Tuesday, January 29, 2013

'Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim

‘Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim (c.497-578) was the paternal grandfather of the Prophet Muhammad and the Caliph 'Ali. He negotiated with Abraha, the leader of an Abyssinian army invading Mecca. He traded with Syria and Yemen and is credited with having dug the Zamzam well at the Ka‘ba. Upon the death of the Prophet’s mother, Amina, ‘Abd al-Muttalib took the then six year old Muhammad into his home.

The father of 'Abd al-Muttalib was Hashim ibn 'Abd Manaf and his mother was Salma bint Amr from the tribe of an-Najjar in Yathrib. On his father's side he belonged to the distinguished Banu Hashim clan, a subgroup of the Quraysh tribe of Mecca which traced their genealogy to Isma'il and Ibrahim. In 497, the father of 'Abd al-Muttalib died while on business in Gaza, Palestine. 'Abd al-Muttalib was born posthumously.

'Abd al-Muttalib was given the name "Shaiba", meaning "old man" in Arabic, because he was born with a few white hairs. After his father's death, he was raised in Yathrib with his mother and her family until about the age of eight, when his uncle Muttalib ibn Abd al-Manaf came to take him to Mecca. Upon first arriving in Mecca, the people assumed the unknown child was Muttalib's slave, giving him the name "Abd al-Muttalib" -- "slave of Muttalib". When Muttalib died, 'Abd al-Muttalib succeeded him as the chief of the Banu Hashim clan. It is not possible to give the whole history of 'Abd al-Muttalib, but two important events would be included. The recovery of Zamzam and the attempted attack on the Ka'ba by Abraha, the governor of Ethiopia in Yemen.

Hundreds of years before its time, the well of Zamzam in Mecca was filled up and nobody knew its location. One day, 'Abd al-Muttalib had a series of four dreams directing him to Zamzam's location. 'Abd al-Muttalib, with his eldest son, Harith ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, dug the location where Zamzam is today, finding wather after four days of effort. At this success, the Quraysh argued that since the well was the property of Isma'il, it belonged to the whole tribe. 'Abd al-Muttalib rejected their claim, saying that it was given to him by Allah.

They agreed to present their case to a wise woman of the tribe of Sa'd in Syria. During the trip, 'Abd al-Muttalib's water reserves were depleted and his group suffering from thirst. The leaders of the other parties refused to give them water and 'Abd al-Muttalib advised his group to dig graves, so that when someone died others could bury him.

The next day, 'Abd al-Muttalib exhorted his companions that it was cowardice to succumb to death. He mounted his camel and its foot hit the earth producing a stream of water. The other caravans saw this as a sign that Allah had indeed given Zamzam to 'Abd al-Muttalib.

According to Muslim tradition, the Ethiopian governor of Yemen, Abraha al-Ashram, envied the Ka'ba's reverence among the Arabs and, being a Christian, he constructed a cathedral in Sanaa and ordered pilgrimage be made there. The order was ignored and someone desecrated the cathedral. Abraha decided to avenge this act by demolishing the Ka'ba. Abraha advanced with an army towards Mecca.

There were many elephants in Abraha's army and the year came to be known as 'Am al-Fil -- "Year of the Elephant." When news of the advance of Abraha's army came, the Arab tribes of Quraysh, Banu Kinanah, Banu Khuza'a and Banu Hudhayl united in defense of the Ka'ba. A man from the Himyar tribe was sent by Abraha to advise them that Abraha only wished to demolish the Ka'ba and if they resisted, they would be crushed. 'Abd al-Muttalib told the Meccans to seek refuge in the hills while he with some leading members of the Quraysh, remained within the precincts of the Ka'ba. Abraha sent a dispatch inviting 'Abd al-Muttalib to meet with him and to discuss matters. When 'Abd al-Muttalib left the meeting, he was heard saying, "The Ownere of this House is its Defender, and I am sure He will save it from the attack of the adversaries and will not dishonor the servants of His House."

It is recorded that when the Abraha's forces neared the Ka'ba, Allah commanded small birds which destroyed Abraha's army with raining pebbles from their beaks. Abraha was seriously wounded and he retreated towards Yemen but died while on the way.

The Year of the Elephant is also the year in which Muhammad was born.

'Abd al-Muttalib was married to five women: Sumra bint Jandab, Lubna bint Hajira, Fatimah bint Amr, Halah bint Wahab-Zuhriya, and Natila bint Khabab-Khizriji.


  • Shaybah ibn Hāshim, better known as 'Abdul Muṭṭalib or 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib, since he was raised by his uncle Muttalib, was the grandfather of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.  His father was Hashim ibn 'Abd Manaf and his mother was Salmah bint 'Amr from the Banu Najjar tribe in Yathrib (later called Medina [Madinah]). On his father's side he belonged to the distinguished Banu Hashim clan, a subgroup of the Quraish tribe of Mecca (Makkah) which traced their genealogy to Isma'il  and Ibrahim. His father died while doing business in Gaza, before he was born.

    Shaybah ibn Hashim was given the name "Shaybah" meaning 'the ancient one' or 'white-haired' for the streak of white through his jet-black hair, and is sometimes also called Shaybat al-Ḥamd ("The white streak of praise"). After his father's death he was raised in Yathrib with his mother and her family until about the age of eight, when his uncle Muṭṭalib went to see him and asked his mother Salmah bint `Amr to entrust Shaybah to his care. Salmah was unwilling to let her son go and Shaybah refused to leave his mother without her consent. Muṭṭalib then pointed out that the possibilities Yathrib had to offer were incomparable to Makkah. Salmah was impressed with his arguments, so she agreed to let him go. Upon first arriving in Makkah, the people assumed the unknown child was Muṭṭalib's slave, giving him the name `Abdu'l-Muṭṭalib (slave of Muṭṭalib). When Muṭṭalib died, Shaybah succeeded him as the chief of the Banu Hashim clan.

    According to Muslim tradition, the Ethiopian governor of Yemen, Abrahah al-Ashram, envied the Ka'bah's reverence among the Arabs and, being a Christian, he built a cathedral in Sana'a and ordered pilgrimage be made there. The order was ignored and someone desecrated (some saying in the form of defecation) the cathedral. Abrahah decided to avenge this act by demolishing the Ka'bah and he advanced with an army towards Mecca.

    There were many elephants in Abrahah's army and the year came to be known as 'Am al-Fil (the Year of the Elephant), beginning a trend for reckoning the years in Arabia which was used until 'Umar ibn al-Khattab  replaced it with the Islamic Calendar.

    When news of the advance of Abrahah's army came, the Arab tribes of Quraysh, Banu Kinanah, Banu Khuza'ah and Banu Hudhayl united in defense of the Ka'bah. A man from the Himyar tribe was sent by Abrahah to advise them that Abrahah only wished to demolish the Ka'bah and if they resisted, they would be crushed. `Abdu 'l-Muṭṭalib told the Meccans to seek refuge in the nearest high hills while he with some leading members of Quraysh, remained within the precincts of the Ka'bah. Abrahah sent a dispatch inviting `Abdu'l-Muṭṭalib to meet with him and discuss matters. When `Abdu'l-Muṭṭalib left the meeting he was heard saying, "The Owner of this House is its Defender, and I am sure He will save it from the attack of the adversaries and will not dishonor the servants of His House."

    It is recorded that when Abrahah's forces neared the Ka'bah, Allah commanded small birds (abābīl) to destroy Abrahah's army, raining down pebbles on it from their beaks. Abrahah was seriously wounded and retreated towards Yemen but died on the way. This event is referred to in the following Qur'anic chapter:
    "Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the owners of the Elephant? Did He not make their treacherous plan go astray? And He sent against them birds in flocks, striking them with stones of baked clay, so He rendered them like straw eaten up." 
    —Qur'an sura 105 (Al-Fil)
    This conflict occurred in 570, according to many sources the same year Muhammad was born.

    Shaybah ibn Hashim married:
    • Sumrah bint Jandab.
    • Lubna bint Hajar.
    • Fatimah bint 'Amr, belonging to the tribe of Quraysh.
    • Halah bint Wuhayb, belonging to the tribe of Quraysh.
    • Natilah bint Khubab al-Khazraji.
    • Mummana'ah bint 'Amr, belonging to the tribe of Khuza'ah.

    The children of Shaybah ibn Hashim were:

    From Sumrah bint Jandab:
    1. Harith ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, the eldest child, but he passed away before his father.
    From Lubna bint Hajar:
    1. Abu Lahab 'Abd al-'Uzza ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib
    From Fatimah bint 'Amr:
    1. Abu Talib ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib - Who became the leader of the Quraysh after his father. He was the father of 'Ali, the first Shi'ah Imam and the fourth Caliph. 
    2. al-Zubayr ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, the poet of Quraysh; he died before Islam was propogated.
    3. 'Abdullah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib - Father of Muḥammad
    From Halah bint Wahb:
    1. Hamzah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib
    2. Quthum ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib
    3. Hijl ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib
    4. Saffiyah bint 'Abd al-Muttalib
    From Natilah bint Khubab al-Khazraji:
    1. 'Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib
    2. Darrar ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib
    'Abdullah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib of the Banu Hashim and Aminah bint Wahab of Banu Zuhrah were the parents of Muhammad. ‘Abdullāh died four months before Muḥammad's birth, and Āminah bint Wahab was taken care of by Shaybah. Āminah also died six years later and Shaybah ibn Hāshim died in 578 when Muhammad was eight. Shaybah ibn Hāshim's grave can be found in the Jannat al-Mu'alla cemetery in Mecca (Makkah), Saudi Arabia.

    Following the death of his grandfather, Muḥammad was then taken into the care of his uncle Abu Talib (the father of 'Ali), a prominent Quraysh chief and custodian of the Ka'bah. 

    Alternative names include:

    'Abd al-Muttalib
    'Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim
    'Abdul Muttalib
    Ibn Hashim
    Ibn Hashim, 'Abd al-Muttalib
    Ibn Hashim, Shaiba
    Ibn Hashim, Shaybah
    Shaiba ibn Hashim
    Shaybah ibn Hashim

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