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Brief Biography

• Birth: 29th Shawaal

• Name: Imran ibn Abd al-Muttalib

• Kuniyyat: Abu Talib

• Wife: Fatima bint Asad

• Sons: Talib, Jafar, Aqeel, Ali (peace be upon him)

• Demise: 26th Rajab

• Buried: Janna al-Mo’alla, Mecca

There’s complete unanimity among the Shi’ite historians and scholars on the Islam of Hazrat Abu Talib (peace be upon him). Numerous hadiths confirming his faith have been transmitted from the Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them) which have been recorded in various historical works which leave no room for doubt. For starters, let us look at the tradition reported by Allamah Shaikh Muhammad Baqir al-Majlisi in Behaar al-Anwaar.

قَالَ جَابِرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْأَنْصَارِيُ‏ سَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص عَنْ مِيلَادِ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ ع فَقَالَ آهِ آهِ لَقَدْ سَأَلْتَنِي عَنْ خَيْرِ مَوْلُودٍ وُلِدَ بَعْدِي عَلَى سُنَّةِ الْمَسِيحِ ع إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى خَلَقَنِي وَ عَلِيّاً مِنْ نُورٍ وَاحِدٍ- قَبْلَ أَنْ خَلَقَ الْخَلْقَ بِخَمْسِمِائَةِ أَلْفِ عَامٍ فَكُنَّا نُسَبِّحُ اللَّهَ وَ نُقَدِّسُهُ فَلَمَّا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى آدَمَ قَذَفَ بِنَا فِي صُلْبِهِ وَ اسْتَقْرَرْتُ أَنَا فِي جَنْبِهِ الْأَيْمَنِ وَ عَلِيٌّ فِي الْأَيْسَرِ ثُمَّ نَقَلَنَا مِنْ صُلْبِهِ فِي الْأَصْلَابِ الطَّاهِرَاتِ إِلَى الْأَرْحَامِ الطَّيِّبَةِ فَلَمْ نَزَلْ كَذَلِكَ حَتَّى أَطْلَعَنِيَ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى مِنْ ظَهْرٍ طَاهِرٍ وَ هُوَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ فَاسْتَوْدَعَنِي خَيْرَ رَحِمٍ وَ هِيَ آمِنَةُ ثُمَّ أَطْلَعَ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى عَلِيّاً مِنْ ظَهْرٍ طَاهِرٍ وَ هُوَ أَبُو طَالِبٍ وَ اسْتَوْدَعَهُ خَيْرَ رَحِمٍ وَ هِيَ فَاطِمَةُ بِنْتُ أَسَدٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا جَابِرُ وَ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ وَقَعَ عَلِيٌّ فِي بَطْنِ أُمِّهِ كَانَ فِي زَمَانِهِ رَجُلٌ عَابِدٌ رَاهِبٌ يُقَالُ لَهُ المثرم بْنُ دعيب بْنِ الشيقتام‏ وَ كَانَ مَذْكُوراً فِي الْعِبَادَةِ قَدْ عَبَدَ اللَّهَ مِائَةً وَ تِسْعِينَ سَنَةً وَ لَمْ يَسْأَلْهُ حَاجَةً فَسَأَلَ رَبَّهُ أَنْ يُرِيَهُ وَلِيّاً لَهُ فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى بِأَبِي طَالِبٍ إِلَيْه.

He narrates from Jabir ibn Abdullah Al-Ansari who asked The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) about the birth of Amir al-Mu'mineen Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him):

He (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) said: "Ah, ah! You have asked me about the best child born after me according to the Sunnah of the Maseeh (peace be upon him). Truly, Allah, the Blessed, and Exalted, created me and Ali (peace be upon him) from one light — before He created the creation by five hundred thousand years. We were glorifying and sanctifying Allah, and when Allah, the Exalted, created Adam (peace be upon him), He cast us into his back, and I settled on his right side and Ali (peace be upon him) on his left. Then He transferred us from his back into the pure loins and the good wombs, we continued in this way until Allah, the Blessed, and Exalted, caused me to emerge from a pure back, which was that of Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib (peace be upon him) and he entrusted me to the best womb, which is Aamina (peace be upon her). Then Allah, the Blessed and Almighty, caused Ali to emerge from a pure back and that is Abu Talib (peace be upon him) and He entrusted him to the best womb, which is Fatima bin Asad (peace be upon her). Then he said, O Jabir, before Ali (peace be upon him) entered his mother’s womb, there was a worshipper, a monk in his time whose name was Masram ibn Daeeb Al Shaywatam. He was mentioned among the worshippers as having worshipped Allah for 190 years and did not ask Him for any need. He asked his Lord to show him a Wali of His, so Allah, Blessed, and Almighty, sent Abu Talib (peace be upon him) to him."

Reference: Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 35, p. 10.

A monk, who worshipped Allah for 190 years and prayed to meet His divine representative (Wali), was given the honour by Allah of meeting Hazrat Abu Talib (peace be upon him). This signifies the high status of Hazrat Abu Talib (peace be upon him) in the eyes of Allah.

Another important point that comes out from the incident is that Hazrat Abu Talib (peace be upon him) knew the unseen (Ilmul-Ghaib). Furthermore, this incident also tells us that the forefathers of Ahle Bayt (peace be upon them all) like Hazrat Abu Talib, Abdullah, and Abul Muttalib (peace be upon them all) are indeed, among the Auliya Allah.

Hazrat Abu Talib (peace be upon him) in Holy Quran

Allah, the Almighty reveals in Surah Zuha — the 93rd chapter of the Holy Quran — how he provided shelter to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) at a very young age. The verse reads:

أَلَمْ يَجِدْكَ يَتِيمًا فَآوَىٰ

Did He not find you an orphan and give you shelter?

قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ‌ فِي قَوْلِهِ‌ أَ لَمْ يَجِدْكَ يَتِيماً عِنْدَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ‌ فَآوى‌ إِلَى أَبِي طَالِبٍ يَحْفَظُكَ وَ يُرَبِّيكَ

Abdullah ibn Abbas, the oft quoted and reliable narrator of Ahle Tassanun says:

He found you an orphan under the care of Abu Talib. Abu Talib took you in and raised you.

Reference: Al Manaaqeb Aal Abi Talib, vol. 3 p. 99

Hazrat Abdullah (peace be upon him) passed away a few months before Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) birth and his mother Janabe Amina bint Wahab (peace be upon her) passed away when he was six years old and Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) stayed two years with His grandfather Hazrat Abdul Muttalib (peace be upon him). In the above verse, Allah points towards Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) as He was famous as ‘Yateem-e-Abdullah’, but Allah did not leave him alone and points that we sheltered you.

This verse, among others, is proof that Hazrat Abu Talib (peace be upon him) has found a mention in the Holy Quran in a positive sense.

In conclusion, the life and legacy of Hazrat Abu Talib (peace be upon him) are characterised by his unwavering faith, his pivotal role in supporting the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his holy progeny), and his esteemed status in Islam. Despite facing numerous challenges and hardships, Hazrat Abu Talib (peace be upon him) remained steadfast in his commitment to Allah and his support for the Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny).

Overall, Hazrat Abu Talib (peace be upon him) stands as a shining example of faith, courage, and devotion in the annals of Islamic history. His contributions to Islam and his unwavering support for the Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) continue to inspire believers to this day.