Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib

Abu Talib took the young Muhammad into his care after the death of Abd al-Muttalib when the Prophet was eight years old. He raised him alongside his own children and loved him deeply — more, it was said, than his own sons. When the Prophet began his mission, the Quraysh came to Abu Talib demanding he stop his nephew or hand him over. Abu Talib called the Prophet and told him of their threats. The Prophet replied with his famous words: 'O uncle, by Allah, if they were to put the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left hand to make me abandon this matter, I would not do so until Allah makes it prevail or I perish.' He turned to leave, and Abu Talib called him back: 'Go, my nephew, and say what you will. By Allah, I will never hand you over.' Abu Talib endured the three-year boycott alongside the Muslims in the valley, suffering hunger and deprivation to protect his nephew. He composed poetry defending the Prophet and warning the Quraysh against harming him. On his deathbed, the Prophet pleaded with him to say 'La ilaha illallah.' Abu Jahl and Abdullah ibn Abi Umayyah were at his bedside, pressuring him to remain on the religion of Abd al-Muttalib. Abu Talib's last words were that he was on the religion of Abd al-Muttalib. The Prophet was deeply grieved and said: 'I will continue to seek forgiveness for you unless I am forbidden from doing so.' The verse was then revealed: 'It is not for the Prophet and those who have believed to ask forgiveness for the polytheists...' (9:113).