Part 1 · Page 169
The Death of Abd al-Muttalib and the Poetry Said about Him
English rendering of the source section
Local English translation from the Arabic text; not an official published English edition.
This local English rendering may condense the Arabic narration and editorial notes. It is not a complete published English edition. Consult the Arabic source for exact wording and context.
Read the corresponding Arabic sectionWhen 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.