was upset and asked:my dear Uncle! What happened that you came to our house in this state?! Abbas said: The gutters that the Prophet (PBUH) installed in my honor, Umar removed and swore that if anyone installs them again, I will behead him. My nephew! I had two eyes; God took one from me, and that was the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family), now my hope is in you, I did not think that despite your presence they would oppress me and take away what was a source of my pride!
Ali (peace be upon him) said: My uncle! Return home and do not be sad, I will make you happy. Then he said to Qanbar: Get up and install the gutter in its place. When the gutter was installed and in its place, he said: By the right of the owner of this grave and pulpit, I will behead whoever removes the gutter! When this news reached Umar, he said: we cannot make Abu al-Hassan angery! We will atone for our oath.[12] Ibid
5. Donating his house to the Prophet's Mosque;
Some time after the above event, Umar decided to expand the Prophet's Mosque; "He bought the houses around the mosque, leaving only the Prophet's (PBUH) wives' quarters and the house of Abbas Ibn Abdul Mottaleb. Umar called Abbas and said: As you know, all the houses around the mosque have been bought except your house and the Prophet's wives' quarters, and there is no way to the Prophet's wives' quarters. So sell your house so that we can expand the mosque... (When the Caliph put forward his ideas and Abbas did not accept, the matter ended in arbitration. Ubayy Ibn Ka'ab left Abbas's hand open in arbitration), Abbas said: Now that I am free, I have given my house to the Muslims to expand the Prophet's Mosque." [13] Ibn Saad, Muhammad ibn Saad.(1995). Tabaqat al-Kubra. translated by Dr. Mahmoud Mahdavi Damghani,Vol.4, Tehran:Culture and Thought Publications
6. Abbas was the Prophet's (PBUH) executor;
In his will, the Prophet of God (PBUH) instructed Abbas to fulfill the promises of the Prophet (PBUH) to the people after his death, pay off his debts, and take care of the remaining personal affairs of the Prophet (PBUH).
7. Abbas's support to Ali (a.s.);
In the story of Ali's (a.s.) oppression, Abbas was one of the defenders of the leadership (Velayah) alongside Ali (a.s.).
8. Rain falling due to Abbas's supplication in the 17th year of the Hijra;
In the 17th year of the Hijra, drought and famine swept across the entire Hijaz and the Arabian Peninsula. The people were caught in a severe famine and went to Umar. Umar was helpless in his duty and did not know what to do. Ka'b al-Ahbar said: Whenever the Jews(Bani Israeil) were afflicted with drought and lack of rain, they would ask for rain through the relatives and friends of their Prophet. Umar said: We should do the same! Abbas is the uncle of the Prophet (a.s.) and the elder of the Bani Hashem. We have made him an intermediary and we ask God for rain. Umar went with a group to the house of Abbas and asked him to come with us to the mosque so that we can ask God for rain. Umar went to the pulpit and prayed:
O Allah! We have turned to You through the uncle of our Prophet, so give us rain and do not make us among the despairing.[14] Ibid
Then he said: Abbas! Get up and call on God.
Abbas got up and after praising God said:
Oh God,! The clouds are with you and the water is at your disposal, so send the clouds and shower your mercy on us and... [15]
Ibn Saad, Muhammad ibn Saad.(1995). Tabaqat al-Kubra. translated by Dr. Mahmoud Mahdavi Damghani,Vol.4, Tehran:Culture and Thought Publications.
After Abbas finished praying, the clouds moved in from all around and joined together, and it started to rain. It rained so much that it covered the whole place and filled all the holes. People walked in the streets and bazaars with their clothes pulled up. Whoever saw Abbas kissed his hands and feet.[16] Ibid
Death of Abbas and Bury in Baqi’
Abbas Ibn Abdul Mottaleb, during the caliphah of Uthman Ibn Affan, passed away in 23 AH:
... When Abbas Ibn Abdul Mottaleb died, the Bani Hashem sent a announcer to the outskirts of Medina, shouting: May God have mercy on whoever attends the funeral of Abbas Ibn Abdul Mottaleb. All the people gathered.[17] Ibn Saad, Muhammad ibn Saad.(1995).Tabaqat al-Kubra. translated by Dr. Mahmoud Mahdavi Damghani,Vol.4, Tehran:Culture and Thought Publications
Ibn Sa’ad writes in his Tabaqat: Uthman did the same. Uthman’s representatives in the surrounding villages shouted: Come, Abbas, the uncle of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has passed away!
The people gathered. We did not find any superiority over the women (an allusion to the fact that there were many women). When his body was brought, the people crowded together and they all gathered in the cemetery of Baqi', and the roads were blocked. You saw the day we prayed for Abbas in Baqi' and you saw that there was no crowd like that day and no one could approach his coffin and the Bani Hashem were the largest crowd. Uthman ordered the guards to come and push the people aside so that the Bani Hashem could bury Abbas easily. When Abbas was taken out of the coffin, the Yemeni cloth on the coffin was torn due to the crowd.[18] Ibid
Abbas died on Friday, the fourteenth of Rajab, in the year 32 AH, during the caliphah of Uthman Ibn Affan, at the age of eighty-eight, and was buried in Baqi' in the tomb of Bani Hashem.[19] Ibn Saad, Muhammad ibn Saad.(1995). Tabaqat al-Kubra. translated by Dr. Mahmoud Mahdavi Damghani,Vol.4, Tehran:Culture and Thought Publications.
Ali (peace be upon him) beside Abbas's body
Ibn Sa'ad in Tabaqat al-Kubra and other historians have all narrated that Abbas was honored to have Ali (peace be upon him) bathe him and bury him as the leader of the Bani Hashem.
...Abdullah Ibn Abi Sa'sa'ah narrated from Hareth Ibn Abdullah Ibn Ka'ab from Umm Ammareh who said: All the women of Medina, the first Mohajireen to pledge allegiance and the Ansar, gathered at the funeral of Abbas and we were the first to weep for Abbas... and Ali Ibn Abi Taleb, Abdullah, Ubeydullah and Qossam, the sons of Abbas, washed him, and the women of Medina were wept and mourned for him for a year.[20] Ibid
Ibn Sa'ad writes:
Isa Ibn Talha said: I think Uthman is proud of Al-Abbas in Al-Baqi' and what he can say in words The people, and indeed the people had reached the funeral processions, and none of the men, women, or children remained behind:
It was narrated from Isa Ibn Talha that he said: I saw Uthman saying the takbir (praying) over him in Baqi', but his words did not reach the people. The crowd was so large that the Baqi' were filled with people, and there was no one from the people of Medina who did not attend his funeral and pray over him.[21] Ibn Saad, Muhammad ibn Saad.(1995). Tabaqat al-Kubra. translated by Dr. Mahmoud Mahdavi Damghani,Vol.4, Tehran:Culture and Thought Publications