The Death of Abd al-Muttalib and the Elegies for Him

When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, reached the age of eight, Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim died. This was eight years after the Year of the Elephant. Ibn Ishaq said: Al-‘Abbas ibn Abdullah ibn Ma‘bad ibn al-‘Abbas narrated to me from one of his relatives that Abd al-Muttalib died when the Messenger of Allah was eight years old. Ibn Ishaq said: Muhammad ibn Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyib narrated to me that when Abd al-Muttalib was near death and knew he was dying, he gathered his six daughters: Safiyyah, Barrah, ‘Atikah, Umm Hakim al-Bayda’, Umaymah, and Arwa. He said to them, “Weep for me so that I may hear what you say before I die.”

Ibn Hisham said: I have not found anyone learned in poetry who recognizes these verses. However, since Muhammad ibn Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyib transmitted them, we have recorded them.

Safiyyah bint Abd al-Muttalib said, mourning her father: I lay awake at a mourner’s voice in the night, over a man upon the open plain. At that, my tears streamed down my cheek, like a pearl falling from its string.

[1] Al-‘Abbas ibn Abdullah ibn Ma‘bad ibn al-‘Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib al-Hashimi al-Madani narrated from his brother Ibrahim, his father, ‘Ikrimah, and others. Ibn Jurayj, Ibn Ishaq, Wuhayb, Sufyan ibn ‘Uyaynah, and al-Darawardi narrated from him. See biographical works. [2] Some say that Abd al-Muttalib died when the Messenger of Allah was ten. See al-Tabari. [3] Most copies read “since he narrated it”; recension A has another wording: “but since he narrated it, as we have written it.” [4] Recension A reads “then my eyes’ tears flowed.” [5] Al-farid is a pearl.

Over a noble man, neither base nor mean, whose excellence over all people was clear; over the generous, high-minded Shaybah, your good father, heir to every act of generosity; truthful in hardship, never cowardly, neither frail in standing nor one who leans on another; long of reach, impressive, strong of build, obeyed by his clan and praised; of noble house, radiant, rich in virtue, a rain-giver to people in barren years; noble in ancestry, free of disgrace, outshining both the one who leads and the one who is led; steadfast in judgment, from a noble company, chiefs of great stature, powerful as lions. If a man could live forever through ancient glory— but there is no path to immortality— he would have made the nights endure for him, for the sake of his lasting honor and ancestry.

Barrah bint Abd al-Muttalib said, mourning her father: My eyes, pour forth abundant tears for a man of noble nature and pure origin; for one of ancestral greatness, who kindled the fire, fair of countenance and immense in standing.

[1] Waghil means a contemptible, weak person who falls short in affairs. [2] The phrase means that he was the best of fathers; “good” is intensified in the verse. [3] Niks is a weak man of no worth. Shakht describes someone thin and slight by nature, not merely emaciated. Sanid is a weak man who cannot rely on himself and leans on another’s judgment. [4] Shayzami means a tall, vigorous young man. [5] Recension A reads “in the time,” which does not fit the meter. [6] Al-harud is an old she-camel that yields little milk; the poet likens a barren year to it. Recension A reads “the barren land.” [7] Wusum is the plural of wasm, meaning disgrace. [8] Khadaramah means generous, giving chiefs; malawithah derives from strength. [9] Tabannaka means to become firmly established; she says his house was rooted in lofty honor.

For Shaybat al-Hamd, possessor of noble deeds, of glory, honor, and distinction; for the man of judgment and decisive counsel in calamities, rich in generosity and abundant giving; his glory stood above his people, bright as the light of the moon; death came to him, yet the turns of night and fate did not strike him in his most vulnerable part.

‘Atikah bint Abd al-Muttalib said, mourning her father: My eyes, be generous and do not withhold your tears after the sleepers have gone to rest. My eyes, stream forth, pour out, and mingle your weeping with the women’s lamentation. My eyes, let the tears flow and fall heavily for a man neither weak nor feeble with age; for the mighty leader in times of trial, noble in endeavor and faithful to his pledge; for Shaybat al-Hamd, who kindled the fire, a man of proven worth and steadfast position; a sword in war, sharp and unsparing, who brought down an opponent in dispute; easy in temperament, open-handed, a man of the great, powerful clan of ‘Abd Manaf; firmly rooted in a lofty house, high in lineage and difficult to match.

Umm Hakim al-Bayda’, daughter of Abd al-Muttalib, said, mourning her father: O eye, pour forth and let the tears begin; weep for the man of generosity and noble deeds.

[1] Al-fajr here means giving, generosity, and abundant wealth. [2] “It did not strike him” means that death did not hit his vulnerable parts but struck the vital point; al-shawa are the limbs. [3] Most copies read this wording; another recension has a variant judged corrupt by the editor.

[4] The verb describes rain pouring abundantly; al-iltidam is women striking their faces in mourning. [5] Istakhrata means to persist in weeping; kaham is a dull, aged man. She means he was neither weak nor dull. [6] Jahfal describes a great man and generous chief. [7] The ya in “wafi” is shortened to preserve the meter. [8] ‘Admali means large-bodied; allaham means abundant in good. [9] Tabannaka means to become firmly rooted and established.

[10] Istahilli means “show your weeping”; the imperative of “weep for him” is intensified in the verse.

O eye, woe to you, help me with a downpour of streaming tears; weep for the best rider of mounts, your good father, a torrent of generosity; long of reach, Shaybat of lofty rank, noble in nature, praised for his gifts; steadfast in maintaining kinship, a handsome, accomplished man, a rain-giver in years of drought; a lion when the lances clash, pleasing to the eyes of those who look upon him; the wise leader of Banu Kinana, their hope when time brings them misfortunes; their refuge when war rises with a calamity and a difficult adversary. Weep for him; do not tire of grieving, and let the women weep for him as long as they live.

Umaymah bint Abd al-Muttalib said, mourning her father: Alas, the guardian of the clan has died, the lost one, giver of water to the pilgrims, defender of honor; the man whose house welcomed the unfamiliar guest when the people’s sky withheld its thunder; you earned, Shaybat al-Hamd, the best legacy a young man can earn, and never ceased to increase in honor; Abu al-Harith, the generous giver, has left his place empty— may you not be taken far; every living soul must depart. I will weep and grieve for him as long as I live, for my sorrow is fitting for him.

[1] Recension A reads “assist me.” The verb means to help someone in weeping. [2] Al-khayr is originally intensified; al-tayyar means the main flow of water, and al-Furat is fresh water. [3] Khim means nature and disposition. [4] Hibrizi means handsome and comely; it can also mean skillful in one’s affairs. [5] Tashjar means to mingle and interlock; al-‘awali are spearheads, referring to battle. [6] Hanat is the plural of hanah, a euphemism for ugly or shameful matters. [7] Mafza‘aha means her refuge; hayaj means war. [8] The phrase means “do not grow weary.”

[9] Ra‘i al-‘ashirah is the guardian of his clan; al-faqd can mean a bereaved person, but here it describes one who gives freely. [10] Umaymah speaks of herself with a masculine form, referring to herself as a person. The editor cites a parallel verse using the same construction.

May the Lord of the people send rain upon you in your grave; I shall continue to mourn you, though you lie in the tomb. You were the adornment of the whole clan, and worthy of praise wherever praise is given.

Arwa bint Abd al-Muttalib said, mourning her father: My eyes weep, and rightly so, for a generous man whose nature was modesty; for a gentle-tempered man of the Makkah valley, noble in disposition, whose intent was exalted; for the generous Shaybat of lofty rank, your good father, who had no equal; long of reach, smooth of manner, a vigorous young man, radiant, as though his forelock were light; slender of waist, impressive, rich in virtue, his were the foremost glory and splendor; unwilling to endure injustice, radiant and handsome, of ancient glory, with no obscurity in it; a refuge of Malik and Rabi‘ of Fihr, who settled their disputes when judgment was sought; he was foremost in generosity and giving, and brave when blood flowed; when champions feared death, most hearts seemed empty of courage; he advanced with a finely tempered, bright sword, whose beauty shone when you looked upon it.

[1] Saji’ah means disposition or nature. [2] Al-Abtahi refers to Quraysh of the Makkah valley, between its two mountains. [3] Kafa’ means equal. [4] Shayzami is explained here as eloquent and accomplished; another note glosses it as a tall, strong young man. [5] Aqb means slender in the belly; kashh is the waist. Araw‘ is one whose beauty, appearance, and courage inspire admiration. [6] Recension A has “no obscurity”; other copies read “with no equal.” [7] The editor prefers “one who decides disputes”; other copies have “one who excels them.” [8] Kumah are brave champions. [9] Rubad is the patterned sheen of a sword; khashib is polished. [10] Another copy reads “dust,” referring to the gleam on an ornamented sword. [11] Asmata means that illness deprived a person of speech.

Ibn Hisham said: Al-Musayyib ibn Hazn ibn Abi Wahb ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘A’idh ibn ‘Imran ibn Makhzum. The manuscripts differ on whether the conjunction “and” precedes the name.

[1] The conjunction is an addition in recension A. [2] Iraqis pronounce al-Musayyib with a fatḥah on the ya; people of Medina pronounce it with a kasrah. His son Sa‘id reportedly said, “May Allah cause to be lost whoever changes my father’s name.” Qadi ‘Iyad and Ibn al-Madini also record the kasrah. [3] Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyib said that the Prophet wished to change his grandfather’s name to Sahl, but he refused, saying, “I will not change a name my father gave me.” “That hardship remained among us.” See lexicons under ḥ-z-n.

Ibn Ishaq said: Hudhayfah ibn Ghanim, the brother of Banu ‘Adi ibn Ka‘b ibn Lu’ayy, mourned Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim ibn Abd Manaf. He recalled Abd al-Muttalib’s virtues, the virtues of Qusayy over Quraysh, and the standing of his descendants after him. Hudhayfah had been held in Makkah for a debt of four thousand dirhams; when Abu Lahab, Abd al-Muttalib’s son, passed by, he ransomed him. Hudhayfah said: My eyes, pour tears upon my breast, and do not tire; may rain descend upon you. Pour forth tears, shedding them at every sunrise, like the weeping of a man whom fate has not struck down. He continued: Pour, stream, and flow as long as you both remain, for a man of modesty among Quraysh, a man of dignity; for a man of firm strength and resolve, fair of face, neither weak nor given to empty speech.

[4] Another report attributes the poem to Hudhafah ibn Ghanim, Hudhayfah’s brother and father of Kharijah ibn Hudhayfah, whom another verse addresses. [5] He was the father of Abu Jahm ‘Ubayd ibn Hudhayfah, who gave the Messenger a cloak; the Messenger noticed its pattern and returned it. The source refers readers to al-Rawd al-Unuf. [6] Sabil means rain. [7] “At every sunrise” means every day; “has not struck him” means “has not missed him.” [8] Sahha means pour; jamma means gather and increase; asjima means let flow. [9] These words are an addition in recension A. [10] Hafizah is anger joined with honor. Niks is likened to an inferior arrow set upside down in a quiver; hadhar means excessive, useless talk.

For the noble, generous lord, broad in reach and giving, for Rabi‘ of Lu’ayy, sheltering in hardship; for the best of Ma‘add, barefoot or shod, noble in name, good in nature and origin; best in root, branch, and stock, most honored for noble deeds and remembrance; foremost in glory, forbearance, and good judgment, and in virtue when hard years strip people bare; for Shaybat al-Hamd, whose face shone through the darkness of night like the full moon; for the giver of water to pilgrims, and before him Hashim, and Abd Manaf, the noble master of Fihr; he folded the Zamzam well beside the Station, and his watering became a source of pride above all others. Let every captive in distress mourn him, and all the descendants of Qusayy, poor and wealthy; his sons, the noblest of their elders and young men, were like the chicks emerging from a falcon’s egg; Qusayy, who opposed all of Kinana and guarded God’s House in hardship and ease; though death and its reversals have taken him, he lived fortunate in character and achievement; he left behind leaders, never unarmed, brave as dark, Ridini spears; Abu ‘Utbah, whose gift was bestowed upon me, radiant and fair among a radiant people; and Hamzah, like the full moon, eager to give, pure in clothing and faithful to his pledge.

[1] Bahlul means a noble lord. [2] Most copies read “giving”; Allahā means gifts. Recension A has “generosity,” and another narration reads “good judgment.” [3] Najr means origin or root. [4] Mujhifat are years that consume people’s wealth; ghubr are drought-stricken years. [5] Recension A reads “for bread”; other copies read “for good.” [6] The manuscripts have “al-Fihri”; Sharh al-Sirah has “al-qahri,” meaning one who subdues people, using a verbal noun as an adjective. [7] ‘Ani means captive. [8] Sarat means the finest; the “falcon’s egg” image describes the clan’s young men. [9] Naqibah means one’s nature; maymun al-naqibah is one whose endeavors succeed and aims are fulfilled. [10] ‘Uzzal is a plural form meaning unarmed; masalit means brave, and Ridini spears are spears of great quality. [11] Hiba’ is a gift; hajan al-lawn means white-complexioned.

And Abd Manaf was a noble man of firm resolve, joining kinship and showing kindness to in-laws; their elders were the best of elders, their descendants like kings’ offspring, never dwindling or diminishing. Whenever an up-and-coming man of theirs meets you, you find him following the path of his forebears. They filled the Makkah valley with glory and honor when good deeds were contested in an earlier age; among them were builders of loftiness and guardians of the sanctuary, and their ancestor Abd Manaf mended what was broken. He married his daughter to ‘Awf to protect us from our enemies when Banu Fihr abandoned us. We traveled through the lowlands and highlands in safety under his protection, until caravans crossed the sea. They were settled, while others were scattered; there remained there only the elders of Banu ‘Amr. They built many dwellings there and dug wells that poured water from the depths of the sea, so that pilgrims and others could drink from them when they hastened there on the morning after the Sacrifice.

[1] Recension A reads “to his in-law”; other copies read “to his relatives.” [2] Tasil means to perish; tahra means to dwindle or diminish. [3] Ijriyya, short or extended, is the course or manner in which something proceeds. [4] “Lowland and highland” means the lower and elevated regions. [5] Recension A reads “in his security”; the other copies read “in safety,” which the editor considers a corruption. Al-Suhayli discusses the poetic omission of the pronoun’s yā’ and the treatment of connected speech like pause. [6] “The elders of Banu ‘Amr” means Banu Hashim, whose ancestor’s name was ‘Amr. [7] Recension A has “they built”; other copies have a different form. [8] Thabj is the middle or depth of a thing; the copies differ over the phrase “the depth of the sea.”

For three days their mounts remained penned between the two mountains and the sanctuary; for a long time before that we had been prosperous, and drew water only from Khumm or al-Hafr. They forgave the offense that might have called for vengeance, and pardoned foolish or obscene speech. They brought all the clans of al-Ahabish into alliance, and repelled the aggressors of Banu Bakr from us. Kharijah, if I die, do not cease to thank them until you are laid in the grave; never forget what Ibn Lubna did for you, a deed for which your gratitude is due. You are the son of Lubna, descended from Qusayy, whose lineage reaches where the heart’s purpose ends; you attained the heights and gathered them to an ancient, enduring root of glory. You surpassed the people in generosity and gifts, and became a master among those of abundant honor. Your mother is Sirr of Khuza‘ah, of pure lineage, known to those skilled in tracing ancestry; she descends from the heroes of Saba’— what a noble lineage among the radiant ones! Among them were Abu Shamir, ‘Amr ibn Malik, Dhu Jadan of her people, and Abu al-Jabr; As‘ad led the people for twenty years, upheld in those places by victory.

[1] Most copies read “penned”; another reading is “held.” [2] Al-Akhashib are the mountains of Makkah; two mountains are named collectively. [3] Khumm and al-Hafr are the names of two wells. [4] Hajr means obscene or ugly speech. [5] Al-Ahabish were groups who joined Banu Layth in fighting Quraysh; another account says they allied with Quraysh beneath a mountain called Hubashi. Nakkalu means they restrained and repelled. [6] The wording is “a deed for which your gratitude is due” in recension A; other copies differ. [7] Jusr means resolute and capable in one’s affairs. [8] Sirr means pure or genuine in lineage. [9] Abu Shamir is identified as Malik, called “king of kings”; his son Shamir is said to have built Samarkand. The editor also suggests other possible identifications for ‘Amr ibn Malik and Abu al-Jabr, and records a report about Sumayyah, the mother of Ziyad. [10] As‘ad is As‘ad Abu Hassan ibn As‘ad; these figures were Tubba‘ kings of Himyar, descended from Saba’. The poet cites them as maternal ancestors of Abu Lahab through his Khuza‘ah mother.

Ibn Hisham said: “Your mother is Sirr of Khuza‘ah” refers to Abu Lahab, whose mother was Lubna bint Hajar of Khuza‘ah. The phrase “following the course of its forebears” is transmitted from someone other than Ibn Ishaq.

Ibn Ishaq said: Matrud ibn Ka‘b al-Khuza‘i said, mourning Abd al-Muttalib and Banu Abd Manaf: O man who has moved his camel’s saddle away, why did you not ask about the family of Abd Manaf? May your mother lose you! Had you settled among them, they would have protected you from guilt and disgrace. They joined their wealthy and poor together until the poor among them became self-sufficient. They gave generously when the stars changed their course, and set out on the journeys of the trade alliance. They fed people when the winds blew against one another, until the sun disappeared into the surging sea. If you have lost Abu al-Fa‘al, no one like him has ever been encompassed by a necklace of pearls, except your father, the sole brother of noble deeds, and al-Fayd Muttalib, father of guests.

Ibn Ishaq said: When Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim died, al-‘Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib took charge after him of Zamzam and providing water to the pilgrims. At that time he was the youngest of his brothers. The source text continues beyond the end of printed page 178; the remaining wording is not supplied here.

[1] Habalatka means “may your mother lose you.” Here it is an exhortation, not a curse, like “may your hands be rubbed with dust” or “may you have no father.” Iqraf means approaching a mixed or inferior lineage; the poet says the clan would protect a man from marrying into a base family and acquiring disgrace through descent. A similar expression occurs in the verse of Muhalhil. [2] This is an addition from recension A. [3] Tanaawahat means the winds faced one another; al-rajjaf here is the sea. [4] Nitaf is the plural of nitfah, an earring hanging from the ear. The reading with a kasrah in “necklace” allows this meaning; with a fatḥah it can mean a little clear water. [5] He means that the clan was like a father to its guests. Arabs call a generous host “father of guests.”

[6] This is an addition from recension A. [7] Recension A reads “over it”; other copies read “over them,” which the editor considers a corruption.