The Life of Muhammad

Great Personalities and Glories

The origins that the Master of all creation Prophet Muhammad (a.s.) had branched from were the greatest of all human beings and nonesuch in purity, chastity, loftiness, and perfection among all that Allah has created.

Al-Mawardi says, ‘He (the Prophet) is from a lineage of noble fathers. No one among them is mean, but all of them are leading masters. The nobility of lineage and the purity of birth are from the conditions of prophethood.’[1]

The history of the Prophet’s glorious family is full of virtues and nobilities. This family had undertaken the social services to people, and what increased its honor and high position was the Prophet (a.s.) who had had all virtues of this world.

The Prophet (a.s.) was not the pride of Adnan**[2]** and the glory of the Hashemites only, but also he was and is the pride, the glory, and the honor of the humanity throughout all the stages of history. It was he who had built the civilization of man and caused springs of knowledge and wisdom to gush out in the earth. Here, we talk in brief about some pillars of this great family:

Hashim

His name was Amr, and he was called Amr ul-Ula (Amr of highness) for his exalted position and high standing. Also, he and his brothers were called “aqdah an-nidhar” meaning “gold”, and called “the protectors” for their generosity, honor, and leadership over the Arabs. As an example on his generosity is  


[1] As-Seera an-Nabawiyya wel Aathar al-Muhammadiyya, vol. 1 p. 7.
[2] Adnan was the father of the Prophet’s tribe and Hashim was the grandfather of his (the Prophet) family.

that when once Quraysh suffered a terrible famine, Hashim went to Sham, bought quantities of flour and cakes, and brought them to Mecca. He crumbled and sopped bread and cakes and slaughtered a camel. He offered the food to people until they became satiate. Therefore, he was called Hashim.[1] He also was called “Abul Battha’-father of the plain” and “Sayyid al-Battha’-master of the plain”.

He was at the top of honor and loftiness. Historian says that he satisfied the needs of wayfarers, gave rights to their people, protected the frightened, and these are the noblest qualities. When the month of Thul Hajja came, he made a speech before the people of Mecca encouraging them to serve the hajjis who came to the Kaaba. He said,

“O people of Quraysh, you are masters of the Arabs, the best of them in notability, the greatest in reason, and the noblest in lineages.

O people of Quraysh, you are neighbors of the House of Allah. He has honored you with His guardianship and favored you with His neighborhood away from the rest of the offspring of Ishmael. The visitors of Allah come to you to glorify His House and so they are your guests, and the worthiest to entertain the guests of Allah are you. Entertain His guests and the visitors of His House! By the Lord of this Building, if I had money enough for that, I would not ask you to that. I will take out of my lawful property, which no kinship has been deserted in, not been obtained by oppression, and not included any unlawful bit. Let whoever of you, who likes to do that, do that. I ask you by the sanctity of this House that let no anyone of you spend from his  


[1] In Arabic “hashim” is derived from “hashama” that means “to break into crumbs”, and thus “hashim” means ‘one who crumbles or breaks into crumbs’.

property on the entertainment of the visitors of the House of Allah except lawful money that has not been obtained wrongfully, and no kinship has been deserted by it, and has not been obtained by force.”[1]

This speech shows Hashim’s deep faith in Allah and his precaution in avoiding properties that are taken wrongfully. When Allah chose him to His neighborhood (made him die), he died while with a calm soul, pure, and unpolluted with the sins of the pre-Islamic era.

Abdul Muttalib

From the pillars of honor and pride of the Arabs was the noble master Abdul Muttalib. He was one of the noblest young men in his youth, and in his old age was the most notable one; therefore, he was called “Shaybatul Hamd-the old man of praise” because of the people’s much praise and gratefulness to him”.[2]

Abdul Muttalib’s faith

Abdul Muttalib was on the religion of his great grandfather Abraham (a.s.). He did not worship an idol, but he worshipped Allah the Almighty. The Prophet (a.s.) said, ‘Abdul Muttalib did not gamble, nor did he worship idols or eat from what was slain for idols. He often said: I am on the religion of my father Abraham”.[3]

Surely, he had deep faith in Allah that some sayings and too much poetry were transmitted from him showing his true faith. He said,


[1] As-Seera an-Nabawiyya wel Aathar al-Muhammadiyya, vol. 1 p. 11.
[2] Encyclopedia of Imam Ameerul Mo'minin Ali bin Abi Talib, vol. 1 p. 23.
[3] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 77 p.56.

“No unjust one leaves this life until he will be avenged on and afflicted with punishment.” He also said, “By Allah, behind (after) this house (life) there is a house where a good doer is rewarded for his good doing and a bad doer is punished for his bad doing.”[1]

These verses are ascribed to him,
“All people blame the time,
whereas our time has no defect except us.
We blame our time but the defect is in us,
And if the time can speak,
It will dispraise us.
A wolf does not eat a wolf’s flesh,
While we eat each other openly.”[2]

Entrusting the hospitality of the pilgrims to him

The hospitality and the watering of the pilgrims, who came to the Kaaba, were entrusted to Abdul Muttalib and he suffered too much in gathering water. He gathered it from rain and other sources and put it into leather basins to offer it generously to the pilgrims of Allah’s House.

It is very odd that the orientalist (Margolios) says, “Abdul Muttalib sold water to pilgrims and got great profits from that...”

Lutfi Jum’ah refutes him saying, “It is clear that Margolios compares the matter to some countries of Western Europe where generosity has no value except in rare cases. So, he cannot imagine that someone may offer his properties liberally except rarely. In most of Europe, no one can have a sip of water with no price, and the same is said about food. Margolios’s mind  


[1] Bihar al-Anwar., vol. 1 p.4.
[2] Ibid., vol. 15 p.121.

cannot imagine that Abdul Muttalib carried water and offered dates and raisins for the pilgrims as a means of approaching Allah the Almighty and entertaining the pilgrims…”[1]

Restoring the well of Zamzam

From the famous charismata of Abdul Muttalib in history, was his restoring of Zamzam Well after it had been buried for centuries, and the people of Mecca did not know its place. Abdul Muttalib uncovered it and refreshed life for the inhabitants of Mecca after they were suffering the bitterness of thirst.

Some historians say that the reason of the disappearance of Zamzam Well was that Mudhadh bin Amr al-Jurhumi, who lived about three hundred years before Abdul Muttalib, had involved in a war with his enemies that led to his defeat. He was certain that his enemies would drive him away from Mecca; therefore, he thought of depriving them of water. He hid his precious properties and gold in the well and buried the well and covered all its signs, and then he fled to Yemen. Sands accumulated over the well until it disappeared. The inhabitants of Mecca were obliged to dig many wells in the valleys of Mecca. Abdu Shams dug a well called Tuwa. Hashim dug a well and called it Bathr, and he allowed people to make use of it freely. Umayya dug a well and called it al-Hafr, but he monopolized it for himself. And the tribes of Mecca dug wells for themselves.[2]

However, Yaqut al-Hamawi, the historian, says that rains flooded the well of Zamzam and no one could find its place.[3]  


[1] The Revolution of Islam, p.256.
[2] As-Seera an-Nabawiyyah by ibn Hisham, vol. 1 p. 148-150.
[3] Mu’jam al-Buldan, vol. 5 p. 149.

Abdul Muttalib’s vision

Abdul Muttalib suffered too much in gathering water to offer it to the guests of Allah. Mecca faced a rainless year, and that was too heavy for Abdul Muttalib who felt pain for the pilgrims that they might be affected by the shortage of water. While he was in bed, he heard in sleep that someone ordered him to dig Tayyibah, or Barrah, or al-Madhmunah (names of wells). He saw the vision for three nights, but he was worried to reveal his vision that Harb bin Umayya and the men of Makhzoom might mock at him. Once again, the caller (in sleep) ordered him to re-dig the well of Zamzam and defined to him its place. Abdul Muttalib remembered that it was the very well that was at the time of his grandfather Abraham (a.s.). He carried out what the caller had ordered him (in the dream) to do. He took with him his son al-Harith, and they both made great efforts to remove the sands accumulated on the well. While digging, he found two gold gazelles, swords, and precious armors that belonged to Mudhadh al-Jurhami who had hid them in the well before his fleeing to Yemen. This news spread among the people of Quraysh. Some of them rose to ask Abdul Muttalib to let them have shares in that treasure, but some others said it was to be Abdul Muttalib’s. There was a dispute between the two parties, but Abdul Muttalib settled the arguments by determining to spend the treasure on the Kaaba and thus he was admired and glorified by the people of Quraysh.

After no long, water began gushing out and it flowed over the land to enliven Mecca, water its thirsty inhabitants, and refresh the economic life there. The news spread here and there like light, and all people; men and women, old and young, hurried to see that great achievement while Abdul Muttalib’s soul was full of joy and delight for that great conquest that provided the pilgrims of the Kaaba and the inhabitants of Mecca with the

essence of life. His mention was raised high and all people everywhere praised his favor.

Abdul Muttalib’s vow

Abdul Muttalib met difficulties when searching for the well of Zamzam, the bitterest of which was the mocking of Quraysh at him and then their dispute with him on the treasure that he found. He felt that that was because of his weakness and the little children he had. Therefore, he vowed to Allah that if he would have ten children and when they would be adults, he would slaughter one of them at the Kaaba for the sake of Allah as his grandfather Abraham (a.s.) had done when he had finished building the Kaaba. And indeed, Allah endowed him with ten males; al-Harith, az-Zubayr, Hajl, Dhirar, al-Muqawwam, Abu Lahab, al-Abbas, Hamza, Abu Talib, and Abdullah, and some females; Safiyyah, Wabrah, Aatikah, Umm Hakeem, (Ajbahah), and Arwa.

Abdul Muttalib’s wish came true and he had ten males. Then, he had to fulfill his vow. He gathered his sons and told them about his vow. They all submitted and showed their obedience to their father. He chose by lot and it was Abdullah, the Prophet’s father and the most beloved to his father, who was to be slaughtered. Abdul Muttalib took Abdullah to the Kaaba to slaughter him there. The people of Quraysh hasten to him saying, “By Allah, you should not slaughter him. O Abul Harith, if you do, it shall be a custom followed by your people, and every man will bring his son to slaughter him here.”[1]

Abdul Muttalib said, “I have promised my Lord and I will fulfill what I have promised Him…”  


[1] As-Seera an-Nabawiyyah by ibn Hisham, vol. 1 p. 162.

Some other men tried to convince him to change his determination. They asked him to go to a diviner in Khaybar and to do whatever the diviner would tell him. Abdul Muttalib responded to them and went to the diviner. The diviner asked, “How much is the blood money among you?”

Abdul Muttalib said, “Ten camels (for a man).”

The diviner said, “Go back to your country and then offer a sacrifice for your man (Abdullah). Offer ten camels and draw lots on him and on the camels. If the lots fall on your man, then add other ten camels, and so on until your Lord will be pleased. When the lots fall on the camels, then you slaughter them and so your Lord will be pleased and your man will be saved…”

Abdul Muttalib went back to Mecca. He draws the lots on his son and camels, and in the tenth time the lots fell on the camels. People glorified Allah and cried out, “O Abdul Muttalib, your Lord is pleased.” Abdul Muttalib ordered one hundred camels to be slaughtered between the Safa and the Marwa,[1] and ordered a caller to call the people of Mecca to come to take some meat and they hurried from everywhere.[2]

Abdullah was saved from slaughter as his grandfather Ishmael had been saved before.

His care for the Prophet

Prophet Muhammad (a.s.) was born at the time of his grandfather Abdul Muttalib. His father and mother died and he was adopted by his grandfather who looked after him with great love and kindness. The grandfather was certain that his grandson would be an important man in the future. Monks and others told him of that. He himself took much care of him and  


[1] Safa and Marwa are two mountains in Mecca near the Kaaba.
[2] As-Seera an-Nabawiyyah by ibn Hisham, vol. 1 p. 163.

was too kind and loyal to him. He preferred him to all his sons and other grandsons.

Abdul Muttalib was cautious and worried about his grandson whose mention would fill the world and who would bring to them a great glory and immortal mention until the last day of life…Abdul Muttalib felt that his inevitable end was near, and he recommended his son Abu Talib saying to him,

“O Abu Talib, be a keeper to this lonely one who has not smelt his father’s scent or tasted his mother’s kindness. Be careful to regard him as your liver to your body, for I have left all my children and entrusted him to you. Support him with your tongue, hand, and money, for, by Allah, he will be a master over you and will have what no one of my fathers has had…”

Then he asked Abu Talib, “Do you accept my recommendation?”

Abu Talib said, “Yes, I accept your recommendation and Allah is the witness on that.”

Abdul Muttalib felt relieved from that burden oppressing him, and he said to Abu Talib, “Now, death is made light to me.” Then, he began kissing him (the Prophet) and saying, “I have not seen anyone more scented or more beautiful than you.”

Towards the High Companion

After this recommendation, Abdul Muttalib lived no long and soon he breathed his last. By his death, a bright page of nobility and honor was folded and Mecca was upset by this sad news, because people lost the reformer who was too loving and kind to them…he was escorted to his last abode by great masses and his funerals were so splendid.

It is worth mentioning that the Prophet (a.s.) was eight years old when his grandfather Abdul Muttalib died.[1] The Prophet (a.s.) was brought up in this family that had inherited nobility, honor, and magnanimity, and were accustomed to goodness, kindness, and charity.

 


[1] Al-Imta’ wel Mu’anasah, vol. 2 p. 81.