Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) Online Seminary offers heartfelt condolences on the sad demise of Abd al-Muttalib, the great supporter of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon them)
Who is Abd al-Muttalib?
His name was Shaybah al-Hamd. His father was Hashim, the great grandfather of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and his mother was Salma, the daughter of Umar ibn Aa’id. They came to Mecca with their uncle, Muttalib. Not knowing that the young boy was the son of Hashim, the people of Mecca thought him to be a slave of Muttalib and therefore called him Abd al-Muttalib.
Monotheistic Traditions
Abd al-Muttalib, the proud grandfather of the Messenger of God, (peace be upon him them) was in charge of the affairs of Mecca and the Kaaba. The Holy Prophet says to Imam Ali: O Ali! Abd al-Muttalib established five traditions in the age of ignorance, which were later established in Islam as well: The sanctity of marrying ones Mahārim, paying khums, digging the well of Zamzam, and naming it Saqayāt al-Hajj, determining one hundred camels as blood money and circumambulating seven rounds around the Kaaba.
Demolition of Ka’ba
When Abrahah reached Mecca intending to destroy the Kaaba and started looting the camels, Abd al-Muttalib (as) came to retrieve them and said ‘I am the owner of the camels and the Kaaba has its own owner who will guard it.’ He vowed to sacrifice the camels for the Ka’ba and supplicated to God. God answered the prayer of Abd al-Muttalib (as) and responded to Abrahah's arrogance by sending an army of Ababil birds, which became a lasting story in history.
Last Will
It was destined that in the eight-year of his life, the prophet would yet again taste the bitterness of being an Orphan. He had already lost his father before he was born and then when he was 6, he lost his mother and now at the age of 8, he lost his grandfather and caretaker, Abd al-Muttalib. However, before leaving this world, Abd al-Muttalib called upon his other son, Abu Talib, to take care of Muhammad (PBUH&HP) and to support him in his mission.