Abd al-Muttalib

Abd al-Muttalib (c. 497-579 CE) was the grandfather of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the chief of the Quraysh, and one of the most respected leaders of pre-Islamic Arabia. His real name was Shayba — he was called Abd al-Muttalib after a confusion in his childhood. He was the son of Hashim ibn Abd Manaf, the founder of the Hashimite line from which the Prophet ﷺ came. Abd al-Muttalib is famous for several pivotal events in the lead-up to Islam. He rediscovered the Zamzam well in Mecca after it had been lost for centuries, following a vision in a dream — an event that dramatically raised his standing among the Quraysh. He made a vow that if he had ten sons, he would sacrifice one of them to Allah. When that condition was fulfilled, the lot fell on his beloved son Abdullah — the Prophet's father. Rather than break the vow, Abd al-Muttalib prepared to carry it out, but was persuaded to ransom Abdullah with one hundred camels instead. This event spared the Prophet's father. He also led the Quraysh in the year the Prophet was born, when Abraha the Abyssinian king marched with elephants to destroy the Ka'bah. Abd al-Muttalib negotiated with Abraha, famously saying: 'I am the lord of the camels, and the House has its own Lord who will protect it.' He then evacuated to the hills. Allah sent the army of Ababil birds and destroyed Abraha's forces. Abd al-Muttalib died when Muhammad ﷺ was eight years old, deeply grieving, having watched over his grandson since the death of his son Abdullah and then the death of Aminah. On his deathbed, he entrusted the young Muhammad ﷺ to his son Abu Talib.