Ḥamza ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib
The Prophet’s uncle and milk-brother, one of the two uncles who accepted Islam. He was martyred at Uḥud, and the Prophet ﷺ named him “chief of the martyrs”.
In brief
- His name
- Ḥamza ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib ibn Hāshim — the Prophet’s uncle, older than him by two to four years.
- Their milk-kinship
- Both were nursed by Thuwayba, the freedwoman of Abū Lahab — so he was uncle and milk-brother at once.
- His Islam
- In the sixth year of the call, in anger for his nephew when Abū Jahl abused him — and the Muslims were strengthened by him.
- His title
- The lion of God and of His Messenger.
- At Badr
- He fought with great valour and killed several chiefs of Quraysh.
- His martyrdom
- At Uḥud, 3 AH, struck by a spear thrown by Waḥshī ibn Ḥarb — aged about fifty-nine.
His story
He was a chief of Quraysh, formidable in strength, and had not yet accepted Islam. Returning one day from the hunt he was told that Abū Jahl had abused the Prophet ﷺ. He went to him, struck him with his bow and said: “Do you abuse him while I follow his religion?” — and so he became Muslim.
At Uḥud he stood and fought until he was killed, and his body was mutilated. The Prophet ﷺ grieved for him as he had never grieved, and said: “God’s mercy upon you — you kept the ties of kinship and did much good.”
He named him chief of the martyrs: “The chief of the martyrs is Ḥamza ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, and a man who stands before a tyrannical ruler, commands him and forbids him, and is killed for it.” He was buried at Uḥud with those martyred beside him.