Sunday, October 24, 2010

Abu Talib r.a.

A fair skinned one by whose face rainclouds are sought,
A caretaker of the orphans and protector for the widows

With him the clan of Hashim seek refuge from calamities,
For they possess in him immense favor and grace 

-  by Abu Talib 

It is said that Abu Talib, uncle of Prophet peace be upon him, recited the above verses at a time of  severe drought in Makkah when he stood in front of the Kab'a making Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, his intercessor. The Prophet peace be upon him was only two years old at that point in time. 

Shaykh Tahir ul Qadri mentions that it is narrated in hadith that after the Prophet peace be upon him had migrated to Madinah, a time came when the people approached him to pray for rain, which he did.  
It is said, that once the Prophet's (peace be upon him) prayers were answered, he smiled and said that if Abu Talib were alive today he would have been pleased.  Then he asked for someone to repeat the above verses by Abu Talib, at which point Imam Ali r.a. stood up and recited the  verses. 

Such was the Messenger's love for Abu Talib. But, Abu Talib loved the Messenger of Allah no less. 

Shaykh Tahir ul Qadri states that it is narrated in hadith that after the announcement of Prophethood, Abu Talib would ask the Prophet (peace be upon him) to sleep before darkness so that enemy spies would know where he slept, but then Abu Talib would ask Imam Ali, Abu Talib's son,  to change beds with the Prophet after darkness had fell. So if the enemies ever attacked they would attack Imam Ali and not the Prophet peace be upon him!
Thus, for three years of Qureshi enmity, Abu Talib never let the Prophet, peace be upon him, sleep in his bed, instead Imam Ali and his brothers took turns to sleep in the Prophet's bed.

A Muslim's duty is to protect the Messenger with his life and property, and Abu Talib's life was defined by the Messenger's protection. 

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