So many have been said concerning the greatest uncle
of the holy prophet (saws). Nobody questions his dear
and profound love for the holy prophet (saws)!
Nobody questions his sagacity and unmatched sacrifice
financially, socially and morally for the holy prophet
and 'baby' Islam during his lifetime!
However,
Narrated Al-Musaiyab:
When Abu Talib was in his death bed, the Prophet went
to him while Abu Jahl was sitting beside him.
The Prophet said, O my uncle! Say: None has the right
to be worshipped except Allah, an expression I will
defend your case with, before Allah. Abu Jahl and
'Abdullah bin Umaya said, O Abu Talib! Will you leave
the religion of 'Abdul Muttalib? So they
kept on saying this to him so that the last
statement he said to them (before he died) was: I am
on the religion of 'Abdul Muttalib. Then the Prophet
said, I will keep on asking for Allah's Forgiveness for
you unless I am forbidden to do so.
Then the following Verse was revealed:--
It is not fitting for the Prophet and the believers to ask
Allah's Forgiveness for the pagans, even if they were
their near relatives, after it has become clear to them
that they are the dwellers of the
(Hell) Fire. ( 9.113)
The other Verse was also revealed:-- (O Prophet!)
Verily, you guide not whom you like, but Allah guides
whom He will ....... ( 28.56)
(Sahih Bukhari 5.223. also Sahih Bukhari 2.442, Sahih
Bukhari 6.197, Sahih Bukhari 6.295)
(Alas!) His belief was put into scrutiny and under
microscope as a result of the above report in the Ahl
Sunna's 'most' authentic hadith collection; sahih al-
bukhari and some other books.
The fact that there's never a single hadith from Rasul
which ordered us to believe every single details of
'sahih al-bukhari', the fact that even ahl sunna can
never beat their chest and openly tell the whole world
that sahih al-bukhari is 100% authentic like Qur'an; yet
'certain muslims groups' never even think twice or
dissect the veracity of the hadith (or similar hadith)
before labeling the dear uncle of the holy prophet
(saws), Abu Talib, a KAFIR! Little wonder when they
equally label the holy prophet's parents as inhabitants
of hell-fire.
REFUTATIONS:
Whoever fabricated this (or such) hadith erred and
certainly Allah does not love fabricators.
1. Abu Talib died 2 or 3years before Hijrah; meaning
the holy prophet (saws) have spent 9 or 10years in
Mecca as a prophet before migration to Medina.
One of the very earliest meccan sura was Sura Najm vs
29, in which Allah warned His prophet:
Therefore WITHDRAW (O Muhammad SAW) from him
who turns away from Our Reminder (this Quran) and
desires nothing but the life of this world.
Why hasn't the holy prophet (saws) dissociate himself
from Abu Talib if truly he was a Kafir?
Are you suspecting your prophet (saws) he has defied
his Lord's command?
On the contrary, history had it he defended Muhammad
with his life and only him provided shelter for him in
Sha'ib Abi talib where they stayed together with
handful newly converts (muslims) for nearly three
years when the Mushrikin boycotted the holy prophet
and the life of the holy prophet and Islam were in
jeopardy.
2. According to the hadith, ayat no. 113 of surah Tawba
was revealed to that effect of 'disbelieve' of Abu Talib.
This was a blatant lie! Surah Tawba (ch. 9) was
revealed in Madina around 12 or 13 years after the
demise of Abu Talib!
Was the ayat revealed because of him in his grave?
As per 2nd Ayat: there's a tradition in Sunan al-Tirmidhi, footnote, vol. 2 p. 96 which state that the ayat
was revealed when the holy prophet (saws) wanted
Harith ibn al-Nu'man to embrace Islam and he remained hesitant to accept the new creed.
Another tradition says it was revealed during the battle
of uhud when prophet's tooth was broken and he
exclaimed: 'O Allah! Guide these ignorant people.
A'isha's version suggested the ayat was revealed 3 or 4
years after the demise of Abu Talib while battle of Uhud
was fought in the year 3H; that is 6years after the death
of Abu Talib.
3. According to the hadith, he (Abu Talib) declared he'd
die on the 'religion of Abdul Muttalib'!
What was the religion of Abdul muttalib, the custodian
of ka'aba, the one who took pride in having prophet
Ibrahim Hanif as his ancestor, the one who named our
prophet 'MUHAMMAD' and recited his birth Khutbah,
the revival of the 'lost' and 'forgotten' Zamzam, the
one whose words (THE LORD OF KA'ABA WILL SURELY
PROTECT HIS HOUSE...put to shame the army of
Abraha (sura Fil)?
4. How was it possible for a 'Kafir', Abu Talib, to
arranged the wedding and recited the wedding khutba
of a prophet of God(with khadijah)?
Are you suspecting your prophet (saws) too?
5. Abu Talib knew before the appointment of
Muhammad as a prophet of God that he's (saws) the
seal of the prophet. Remember a period when he took
young Muhammad (saws) on a business trip and they
met a monk who saw the sign of the last prophet in the
young Muhammad. The monk informed Abu Talib and
urged him to protect Muhammad with his life.
6. Prior or after the above mentioned incidence; Abu
Talib had used young Muhammad as a wasila
(intercessor) to God for the provision of Rain (see sahih
al-Bukhari vol 2 p122)! Can a kafir does that?
7. Believers are not allowed to inherit properties of
Kufar (