Al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib
ٱلْعَبَّاسُ بْنُ عَبْدِ ٱلْمُطَّلِبِ
ٱلْعَبَّاسُ بْنُ عَبْدِ ٱلْمُطَّلِبِ
c. 653 (aged c.86)
Paternal uncle of Muhammad and eponymous ancestor of the Abbasid Dynasty
- Ummul Fadl
- Fatima
- Abd al-Muttalib (father)
- Natila bint Janab (mother)
Early years[edit]
Abbas, born around 565 CE, was one of the younger sons of Abd al-Muttalib. His mother was Nutayla bint Janab of the Namir tribe.[2] After his father's death, he took over the Zamzam Well and the distribution of water to the pilgrims.[3] He became a spice merchant in Mecca,[4] a trade that made him wealthy.[5] Within this role, he managed a caravan network to and from Syria, where he eventually recruited and trained Muhammad as an apprentice for leading the northern leg of the journey.[6]
Conversion to Islam[edit]
During the years when the Muslim religion was gaining adherents (610–622), Abbas provided protection to his kinsman but did not adopt the faith. He acted as a spokesman at the Second Pledge of Aqaba,[7] but he was not among those who emigrated to Medina.
Having fought on the side of the polytheists, Abbas was captured during the Battle of Badr. Muhammad allowed al-Abbas to ransom himself and his nephew.[8]
Ibn Hisham said that Abbas had become a secret Muslim before the Battle of Badr;[9] but a clear statement to that effect is missing from Tabari's citation of the same source.[10][11] It is said by some authorities that he converted to Islam shortly after the Battle of Badr.[12]
It is elsewhere implied that Abbas did not formally profess Islam until January 630, just before the fall of Mecca, twenty years after his wife Lubaba converted.[13] Muhammad then named him "last of the migrants" (Muhajirun), which entitled him to the proceeds of the spoils of war. He was given the right to provide Zamzam water to pilgrims, a right which was passed down to his descendants.[1]
Abbas immediately joined Muhammad's army, participating in the Conquest of Mecca, the Battle of Hunayn and the Siege of Ta'if. He defended Muhammad at Hunayn when other warriors deserted him.[14] After these military exploits, Abbas brought his family to live in Medina, where Muhammad frequently visited them[15] and even proposed marriage to his daughter.[16]
Later Abbas fought in the expedition to Tabuk.[14]
Death[edit]
Abbas died in February 653 at the age of 89. He is buried at the Jannatul Baqee cemetery in Medina, Saudi Arabia.[29][30]