Abu Talib’s Care of the Messenger of Allah

After Abd al-Muttalib, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, lived with his uncle Abu Talib. It is related that Abd al-Muttalib had entrusted him to Abu Talib. Abdullah, the Messenger’s father, and Abu Talib were full brothers, sharing the same father and mother. Their mother was Fatimah bint ‘Amr ibn ‘A’idh ibn ‘Abd ibn ‘Imran ibn Makhzum.

Ibn Hisham said: ‘A’idh ibn ‘Imran ibn Makhzum. Ibn Ishaq said: Abu Talib was the one who took charge of the Messenger of Allah’s affairs after his grandfather. The Messenger was with him and under his care.

Ibn Ishaq said: Yahya ibn ‘Abbad ibn Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr narrated to me that his father told him: A man from Lahab—Ibn Hisham says Lahab belonged to Azd Shanua—

[2] Yahya was considered reliable and narrated many reports. He narrated from his father, grandfather, uncle Hamzah, and his father’s cousin Abdullah ibn ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr. Among those who narrated from him were Hisham ibn ‘Urwah, Musa ibn ‘Uqbah, Hafs ibn ‘Umar ibn Thabit ibn Zurarah, Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr ibn Hazm, and Yazid ibn Abdullah ibn al-Had. He died at thirty-six. See Tahdhib al-Tahdhib and biographical works. [3] Lahab is also identified as Lahab ibn Ahjan ibn Ka‘b ibn al-Harith ibn Ka‘b ibn Abdullah ibn Malik ibn Nasr ibn al-Azd, a tribe known for divination and augury. A man of Lahab reportedly interpreted a pebble striking ‘Umar’s bald head during pilgrimage as a portent that he would not perform Hajj again; this came to pass. The note cites a lexicon under the entry for Lahab and al-Rawd al-Unuf.