In that great highbred house and under the care of that merciful father, from whose high instructions and great school Abu Talib had graduated. He entered from the wide gate of life armed with the high principles of the great house and the glorious past of his fathers.

Since heredity had important effect in forming the personality of man, as the psychologists said, so Abu Talib had made infinite use of this heredity.

Abu Talib was a clear image of a bright past. He had qualities of his father Abdul Muttalib, his grandfather Hashem and his great grandfathers that made of him that bright wonderful image.

No one would deny that Abu Talib, as Allah willed, was the adopter of the Prophet of Islam, who was the perfect image of man and the ideal copy of humanity.

No one would deny that the Prophet had grown, been brought up and spent his youth, which was the greater and the more effective, critical, sensitive and affective stage of man’s life, under the care of Abu Talib.

Hence many qualities gathered into the personality of Abu Talib; greatness, exaltedness and self-making. He was the adopter of the orphan Muhammad, the protector and supporter of Prophet Muhammad and the believer in Muhammad’s mission. He was Sheikhul Bat~ha’ and Baydhatul Balad.

It had been decided by the Heaven that Abu Talib would undertake this task and he carried out the task in the best way. He supported the mission of the Heaven as possible as he could.

No one would deny that Abu Talib had participated, his father in the leadership when he was alive to be the first personality after his father Abdul Muttalib. He also participated in taking care of the Prophet (S) and finally, after the death of his father, he was alone with the two tasks; the leadership (of Quraysh) and the taking care of the orphan Muhammad. So he became the only leader and the only guardian without any partner.

A splendid past and a bright present formed a virtuous life that produced ripe fruits and spread fragrance that perfumed the space for the friend and the enemy as the sun when sending its rays to the caves and to the tops of mountains. But the colded nose wouldn’t smell the redolent fragrance and the sore-eye wouldn’t see the rays of the sun!

Leadership and sovereignty wouldn’t be gained without plenty of money but although Abu Talib was not so rich, he was the respected leader, the first master and the obeyed chief and this might be the characteristic of Abu Talib alone and no one else other than him.

Even though he was empty-handed but he had a great rich spirit. He was so great with his qualities and virtues and no one would ever replace him.

He inherited his father’s qualities. He forgave without being asked for and gave open-handedly without considering it as doing favor. He often gave people in spite of that he himself was in need of money. He burdened himself with debts lest he would leave a favor his father used to do before.

He began to water the pilgrims as his father had been doing before after he had dug the well of Zamzam. He often added dates and raisins to the water in order to make it taste sweet.

Once a difficult year came, Abu Talib became needy. He found himself unable to keep on his tradition. At the same time, he wouldn’t give up his father’s noble deeds. He borrowed from his brother al-Abbas ten thousand dirhams to be paid back in the next year.

The next year came and he could not pay his debt back to his brother. He found himself in a bad situation that he might not be able to serve the pilgrims. He decided to borrow fourteen thousand dirhams from his brother again. But al-Abbas in this time wouldn’t lend him the money except on a condition that if he couldn’t pay the debt in the next year, he would have to give up watering the pilgrims and to let al-Abbas undertake it… and it was so.

The loss of watering the pilgrims didn’t affect his high position nor harmed his leadership that he was the fount of goodness in Mecca and he, whose prayers were always responded to, was the point of connection between the Heaven and the earth.

He had so much high qualities that made him a leader surrounded by honor and glory and made him as a fortress that no defame might reach him nor he might be shaken before a wind.

His qualities imposed upon us to believe that he had followed the belief of Prophet Abraham (as). The pre-Islamic age with all its filths, evils and sins wouldn’t affect him or make him deviate from the right way he had followed.

Neither the environment he lived in could adapt him nor was he affected by its evils. He still had had his exalted thinking, his high insight, his virtuous soul, and all his inherited good qualities. All these made him so strong that he would not be drifted by the sins of the milieu he lived in. Nevertheless he was so firm enough to educate that low society with high lessons of morals and principles.

It was so necessary for such a man to be existed in a period between two prophets or after the cease of the divine revelation lest Allah would not be answerable before his people.

The existence of Abu Talib after Abdul Muttalib was an inevitable necessity. Such deportment had to be a sign for a divine mission, which would shine to drive the dark cloud prevailing over the existence away. But it might be surprising for those, who used to live under the darkness and that it might be too difficult for them to open their eyes before a bright lamp.

There must be a lamp sending a ray as a good omen of shining light later on and there must be a star to guide those, who walked under the darkness of the night lest they fell into an abyss of deviation… so there must be one like Abu Talib to be as evidence of Allah before His people. And really he was. He was the educator of Muhammad (S) and one of the signs leading to the near appearing of the prophecy.

No one would deny that the personality of Abu Talib had all the qualities of the well-qualified leader, the virtuous aspects and the high excellences, which made him, distinguished from all around him and surrounded him with a halo of respect and admiration.

He was the fount of goodness and the protective fortress, to which wronged, and weak people resorted. He was the generous, from whose hand the destitute ladled. He was the one, whom people entreated when the Heaven held its rain.

He was so humane towards his relatives. He hurried to relieve the distressed. He was merciful, pious, generous, determined, eloquent, heart-some, certain, handsome, respected, honored and glorified.

He knew much about divine laws. He was of comprehensive knowledge and science. He forbade himself from drinking wine, committing sins and all of the dirt of polytheism and evils of the low milieu around him. His soul was high in a wide exalted horizon flying in a pure space.

He was the first one, who enacted the law of (qassama) when Amr bin Alqama was killed. Later on the prophetic Sunna confirmed it.

There was a spiritual phenomenon in Abu Talib’s life happened during the war of al-Fijar between Hawazin and Kinana. Whenever Abu Talib attended with Muhammad the victory became on the side of Hawazin but whenever he was absent Hawazin would lose much. So Hawazin asked Abu Talib not to be absent in order to obtain victory and he did.

Ibn Assakir mentioned in his book that Jalhama bin Arfata had said: “Once I came to Mecca where it was a year of rainlessness. Some said: Let us go to al-Lat and al-Ozza. Another said: Let’s go to Manat. A prudent handsome old man said: Why do you turn away whereas the remainder of Abraham and the progeny of Ishmael is among you? They said: As if, you mean Abu Talib! He said, Yes, I do.

They all and I was with them, went to Abu Talib. We knocked at the door. A pretty-faced man-wearing loincloth came out. They rushed to him and said: O Abu Talib, the valley became rainless and people became miserable. Would you please pray to Allah for rain?

Abu Talib went out with a little boy; it was Muhammad, who was as a sun appearing among dark clouds. Abu Talib took the boy and stuck his back to the Kaaba. The boy pointed to the Heaven with his finger suppliantly. There was no a bit of cloud in the sky. The clouds began to come from here and there. The valley was filled with water and the ground became green and fresh.”

With these high qualities, virtues and excellences Abu Talib had had his high position and made the hearts submit to him lovingly, surround him with respect and glorification and let the leadership to be for him alone… and who would be better than him for that? He was like his father; a carpet was put to him around the Kaaba and he sat on it alone. Muhammad came and sat with his uncle on the carpet. Abu Talib said: “My nephew feels blessedness or great glory.”