Abu Talib

Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib was the uncle of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and the person who raised him after the death of his grandfather Abd al-Muttalib. He was the full brother of the Prophet's father Abdullah and a chief of the Banu Hashim clan. When Abd al-Muttalib was dying, the young Muhammad ﷺ — then eight years old — reportedly wept at his bedside, prompting Abd al-Muttalib to call Abu Talib and entrust his grandson to him. Abu Talib honored this responsibility with extraordinary loyalty for the rest of his life. When the Prophet ﷺ received revelation at forty years of age and began calling people to Islam, Abu Talib stood as his personal protector despite never accepting Islam himself. He faced enormous social and economic pressure from the Quraysh to withdraw his protection and allow the Prophet ﷺ to be harmed. He never relented. The Quraysh imposed a total boycott on Banu Hashim for three years — they were confined to a ravine (Shi'b Abi Talib), unable to buy or sell, reduced to eating leaves and leather. Abu Talib endured this for the sake of his nephew. In the Year of Grief (10 years after prophethood, approximately 619 CE), Abu Talib fell gravely ill. As he lay dying, the Prophet ﷺ came to his bedside and said: 'O my uncle, say: There is no god but Allah — a word by which I can intercede for you before Allah.' Abu Lahab, present in the room, urged Abu Talib against it. Abu Talib died saying: 'He is upon the religion of Abd al-Muttalib.' The Prophet ﷺ was devastated. He said: 'I will ask forgiveness for you as long as I am not forbidden.' Allah then revealed: 'It is not for the Prophet or those who believe to ask forgiveness for the polytheists even if they were relatives after it has become clear to them that they are companions of Hellfire' (Surah al-Tawbah 9:113). The year of his death is called the Year of Grief — in the same year, Khadijah also died.