ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Biography of Imam `alĪ Ibn AbĪ-tĀlib AbŪ-talib Ibn `abd Al-muttalib Abū-Talib’s real name was the same as that of his ancestor, `Abd-Manaf. Some narrators say that his name was `Imran. All the earlier historians accept his name as Abū-Talib and his kunyah as the same. He was thirty-five years older than the Prophet (a.s).

The Prophet (a.s) was born during `am al-fil (The Year of the Elephant) and Abū-Talib was born thirty-five years prior to that year in Makkah. For forty-three years, he remained under the tutelage of his father, `Abd al-Muttalib, and acquired from him his learning in literature, poetry and other disciplines. In his time, he was a well-known poet and littérateur. Besides this, he possessed an impressive and handsome personality.

He combined in his person the Hashemite dignity and Qurayshi opulence. When he talked, pearls of knowledge flowed from his tongue. He was the inheritor of the high morals and character of his forbears and in the progeny of `Abd al-Muttalib he was the closest to the traits of his illustrious father. After `Abd al-Muttalib, he inherited the offices of Rifadah and Siqayah. He was remembered with the titles of Shaykh al-Batha’, Sayyid al-Batha’ and Ra’is Makkah.

Diyarbakri writes: After Hashim, the duty of feeding the Hajjis was entrusted to `Abd al-Muttalib. After his demise, until the advent of Islam, every year this duty was performed by Abū-Talib.[1] In this world, wealth is a very powerful tool to achieve positions of strength. But Abū-Talib’s leadership, management and planning needed no support of wealth. It was his sense of duty, strength of character and individuality that took him to the pinnacle of greatness.

`Ali (a.s) says, Despite being impecunious, my father was accepted as the chief. Prior to him, there was none who was impecunious and a chief as well.[2] [1] Tārīkh al-Khamīs , Vol 1, Page 157. [2] Tārīkh Al-Ya`qūbī, Vol 2, Page 14. Although the monetary status of Abū-Talib was weak, he provided succor to the weak and the poor.

For the Hajjis he used to get the food prepared with great care and interest He used to arrange big containers of water and to render it sweet, he used to mix dates and raisins in the water. One year he was very hard pressed for money and was unable to make the arrangements for the feeding of the Hajjis. He borrowed ten thousand dirhams from his brother `Abbas and spent all that money for the entertainment of the Hajjis.