The meeting of the 4th committee of the “International Conference of Hazrat Abu Talib, the Supporter of the Great Prophet (p.b.u.h)” entitled “Committee of Theology and Beliefs” was held on Wednesday evening March 10, 2021, in Shahid Sadr Hall in Imam Khomeini Higher Education Complex. The chairman of the committee was Sadegh Akhavan, the judge was Hojat al-Islam Reza Berenjkar, and its secretary was Hojat al-Islam Muhammad Reza Al Ayub.
At the beginning of the session, Hojat al-Islam Ali Akbar Zakeri presented his article entitled “The Character of Hazrat Abu Talib in Book al-Kafi”.
“When the books of unjust scholars about Hazrat Abu Talib (AS) are read, the heart is broken. In these books, narrations are cited that the narrators of those narrations were hostile to Imam Ali (a.s.),” he stated referring to the disregard for Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.).
“In the article “The character of Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.) in the book al-Kafi” 16 narrations have been cited, some of which are related to the time of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h), some other narrations are related to the time of the Prophet’s marriage and reading the marriage sermon by Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.) and the final part of the narrations are related to the faith of Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.),” continued the researcher of religious sciences.
“According to one of the narrations, Hazrat Fatemeh bint Asad (a.s.) inform Abu Talib (a.s.) about the birth of Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) and Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.) after hearing this, told Hazrat Fatemeh bint Asad (a.s.) that after 30 years, the successor of Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h), will be born from her. These narrations show that before the Be’that too, there was news about the mission in the family of the Prophet (p.b.u.h),” Zakeri added.
“There is a narration that Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.) chose the name of the Prophet (p.b.u.h) and performed Aqiqah for the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h) after his birth and distributed the Aqiqah meat among his relatives,” he said, referring to the naming of the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h).
“Some narrations related to Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.) are about the childhood of the Prophet (p.b.u.h). During the childhood of Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h), the people of Mecca suffered from famine. Therefore, they came to Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.). Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.) went to the Kaaba with the Prophet (p.b.u.h) when he was a child, and the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h) prayed that with his prayer it rained a lot in Mecca. Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.) composed poems about this issue,” continued the researcher of religious sciences.
“Abu Talib (a.s.) had known from the childhood of Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) that he would be a prominent figure. In quoting narrations about Abu Talib (a.s.), some fanatical scholars concealed the facts, and care should be taken in this regard,” he added.
“While reciting the sermon of the Prophet’s marriage to Hazrat Khadijeh (a.s.), Abu Talib (a.s.) praised the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h). Hazrat Abu Talib (AS) has given a lot of support to the Prophet (p.b.u.h) and this support has been narrated and mentioned in the book “Al-Kafi”,” stated Zakeri, referring to the glorification of Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.) from the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h).
“When the Mushrekin (polytheists) insulted and persecuted the Prophet (p.b.u.h), Abu Talib (a.s.) became angry and went to them with Hazrat Hamza (a.s.) with a sword in his hand and warned them,” he continued.
Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.) defended the Prophet (p.b.u.h). Some criticize why Abu Talib (a.s.) did not publicly express his faith.
“However, we should know that some of the Quraysh who supported Abu Talib (a.s.) were not Muslims at that time, and the public expression of faith by Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.) caused this group not to stand with Abu Talib in order to support the Prophet any more,” added the researcher of religious sciences.
“In the She’b (Valley) of Abi Talib (during the Quraysh boycott on Bani Hashem, Prophet Muhammad, and his followers), all the relatives of Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.), both believers and Kafers (infidels), stood with Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.), and Abu Talib’s action in not publicly expressing his faith, caused the infidels too to stand by the Prophet (p.b.u.h) in the She’b. In the She’b, Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.) was determined to defend the Prophet (p.b.u.h) until the last person so that the Moshrekin (polytheists) would not reach the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h),” Zakeri said, referring to the story of Abi Talib She’b (Valley).
“By quoting narrations about Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.) in the book al-Kafi, Sheikh al-Kulayni tried to answer the doubts about the faith of Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.),” he mentioned.
Following in the meeting, Hojat al-Islam Sadegh Akhavan said, “In the time of Jahiliyyah, there was an official tradition among the pagans called “Jawar” (shelter, refuge, nearness, vicinity, neighborhood) and according to this law, if someone committed the greatest crimes, but one of the elders of the Moshrekin took him in his “Jawar”, the others had nothing to do with him. Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.), as the great of the Bani Hashim, using the tradition of “Jawar”, placed the Prophet (p.b.u.h) in his “Jawar” so that the Moshrekin would not kill him.”
“There is no doubt about the faith of Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.) and his faith was in the highest. But strong arguments must be used to prove his faith,” he added.
In another part of the meeting of the Committee of Theology and Beliefs, referring to the faith of Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.), Hojat al-Islam Reza Berenjkar stated, “Using the authentic narrations of the Imams (a.s.), it is possible to conclusively prove the faith of Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.). These narrations are an answer to the doubts about Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.).”
“The fact that there is no mention of the public faith of Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.) in historical narrations does not challenge his faith. Because Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.) could not support the Prophet (p.b.u.h) if he publicly expressed his faith,” he mentioned.
