The orphan (Muhammad) lived under the wing of his uncle (Abu...

The orphan (Muhammad) lived under the wing of his uncle (Abu Talib) when child and young. When the sun of the orphan shone, the uncle walked in its light. He was so loyal to his nephew; the son of Abdullah. He strived to sacrifice his money, his sons and himself for the Prophet (s). In order to be fair to the author, we had to acknowledge that he was so skilled in his analysis.

What confirmed this was his choosing and analysis of the verses said by Abu Talib that proved his faith, although he (the author) criticized the poets, whom the poetic license led them to say what they didn't want. He pleaded with a saying of one of them: (They may find something beautiful even though it isn't). But the virtue of the poetry appeared in what he chose ____________ 1 Sayyid al-Bat~ha' was a surname of Abu Talib. (Ibn) means the son of.

Shaybatul Hamd was a surname of Abdul Muttalib; Abu Talib's father and the Prophet's grandfather. of the verses of the father of Abu Turab in the chapter of "Ash-Shi'b and as-Saheefa" (1) where Abu Talib said: They hope we give up but they will get nothing, We strike and stab with our sharp swords. ... To the last of his verses, in which the firm faith, the burning heart and the furious sword mixed together. Our friend didn't miss the scientific classification in his book.

You would see him detailing the evidences of Abu Talib's virtue during his life, when he was about to die and when he was dead. Then the author talked about what happened after his death. He proved the witness of the Prophet, Imam Ali and the Prophet's family about the faith of Abu Talib. I thought that if the author had become a lawyer, he would have been among the leading group. He had good qualities of comparing and concluding.

He could easily move form the premises to the conclusions and this would make him successful. After all I am not to study and analyze because this is the job of the readers and the critics but just to preface a word about the book. The author could arrive at the aim he approached to; he researched, analyzed, refuted and defended. The many advantages of the book might intercede for the few defects occurred in the wording but the form wouldn't affect the essence.

In this book there were many pearls and a few shells. I think that in saying my opinion about the book I am nearer to fair severity than to flattering. Yes, between me and al-Qateef there is friendship but the truth is worthier to be said. Boless Salama Beirut 25/2/1376 A.H.