Hamza Ibn Abd Al-Muttalib

Ḥamza ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib ibn Hāshim ibn ʿAbd Manāf al-Qurashī (; )Muhammad ibn Saad. ''Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir'' vol. 3. Translated by Bewley, A. (2013). ''The Companions of Badr''. London: Ta-Ha Publishers. was a foster brother, paternal uncle, maternal second-cousin, and companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

Hamza embraced Islam around 616 CE following an altercation with Abu Jahl and soon became one of Muhammad’s strongest supporters. He took part in early expeditions, notably fighting at the Battle of Badr, and was killed in the Battle of Uhud in 625 CE. His death was widely mourned, and Islamic tradition honors him as ''Asadullah'' () and the "leader of the martyrs".

Ancestry

Ibn Sa'd, citing al-Waqidi, and Ibn Sayyid, quoting Zubayr, both reported that Hamza was four years older than Muhammad. His father was Abdul Muttalib, a member of the Quraysh tribe of Mecca, and his mother was Halah bint Wuhayb of the Zuhrah clan of Quraysh.  Al-Tabari cites two traditions regarding their marriage: in one account, al-Waqidi relates that Abdul Muttalib accompanied his son Abdullah to the house of Wahb ibn Abd Manaf to propose marriage to Wahb’s daughter Amina. During the visit, Abdul Muttalib noticed Wahb’s niece, Halah bint Wuhayb, and also asked for her hand. Wahb agreed, and both Abdullah and Abdul Muttalib were married on the same day in a double-marriage ceremony.

Family tree

* * indicates that the marriage order is disputed
* Note that direct lineage is marked in bold.

Life and Martyrdom

Conversion to Islam

Hamza showed little interest in Islam during its early years and converted in late 616 CE. According to early sources, after returning to Mecca from a hunting trip, he was informed that Abu Jahl had insulted Muhammad.Muhammad ibn Ishaq. ''Sirat Rasul Allah''. Translated by Guillaume, A. (1955). ''The Life of Muhammad''. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Hamza went to the Kaaba, struck Abu Jahl with his bow, and declared his support for Muhammad. When members of Abu Jahl’s clan intervened, he reportedly told them to leave Hamza alone, admitting he had insulted Muhammad.

Following the incident, Hamza entered the House of Al-Arqam and formally embraced Islam.  His conversion was seen as a turning point by the Quraysh, who shifted from direct harassment to attempts at negotiation, which he refused. One account states that Hamza once asked to see the angel Jibril in his true form. When Jibril appeared with feet like emeralds, Hamza lost consciousness. In 622, he joined the emigration to Medina, where he stayed with either Kulthum ibn al-Hidm  or Sa'd ibn Khaythama. Muhammad paired him in brotherhood with Zayd ibn Haritha.

Military expeditions

In his first expedition, Muhammad appointed Hamza to lead a raid against a Quraysh caravan. He commanded a force of thirty riders to intercept a merchant convoy returning from Syria along the coastal route in Juhayna territory.  At the seashore, Hamza encountered the caravan led by Abu Hisham, accompanied by 300 riders. Conflict was averted when Majdi ibn Amr al-Juhani, who had ties to both parties, intervened and negotiated a peaceful resolution. Sources differ on whether Hamza or his cousin Ubayda ibn al-Harith was the first Muslim to whom Muhammad entrusted a banner.

At the Battle of Badr, Hamza fought alongside the Muslims, sharing a camel with Zayd ibn Haritha and wearing an ostrich feather to make himself identifiable in combat. Prior to the battle, the Muslims blocked access to the wells at Badr. Al-Aswad ibn Abd al-Asad approached the cistern, vowing to drink from it, destroy it, or die trying. Hamza confronted him and struck his leg, causing him to fall. Al-Aswad crawled into the water before Hamza killed him near the cistern. During a duel with Utba ibn Rabi'a, Hamza is reported to have referred to himself as the ''"Lion of Allah and His Messenger"''. Accounts differ on whether Utba was killed by Hamza or Ali. Hamza later carried Muhammad’s banner during the expedition against Banu Qaynuqa.

Death

Hamza was killed in the Battle of Uhud on Saturday, 23 March 625 (7 Shawwal 3 AH), at the age of approximately 57 to 59. Fighting at the front line with two swords, he was fatally struck in the abdomen by a javelin thrown by Wahshi ibn Harb, an Abyssinian slave promised manumission by Hind bint Utba in retaliation for the death of her father at the Battle of Badr. Some sources report that Hind attempted to chew Hamza’s liver after the battle but was unable to swallow it. Ibn Hisham narrates that Muhammad expressed deep grief upon seeing Hamza’s body and stated that the angel Jibril had called him the "Lion of the Prophet" in the seven heavens. Hamza and his nephew, Abd Allah ibn Jahsh, were buried in the same grave. Ibn Masud reported that Muhammad led multiple funeral prayer for Hamza, each time with another fallen companion laid beside him. He was widely mourned and later referred to as the "leader of the martyrs" by Muhammad, as narrated by Jabir ibn Abd Allah.

Marriages and children

Hamza married three times and had six children.
# Salmah bint Umays ibn Ma'd, the half-sister of Maymunah bint al-Harith.
## Umama bint Hamza, wife of Salama ibn Abi Salama.
# Zaynab bint Al-Milla ibn Malik of the Aws tribe in Medina.
## Amir ibn Hamza.
##Bakr ibn Hamza, who died in childhood.
# Khawla bint Qays ibn Amir of the An-Najjar clan. He had issue, but their descendants had died out by the time of Ibn Sa'd.
## Umar ibn Hamza.
##Atika bint Hamza.Muhammad ibn Saad. ''Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir'' vol. 8. Translated by Bewley, A. (1995). ''The Women of Madina'', p. 288. London: Ta-Ha Publishers.
##Barra bint Hamza.

See also

* Abbas ibn Ali
* Al-Qaid Jawhar
* Badr al-Jamali
* Habib bin Mazahir
* ''Hamzanama''
* List of expeditions of Muhammad
* Malik al-Ashtar
* Sayyid Ash-Shuhada Mosque
* Sunni view of the Sahaba
* ''The Message'' (1976 film)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamza Ibn Abd Al-Muttalib
Family of Muhammad
Medieval Arabs killed in battle
Arab Muslims
Sahabah martyrs
Angelic visionaries
570s births
625 deaths
6th-century Arab people
Sahabah who participated in the battle of Uhud
Sahabah who participated in the battle of Badr
Banu Hashim