Abdullah ibn Abdul-Muttalib
Quick Facts
Biography
Abdullah ibn Abdul-Muttalib (/æbˈdʊlə/; Arabic: عبدالله بن عبد المطلب) (c.546–570) was the father of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He was the son of Abdul-Muttalib ibn Hashim and of Fatimah bint Amr of the Makhzum clan.
He was married to Āminah bint Wahb. Tabari also refers to another unnamed wife. However, Aminah's son Muhammad was Abdullah's only child.
Marriage
His father chose for him Āminah daughter of Wahb ibn 'Abd Munāf who was the grandson of Zuhrah, the brother of his great-great-grandfather Qusayy ibn Kilāb. Wahb had been the chief of Banū Zuhrah as well as its eldest and noblest member but had died some time previously and Āminah became a ward of his brother Wuhaib, who had succeeded him as chief of the clan.
His father went with him to the quarter of Banū Zuhrah. There, he sought the residence of Wuhayb and went in to ask for the hand of Wahb's daughter for his son. 'Abdullāh's father fixed his marriage with Aminah. It was said that a light shone out of his forehead and that this light was the promise of a Prophet as offspring. Many Arabian women approached 'Abdullāh, who is reported to have been a handsome man, so that they might gain the honor of producing his offspring. However it is believed that, as decided by God, the light was destined to be transferred to Āminah through 'Abdullāh after consummating the marriage. 'Abdullāh's father was the custodian of the Kaaba in Makkah. 'Abdullāh lived with Āminah among her relatives the first three days of the marriage. Afterwards, they moved together to the quarter of 'Abdul-Muttalib.
Death
Soon after their marriage 'Abdullāh was called to Palestine and al-Shām (present day Syria) on a trading caravan trip. When he left Āminah was pregnant. 'Abdullāh was absent for several months in Gaza. On his way back he stopped for a longer rest with the family of his paternal grandmother, Salma bint Amr, who belonged to the Najjar clan of the Khazraj tribe in Medina. He was preparing to join a caravan to Mecca when he felt ill.
The caravan went on without him to Mecca with news of his absence and disease. 'Abdul-Muttalib immediately sent his eldest son al-Harith to Medina. Upon his arrival, al-Harith learned that his brother had died and that he had been buried there a month after falling ill. Harith returned to Mecca to announce the death of `Abdullāh to his aged father and his bereaved wife Āminah.
Estate
'Abdullāh left five camels, a herd of sheep and goats, and a slave nurse, called Umm Ayman, who was to take care of his son Muhammad. This patrimony does not prove that 'Abdullāh was wealthy, but at the same time it does not prove that he was poor. Furthermore, 'Abdullāh was still a young man capable of working and of amassing a fortune. His father was still alive and none of his wealth had as yet been transferred to his sons.
Name
His name "'Abdullāh" means "servant of God" or "slave of God".
In Latin script, 'Abdullāh ibn 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib (Shaybah) ibn Hāshim ('Amr) ibn Abd Manāf (al-Mughīra) ibn Qusayy (Zayd) ibn Kilāb ibn Murra ibn Ka`b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghālib ibn Fahr (Quraysh) ibn Mālik ibn an-Naḑr (Qays) ibn Kinānah ibn Khuzaymah ibn Mudrikah ('Āmir) ibn Ilyās ibn Muḑar ibn Nizār ibn Ma'ād ibn 'Adnān.
His ancestors and the family tree
Quraysh tribe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Abd Manaf ibn Qusai | Ātikah bint Murrah | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
‘Abd Shams | Barra | Muṭṭalib | Hala | Hashim | Salma bint Amr | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Umayya ibn Abd Shams | ‘Abd al-Muttalib | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Harb | Abu al-'As | ʿĀminah | ʿAbd Allāh | Abî Ṭâlib | Hamza | Al-‘Abbas | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ʾAbī Sufyān ibn Harb | Al-Hakam | Affan ibn Abi al-'As | MUHAMMAD (Family tree) | Khadija bint Khuwaylid | `Alî al-Mûrtdhā | Khawlah bint Ja'far | ʿAbd Allâh | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Muʿāwiyah | Marwan I | Uthman ibn Affan | Ruqayyah | Fatima Zahra | Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah | ʿAli bin ʿAbd Allâh | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Umayyad Caliphate | Uthman ibn Abu-al-Aas | Hasan al-Mûjtabâ | Husayn bin Ali (Family tree) | al-Mukhtār ibn Abī ‘Ubayd Allah al-Thaqafī (Abû‘Amra`Kaysan’îyyah) | Muhammad "al-Imâm" (Abbasids) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||