ABUTALIB–THEBENEFACTOROFISLAM:THEFIRSTVICTIMOFTHETAKFIRICONSPIRACY

ByDrMahmoodY.Abdullah©It is inhumannaturethatpeople liketopreservethememoryoftheirancestorsandprotect itpricelessly.Haditnotbeenso,thentheoldcemeteryofMakkah,Maqbaratal-Quraysh(thegraveyardofQuraysh,wouldnothavesurvivedtothisday.Initstranquilatmosphere,thegreat-grandfathersoftheProphet,includinghisuncleAbūṬālib,sleepinpeace.Hisgravesurvivesuntilthisdaywhenthereisnotraceofthegravesofthosewho fabricatedhadiīths against him, claiming that he haddied a polytheist and that hewill burn inHell(na‘oozobillah)!Millionsofpilgrimssendtheirsalutationstothegreat-grandfathersoftheProphet,ignoringtheenviousandmalicious people, who, after so many centuries, are still burning with jibes and jealousy because of thesuperiorhumanqualitiesthatthenobleancestorsoftheProphetenjoyed.ItisnotthefaultofAbūṬālibthattheir own envious ancestors had never enjoyed these qualities. Even today, the pilgrims are attractedtowards the graveyardwhichwas visited by theProphet himself. They targetAbūṬālib, the uncle of theProphet,wholovedtheProphetmostdearlyandprotectedhimatallcost,evenbyputtinghisownsonsinthemouthofdanger. AbūṬālibstood likea strong fort in protecting theProphet from theharm that theQuraysh,theancestoroftheTakfiris,soughttoinflictuponhimandhisreligion.Asagestureof ingratitude,anArabic satelliteTVchannel, runby theNasibitesandKharijitesof our timepours its rage against Abū Ṭālib and abuses him, claiming that he died a “kāfir” (pagan) and “mushrik”(polytheist)! What good can be expected from these people who have openly declared their animositythrough theirmediawar against the ancestorsand the progenyof the nobleProphet of Islam (peace andblessingsbeuponhimandhisprogeny)?Onemayask:Whyallthishatredandmaliceagainsttherighteoussouls(?)whosenobilityandmagnanimityarewelldocumentedandrecognised inhistory.Therewasnobility in their charactersata timewhen theforefathersoftheiradversarieswereburyingtheirbabydaughtersaliveandcommittingrobberiesandothervices. Yet, on the same TV channel, a takfiri radical cleric proudly declares: “We do not love Abū Ṭālib”!Despitealltheirdistortionsandlies,theycannotfindaweakestepisodeinhistorytocharacter-assassinateAbūṬālib,which theywould have loved to do. In order to be able to love the great benefactor of Islam,which the devoted uncle of the Prophet was, one has to have nobility in his blood. By declaring to theviewersthattheydonotloveAbūṬālib,theclericontheprogrammewasexposinghisingratitudeandmeannature.With unprecedented bravery, dedication and love for the Prophet, Abū Ṭālib suffered social boycotts,calamitiesandhardshipsuntilthelastbreathofhislife.ThisisthepricethatAbūṬālibandhisfamilyhadtopay,andarepayingup to thisday, forprotectingtheProphetbyall themeanspossibleandthwarting theconspiraciesoftheenemiesofIslam.ButthosewhoaresufferingfromgrudgesagainsttheancestorsandtheholyHouseholdoftheProphet,demonstratetheirjibesagainstthenobleandrighteoussouls,butnotagainstthearch-enemiesofIslam,simplybecausetheyshareacommonancestry.ThebattleofBadr,theveryfirstbattlefoughtbythefledglingMuslimcommunityagainstthepowerfulclanofQuraysh,whereBanūUmayyahwerein theforefrontsofaggression, isbeingavengedup tothisdaybytheir followers.This revengewill continueuntil the dayof Judgement.Theydonot loveAbūṬālibsimplybecausehewas the fatherof Imam ‘Ali ibnAbi Ṭālib,who foughtbravelyandselflessly for protecting theProphet and His Message, against the nearest kin of Mu‘āwiyah ibn Abī Sufyān, the Caesar and the firstMonarchoftheArabs.ImamAlididnotcarethatonthatfatefuldayofBadr,hewasmakingenemywiththearistocratsofQuraysh, forwhich,hissons,daughters,grandchildrenandthenobleprogenyoftheProphet

will be subjected to themost ruthless atrocities and killings,which continue to this day by the sponsors,financiersandsupportersofglobalterrorismandsuicidebombings.Whocareswhether thesedubiouscharacterswhoappearonthetakfiriTVchannel loveAbūTālibornot?Suffice ittosaythattheProphetlovedhimsodearlythathewasdeeplygrievedathisdeath.TheProphetdeclared the entire year in which Abū Ṭālib died as the “year of sorrows”. Suffice it to say that Allāhbestowed a great honour upon Abū Ṭālib for choosing him to be the Prophet’s guardian, protector anddevotee in themost trying and dangerous circumstances in the Prophet’s life. As the Prophet never actsagainstAllāh’swill according to theQur’ān, the love of theProphet forAbūṬālibwas incompliancewithAllāh’swill.Hence, the radical clerics’opendeclaration that theyhateAbūṬālib isa revoltand treacheryagainst Allāh and His Messenger. By relying exclusively on some malicious ḥadīths manufactured in thefactoryofBanūUmayyahbythebelievers intheImāmateandCaliphateofMu‘āwiyahibnAbīSufyān,theyplacethemselvesinthecategoryofungratefulpeople.AlltheShi‘ās,withoutexception,believethatAbūṬālibwasadedicatedbelieverandthathewasadevotedMuslim. His own poetry in which he submissively praises the Prophet and his religion are testamentaryproofs.OntheimānorfaithofAbūṬālib,unanimityisfoundinthehadiīthsnarratedthroughthesourcesofthemembersoftheProphet’sfamily-theAhl-ul-Bayt.Othercompilersofthehadiīthsshouldhavegiventhebenefit of the doubt and credibility to these hadiīths based on the unflinching support that the ProphetenjoyedfromhisunclefromthetimetheProphetwaseightyearsolduntilhewasalmost52-for44years,or throughout the 12 years of his Propheticmission,whenhepreached theMessage ofAllāh against theturbulent tides of his time. If he did not believe in theMessage that theProphet brought,whywould hesufferthethrongsofhungerandseehisfamilymembers, includingchildren,sufferthetorturouseffectsofsocial boycott and the ban on all the dealingswith him andhis clan for three long yearsbyQuraysh?Hecould have segregated himself and joined the Quraysh, like his half-brother Abū Lahab, who remained astaunchenemyoftheProphetuntiltheend.Oratleastonce,throughoutthisperiodofhardshipandagony,he could have protested to the Quraysh that why are they levying such boycotts and putting him intohardshipswhenheisnotevenabelieverintheProphet’sMission.Thereisnoevidenceinhistorysuggestingthat.Onthecontrary,hebravelyfaced,andlateron,hisentireprogenyfacedcalamitiesforthesakeoftheProphet’sMission.EventhehistorywrittenbyBanūUmayyahandBanū‘AbbāsconfessesthatFātimābintAsad,thewifeofAbūṬālib,wasamongtheearliestconvertstoIslām.FromtheviewpointofAbūṬālib,itisnotconceivablethathewould have accepted his own spouse, with whom he lived happily, being committed to the religion sodifferent from his own. From the perspective of the Law of the Shari‘ahwhich considers thematrimonybetween a pagan and aMuslim to be invalid, it is not conceivable that the Prophetwould have adopteddouble-standards by allowing thismatrimony to continue. But this is precisely what the enemies of AbūṬālib,consciouslyorunconsciouslyareclaiming,byallegingthatAbūṬālibdiedapagan.Throughthemalicetheycarryagainsthimintheirhearts,theyhaveendedupblasphemingtheProphet.TheopponentsoftheShi‘āsquotesomepathetichadiīthsandepisodesintheirso-called“authentic”books,inwhich they claim that AbūṬālib died a pagan. Incidentally, these narrators happen to be the deadliestenemiesofIslām.Whenapersonisdying,hisfamilymembersarenormallysensitiveandextravigilantnottopermithisavowedenemiestobebyhisbed-sideatsuchacriticalmoment.ButtheenemiesofAbūṬālibarecarelessandinsensitivetothisfact,andtheyintroduceintheirstory,hisstaunchenemyAbūJahlathisdeathbed,tobetheeye-witnessthatAbūṬālibdiedapolytheist!TheepisodenarratedinSahihBukhārirunslikethis:“WhenAbūṬālibwasonhisdeathbed,theProphetwenttohimwhileAbūJahlwassittingbesidehim.”(WhywouldAbūJahlwhowastheworstenemyoftheProphetandwasHell-bentoncausinghimharm,beallowed to come so close to the Prophet?) It seems that the compilers of this story had certain politicalmotives,sotheydidnotcaretoweightheveracityofthestory.

TheepisodecontinuesthattheProphetsaidtohim:“OUncle!SayLāilāhaillallāh(ThereisnoGodbutAllāh)–theexpressionwithwhichIwilldefendyourcasebeforeAllāh”.AbūJahland‘AbdullāhbinUmayyahsaid,“OAbūṬālib!Willyouleavethereligionof ‘Abdul-Muṭṭalib?”TheykeptonsayingthistillAbūṬālib’s laststatementwas, “Iamon the religion ofAbdul-Muṭṭalib”. So theProphet said: “Iwillkeep askingAllāh foryour forgiveness unless I am forbidden to do so”. Thereupon, verse 113 of Surah al-Tawbah (TheRepentance)wasrevealed(discussedbelow).Itisworthponderingastowhatwasthereligionof‘Abdul-Muṭṭalib?Doesn’thistorytestifythathewasnotan idol worshipper? Doesn’t history testify that the forefathers of the Prophet were hunafā, like theirancestorProphetIbrahim,who,accordingtotheQur’ān,wassteadfastinfaithaMuslim?But SahihBukhāri continueswith veryweak link to its story: “ ‘Abbās ibn ‘Abdul-Muṭṭalib (theProphet’suncle)saidtotheProphet:“YouhavenotbeenofanybenefittoyouruncleAbūṬālib(though)byAllāh,heprotectedyouandusedtobecomeangryforyoursake”.TheProphetsaid,“Heisinshallowfire,andhaditnot been for me, he would have been in the bottom of Hellfire”. If there is an iota of credibility to thisnarration, then itwouldmean thatAbū Sufyān, the father ofMu‘āwiyah,who fought the Prophet fiercelythroughouthislife,untilhecouldfightnomore,anduntilalltheavenuesofopposingIslāmandtheProphetwere closed on his face, was to end up in Paradise; and Abū Ṭālib, the father of ‘Ali, who protected theProphet until the last breathe of his life,was to endup in the fire ofHell! Again, in order to please theirdynastictyrannicalrulers,theyendeduppeltingstonesontheJusticeofGod.Allāh,inHisAbsoluteJustice,wouldrewardeventhedogofthecompanionsoftheCave(Ahl-al-Kahf)merelyforaccompanyingHisfaithfulservants.ButHewouldhavenomercy(accordingtothesetale-tellers)ontheuncleoftheProphet,AbūṬālib, foraccompanying,bringingupandprotectingthebestofthecreationandthebestamongall theProphets, themercyformankind, theseal toProphethood,Muhammad(peaceandblessingsbeuponhimandhis immaculateprogeny)!WhywouldAllāh, inHisAbsoluteWisdom,chooseapolytheisttolookaftertheProphetthroughhismissionarylife,whichwasbasedonpureTawhid(UnicityofGod)?DidthePharaohtakecareofMosesduringhismissionarylifeordidheconsiderhimashisbitterestenemyafter Moses declared his Mission? Of course, the Pharaoh’s enmity intensified after Moses declared hispropheticmission.WhenitcomestoAbūṬālibandhisdedicatedprotectionoftheProphet,theTakfiriadversariesdivorcetheir‘aql (intelligence) from rational thinking for the sake of nurturing naql (narrations), whether thesenarrationsmakesenseornot.Intheprocess,theygrosslymisinterprettheJusticeofGod.IfAbūṬālibwasanon-believer,hewouldhaveabandonedhisprotectionoftheProphetassoonashedeclaredhisMission.Letusanalyse further theevidencewhichproves thatAbūṬālibwasa strongbeliever inAllāhandin theMissionoftheProphet.Theversethatthetale-tellersquotedinsupportoftheirclaimthatAbūṬālibwasapaganhastheevidencethatthistaleisnothingbutfable.“ItdoesnotbefittheProphetandthebelieverstoaskAllāh’sforgivenessforthepagans,evenif theyweretheirnearrelatives,afterithasbecomecleartothemthattheyarethedwellersofHellfire”(Q.9:113).ThisverseoftheQur’ānisfromSuraal-Tawbah(TheRepentance)whichwasrevealedinMadinahinthe9thyearofHijrah,whereasAbūṬālibhaddiedbeforeHijrah.Thereisagapoftenyearsbetweenhisdeathandtherevelationoftheverse.ThecompilershaveextractedoneversefromtheSurah,misappropriateditandfitteditwiththefablesurroundingthedeathofAbūṬālib,whichoccurredbeforethemigration.Moreover,Sa‘idibnMusayyab is thesole narratorof this story.Hehasa strangebackground.Heused to praybehind themostbloodthirsty tyrannicalgovernor in the timeofBanūUmayyah,HajjājbinYusufal-Thaqafi,whowasdrownedinthebloodofthousandsofinnocentpeople,andwasproudofhiscrimes. IfSa‘id ibnMusayyabhad no regard and no respect for his own prayers, he cannot be trusted or relied upon. But then, the

murderingclichéofBanūUmayyaharetheimāms(leaders)ofthosewhohavenarrated,compiledandarestillinsistingonthevalidityofthesefabricationsuntilthisday.AllthesacrificesrenderedbyAbūṬālibforthesakeofthereligionofAllāhandhisdevotiontotheProphetwillkeepon thwarting theseconspiraciesandexposing thepoliticalundertones behind their fabrications.ThisexplainswhytheShi‘ās insist intakingtheSunnahofthenobleMessengerofAllāhfromitsauthenticsource–thesourceofAhl-ul-Bayt,whichdoesnotconsider the fabricators likeSa‘id ibnMusayyaborthetyrantslikeYazidibnMu‘āwiyahandHajjajastheirrolemodels.AbūṬālibwasthechiefprotectoroftheProphet,whosedevotionandlovefortheProphetwasexemplaryandsavedhimfromthevulturesofQurayshforalmost13yearssincethecommencementofhisPropheticMission.HistorybearstestimonytothefactthattherecordofAbūṬālibinhisabsolutededicationandlovefortheProphetissocleanthatuntilhisdeath,theenemiesremaineddismayedthatAbūṬālibsimplywouldnotsurrendertheProphetandhisMissionatanycost.EvenAbūSufyānandhisfellowsofBanūUmayyah,the deadliest enemies of Islam and of the Prophet, who had to embrace Islam on the final conquest ofMakkah,couldnotfindanyloopholesforaccusingAbūṬālibforanyshortcomingsinprotectingtheProphet.IfAbūṬālib’sintegrity,sincerityandlovetowardstheProphethadbeenquestionable,thenBanūUmayyahwouldnothavemissedtheopportunityofmudslinging.TheWahabischolarsthemselvesdescribeallthevirtuesofAbūṬālibandhisexemplarylovefortheProphet.ThentheypollutetheirscholarshipwithobstinacyinnotgivingthebenefitofthedoubttotheversionofAhlul-Bayt,thenearestfamily-membersoftheProphet,whoareunanimousthatAbūṬālibdiedabelieverandnotapolytheist.Intheirownbooksthereisaversionof‘Abdullahibn‘Abbas,thecousinandcompanionoftheProphet,whomtheyconsidertobeanauthenticnarrator,testifyingthatAbūṬālibrecitedtheKalemah(testimony of faith). But all the authenticity goes out of thewindow for the love ofMu‘āwiyah and BanūUmayyah.Scores of theTakfiri clerics appear on themercenary TV channels to flung abuses on the Shi‘ās, on theirbeliefsandontheirreligiousleaders.SomeofthemconcentratetheiroutburstsagainstAbūṬālib,theuncleof the Prophet; ‘Abdul Muṭṭalib, the grandfather of the Prophet; Amenā, the mother of the Prophet and‘Abdullah, the father of the Prophet, because according to their concocted narrations and pervertminds,theseholypersonalitiesdiednon-believers!TheArabpeoplewouldhaveremainedwithoutanysignificantidentityhaditnotbeenfortheProphetMuhammad(saww),whosavedthemfromtheclutchesofthedevilanddeliveredthemfromthepitofHell-fire.SufficeittosaythatAllāh,inHisabsolutewisdom,grantedthehonourtoĀmenāand ‘Abdullahtobearthepurifiedseedofthesaviourofmankind.ThisonitsownisthegreateststatusfortheparentsoftheProphet,whetherthehypocriteslikeitornot.Historyalsopresentsaglaringexampleofnobility,generosityandmagnanimityof ‘AbdulMuṭṭalibandAbūṬālib,whosedevotionfortheProphetiswell-rootedintheannalsofhistory.On the other hand, the wretchedness and the mean character of the enemies and adversaries of theHousehold of the Prophet are well-illustrated in history. But the dubious characters that appear on theTakfiriTVs getmental satisfaction by insulting the virtuoussouls like, AbūṬālib, ‘AbdulMuṭṭaliband theparentsoftheProphet,allegingthattheyhadalldiednon-believers.TheTakfirishaveinheritednothingbutanugly legacyfromtheirpredecessors,thatofviolence,character-assassinationofthenobleandvirtuoussouls,andkillingofinnocentpeople,andbombingtheworshippersin themosques. Such is the legacy they have inherited andwill leavebehind forposterity by abusing thenameandhonourofIslāmanditsnobleleaders.http://www.sayyida-zainab-academia.org