Death of Abd al-Muttalib and Abu Talib's guardianship

Abd al-Muttalib died in Mecca when his grandson Muhammad was eight years, two months and ten days old. Before his death he resolved to entrust the guardianship of the boy to his uncle Abu Talib, his father's full brother. ^{1 2 3}

The author describes the tenderness that grew in Abd al-Muttalib's heart toward his orphaned grandson after the death of his mother. He was more tender to him than to any of his sons, and would not leave him alone but preferred him over his own sons. ⁴ He relates from Ibn Hisham that a mat would be set for Abd al-Muttalib in the shade of the Ka'ba, which none of his sons would sit on out of reverence for him. The boy would come and sit on it, and his uncles would take hold of him to keep him away, but Abd al-Muttalib would say: "Leave my son, for he has a great destiny." He would sit with him on his mat, stroke his back with his hand, and be pleased by what he saw him do. ^{4 1 5}

Two months and ten days after the boy was eight years old, his grandfather Abd al-Muttalib died in Mecca, and before his death he resolved to entrust the guardianship of his grandson to his uncle Abu Talib, his father's full brother. ^{1 2 3} Abu Talib took up his nephew's right in the most complete way. He took him into his own children, put him before them, and singled him out with special honour and esteem, and for more than forty years he strengthened his side, extended his protection to him, and befriended and quarrelled on his account. ¹

• The year of death in the event record is derived from the boy's age and the Year of the Elephant. The book does not name a year.
• "Full brother of his father": the book's wording implies that Abu Talib and Abd Allah shared one mother, Fatima bint Amr, though the book does not state this explicitly in its section on the family.