Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.)
Source: WF

History has noted the names of the friends and enemies of the Prophet of Islam from the first day of his appointment until the day of his death. In this list, one of, if not the staunchest supporter and aide to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) has been marked as none other than Hazrat Abu Talib (peace be upon him). 

It is however truly a shame that the enemies of the Prophet are today, taken as being the righteous companions and even 'Caliphs' of Islam, while those who gave all they had in the way of Islam and relegated as being out of the fold of Islam! None the less, Allah knows the truthful from the liars and gives the reward to those who truly deserve it and permits their names to be remembered for eternity...

Hazrat Abu Talib, as historians testify, was one of eight uncles of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), as the Prophet's father, Abdullah, the son Abdul Muttalib was the brother of Abu Talib. 

With such a close blood tie to the Prophet, the closeness which Arab tribes had with one another, and his pure beliefs in One God from the past, it is no wonder that Hazrat Abu Talib forged himself into being a true follower of the creed of true Islam - that which incorporated both the Nubuwwah and Imaamate!

The anecdotes in the life of this great person which show his unwavering support of the Prophet and his belief in Islam are numerous, however the one event which is rooted in the Qur'an (26:214) in which the Prophet was commanded, “And warn your nearest realtives” is a perfect example of his belief in the pillars of belief.

In this event, known as the Dawat Dhul Asheera or 'Invitation of the Close Members of the Family', after the Prophet made known his message to those of his clan, there were a few, such as Abu Lahab, another uncle of the Prophet, who began to mock him.

However, without even thinking twice, Hazrat Abu Talib stood up and said, “By Allah!  We will defend him (Muhammad) as long as we are alive”. He did not stop he, rather, he went on to say, “O' my master (Muhammad)!  Get up and say whatever you like.  Inform them of your mission given to you by Allah! You are the most truthful, the most honest!”

In addition to this event, there are hundreds of poems comprised by Hazrat Abu Talib himself which show his faith in Islam. We close this discussion with one such reading:

By Allah, they won't reach you, however much in number they are,
Until I am buried in the ground.
Announce your mission and never mind anything which they say,
And let your eyes be delighted.
You invited me and I knew that you were sincere to me,
You are the most truthful, the most honest.
I have known that the religion of Muhammad,
Is the best religion among all of the peoples