Shaybah ibn HÄshim (Arabic: شيبة ابن هاشم عبد المطÙ'لب‎; c. 497 â€" 578), better known as 'Abdul-Muá¹á¹alib, since he was raised by his uncle Muá¹á¹alib, was the grandfather of Islamic prophet Muḥammad.
Early life
His father was HÄshim ibn `Abd ManÄf and his mother was Salmah bint `Amr from the BanÅ« NajjÄr tribe in Yathrib (later called, Madinah). On his father's side he belonged to the distinguished BanÅ« HÄshim clan, a subgroup of the Quraish tribe of Makkah which traced their genealogy to IsmÄ'Ä«l and IbrÄhÄ«m. His father died while doing business in Gaza, before he was born.
He was given the name "Shaybah" meaning 'the ancient one' or 'white-haired' for the streak of white through his jet-black hair, and is sometimes also called Shaybat al-Ḥamd ("The white streak of praise"). After his father's death he was raised in Yathrib with his mother and her family until about the age of eight, when his uncle Muá¹á¹alib went to see him and asked his mother Salmah bint `Amr to entrust Shaybah to his care. Salmah was unwilling to let her son go and Shaybah refused to leave his mother without her consent. Muá¹á¹alib then pointed out that the possibilities Yathrib had to offer were incomparable to Makkah. Salmah was impressed with his arguments, so she agreed to let him go. Upon first arriving in Makkah, the people assumed the unknown child was Muá¹á¹alib's slave, giving him the name `Abdul-Muá¹á¹alib (slave of Muá¹á¹alib).
Chieftain of Banu Hashim clan
When Muá¹á¹alib died, Shaybah succeeded him as the chief of the BanÅ« HÄshim clan. Following his uncle Al-Muá¹á¹alib, he took over the duties of watering and feeding the pilgrims and carried on the practices of his forefathers with his people. He attained such eminence as none of his forefathers enjoyed; his people loved him and his reputation was great among them. (Guillaume, p61)
'Umar's ‘Umar ibn Al-Khaá¹á¹Äb grandfather Nufail ibn ‘Abd al-‘UzzÄ arbitrated in a dispute between ‘Abdul-Muá¹á¹alib and Ḥarb ibn Umayyah, Abu SufyÄn’s father, over the custodianship of the Ka'bah. Nufail gave his verdict in favor of ‘Abdul-Muá¹á¹alib. Addressing Ḥarb ibn Umayyah he said:
"Why do you pick a quarrel with a person who is taller than you in stature; more imposing than you in appearance; more refined than you in intellect; whose progeny outnumbers yours and whose generosity outshines yours in luster? Do not, however, construe this into any disparagement of your good qualities which I highly appreciate. You are as gentle as a lamb, you are renowned throughout Arabia for the stentorian tones of your voice, and you are an asset to your tribe."
The digging of the well Zamzam
While ‘Abdu’l-Muttalib was sleeping in the sacred enclosure he had a vision in which he was ordered to dig Zamzam which was a depression between the two idols of Quraysh, IsÄf and NÄ’ila, at the slaughter-place of Quraysh. Banu Jurhum had filled it in at the time they left Mecca. Since he only had one son at that time, he found difficulty in digging the well. Moreover, after many hours of digging(may have taken half an hour to several hours), a miracle occurred in which water gushed from the soil of the desert. He exclaimed: "Allahuakbar!" in the presence of the miraculous water.
The Year of the Elephant
According to Muslim tradition, the Ethiopian governor of Yemen, Abrahah al-Ashram, envied the Ka'bah's reverence among the Arabs and, being a Christian, he built a cathedral in Sana'a and ordered pilgrimage be made there. The order was ignored and someone desecrated (some saying in the form of defecation) the cathedral. Abrahah decided to avenge this act by demolishing the Ka'bah and he advanced with an army towards Mecca.
There were many elephants in Abrahah's army and the year came to be known as 'Ä€m al-FÄ«l (the Year of the Elephant), beginning a trend for reckoning the years in Arabia which was used until 'Umar ibn Al-Khaá¹á¹Äb replaced it with the Islamic Calendar.
When news of the advance of Abrahah's army came, the Arab tribes of Quraysh, BanÅ« KinÄnah, BanÅ« KhuzÄ'ah and BanÅ« Hudhayl united in defense of the Ka'bah. A man from the Ḥimyar tribe was sent by Abrahah to advise them that Abrahah only wished to demolish the Ka'bah and if they resisted, they would be crushed. `Abdul-Muá¹á¹alib told the Meccans to seek refuge in the nearest high hills while he with some leading members of Quraysh, remained within the precincts of the Ka'bah. Abrahah sent a dispatch inviting `Abdu'l-Muá¹á¹alib to meet with him and discuss matters. When `Abdul-Muá¹á¹alib left the meeting he was heard saying, "The Owner of this House is its Defender, and I am sure He will save it from the attack of the adversaries and will not dishonor the servants of His House."
It is recorded that when Abrahah's forces neared the Ka'bah, Allah commanded small birds (abÄbÄ«l) to destroy Abrahah's army, raining down pebbles on it from their beaks. Abrahah was seriously wounded and retreated towards Yemen but died on the way. This event is referred to in the following Qur'anic chapter:
"Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the owners of the Elephant? Did He not make their treacherous plan go astray? And He sent against them birds in flocks, striking them with stones of baked clay, so He rendered them like straw eaten up."
This conflict occurred in 570, according to many sources the same year Muḥammad was born.
Sacrificing his son Abdullah
Abdul-Muttalib had only one Son (named al-Haarith) when he had a dream to dig a well near by the Zam Zam, He prayed to Allah to give more sons. He vowed that if he were to have ten sons, he would sacrifice one of them for Allah at the Kab'ah. His prayer was answered and has been blessed with 9 more sons. His favorite Son Abdullah(Youngest of them) was chosen to sacrifice for Allah. After the elder brothers asked him to sacrifice something else besides Abdullah, Abdul-Muttalib asked advice from a wise women. She told him to cast lots between Abdullah and ten Camels. If Abdullah was chosen, he had to add ten more camels and keep on doing the same until his Lord accepts the camels besides Abdullah. When there was 100 camels reached, Camels were chosen, Abdul-Muttalib confirmed this by repeating the test three times. Then the camels were sacrificed and Abdullah was spared.
Wives of Shaybah ibn HÄshim
Shaybah ibn HÄshim married:
- Sumrah bint Jandab of Banū Ḥawazīn tribe.
- LubnÄ bint HÄjar:Lubna bint Hajar ibn ‘Abd Manaf ibn Shair ibn Habshah ibn Salul ibn Ka’b ibn ‘Amr of BanÅ« KhuzÄ‘ah tribe.
- FÄá¹imah bint 'Amr, belonging to the BanÅ« MakhzÅ«m clan of the tribe of Quraysh.
- HÄlah bint Wuhayb, belonging to the BanÅ« Zuhrah clan of the tribe of Quraysh.
- NatÄ«lah bint KhubÄb al-KhazrajÄ«.
- Mummana'ah bint 'Amr, belonging to the tribe of KhuzÄ'ah.
Children of Shaybah ibn HÄshim
'Abdul Muttalib had ten sons and six daughters.
By Sumrah bint Jandab:
- ḤÄrith ibn Abdul Muá¹á¹alib. He was the firstborn and he died before his father.
By FÄá¹imah bint 'Amr:
- Abu Talib ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib. He became the leader of the Hashim clan after his father. He was the father of 'Alī,the fourth successor of the Prophet.
- Az-Zubayr ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib. He was a poet and he died before Islam. He left no children behind.
- ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib, the father of Muḥammad by Āminah bint Wahab of Banū Zuhrah.
- Barrah bint Abdul Muttalib.
- Arwa bint Abdul Muttalib.
- Umama bint Abdul Muttalib.
- Atika bint Abdul Muttalib.
- Umm Hakim al-Bayda bint Abdul Muttalib. Maternal Grandmother of the third Caliph Uthman ibn Affan
By LubnÄ bint HÄjar:
- Abdul 'UzzÄ ibn Abdul Muá¹á¹alib (Abu Lahab).
By HÄlah bint Wahb:
- Ḥamzah ibn Abdul Muá¹á¹alib.
- Quthum ibn Abdul Muá¹á¹alib: He died young.
- Ḥijl ibn Abdul Muá¹á¹alib: His real name was Mughirah, and he had no children. Al-GhaidÄq was his epithet as he was a wealthy man famed for his generosity. Some say that al-Ghaidaq's real name was Nawfal.
- á¹¢affiyah bint Abdul Muá¹á¹alib.
- al-Muqaowwim
- ‘Abd al-Ka’bah: There are some scholars who omit ‘Abd al-Ka’ba's name, saying that al-Muqawwim was his agnomen.
By NatÄ«lah bint KhubÄb al-KhazrajÄ«:
- 'AbbÄs ibn Abdul Muá¹á¹alib.
- ḌarrÄr ibn Abdul Muá¹á¹alib: He left no descendants. When he lost his way during a pilgrimage season, causing his mother to almost lose her mind fearing for his life, she made an oath to clothe the Ka’ba if Allah returned him to her, and a man of Jutham brought him back.
The family tree and some of his important descendents
Death
Abdul Muttalib's son ‘AbdullÄh died four months before Muḥammad's birth, after which Abdul Muttalib took care of his daughter-in-law Ä€minah. Ä€minah also died six years later, and Abdul Muttalib looked after Muhammad until his own death in 578CE at the age of 82.
Shaybah ibn HÄshim's grave can be found in the Jannat al-Mu'allÄ cemetery in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
See also
- Family tree of Muhammad
- Family tree of Shaiba ibn Hashim
- Sahaba
- Muhammad
References
External links
- http://al-islam.org/beacons/3.htm
- http://www.al-islam.org/peshawar/9.4.html