A Muslim Convert Once Before

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh ‘Utsman Nuri Tufbas wrote, in “The Prophet Muhammad Muswthafa the Elect ( s.a.w. )”, that Sayyidina Abu Thalib ibn ‘Abd al-Muththalib ( r.a. ) was in financial duress, being the head of a large household.   It was owing to this that the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) went to his other uncle, Sayyidina ‘Abbas ( r.a. ), and suggested, “As you know uncle, your brother, Abu Thalib manages a large family, and the drought and famine have left him in need like most.   Why do we not go to him, and talk him into giving two of his little ones over to our custody, to relieve him of some of his responsibility?”   Sayyidina ‘Abbas ( r.a. ) accepted the benevolent suggestion, and together, they went to Sayyidina Abu Thalib ( r.a. ), who after hearing the offer, said, “Apart from ‘Aqil, you can take any of the children you like”, he said.   Muhammad ( s.a.w. ) eventually took Sayyidina ‘Ali ibn Abu Thalib ( k.w. ), while Sayyidina ‘Abba...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ When Abu Sufyan Sakhr ibn Harb, had only just accepted Islam, he looked on in amazement at the procession of the Muslims as they entered Makkah.  Where once they were few and weak, now there were so many, and the finest of the Arabs and others.  He said to Sayyidina ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muththalib ( r.a. ), the uncle of the Prophet ( s.a.w. ), who was with him, “Your nephew’s kingdom has grown mighty indeed!”   Sayyidina ‘Abbas ( r.a. ) replied, “It is not a kingdom, Abu Sufyan; it is prophethood!  What ‘kingdom’ is this of which you speak?  When you offered him worldly power, wealth and prestige in Makkah, he cast it all aside, preferring to be subjected to torture and persecution at your hands rather than surrender to such a temptation.  Why was it that you obliged him to depart from his home, if not because he refused to accept the worldly power you had offered him as a substitute for the prophetic message which he...

‎ بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ It is recorded, in Swahih al-Bukhari , as narrated by Sayyidina Anas ibn Malik ( r.a. ), “Whenever drought threatened them, ‘Umar ibn al-Khaththab, used to ask ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muththalib to invoke Allah for rain.  He used to say, ‘O Allah!  We used to ask our Prophet to invoke You for rain, and You would Bless us with rain, and now we ask his uncle to invoke You for rain.  O Allah!  Bless us with rain.’  And so, it would rain.”   Imam Shihab ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn ‘Ali ibn Hajr al-‘Asqalani ( r.a. ) wrote, in Fath al-Bari , “The episode involving ‘Abbas makes it clear that to seek intercession from the virtuous, the pious and members of the Prophet’s ( s.a.w. ) family is a desirable act.  In addition, this event proves the high status of ‘Abbas as well as reveals ‘Umar’s respect for him and the acknowledgement of his status.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Sayyidina ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muththalib ( r.a. ) wrote, of the Prophet ( s.a.w. ):   “When you were born, the Earth was shining, And the firmament barely contained your light, And we can pierce through, Thanks to that radiance and light and path of guidance.”