Quran
Hadith
Islamic Text
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the Name of Allah Most Merciful Most Kind
Short Answer
Sayidina Ali did say his father, Abu Talib, died upon Shirk (polytheism). There is some dispute regarding the authenticity of the narration. However, Imam al-Dhahabi considered it to be Hasan (strong). In another narration Sayidina Ali referred to his father as being astray.
نَاجِيَةَ بْنَ كَعْبٍ، يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ، أَنَّهُ أَتَى النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ: إِنَّ أَبَا طَالِبٍ مَاتَ. فَقَالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ” اذْهَبْ فَوَارِهِ “، فَقَالَ: إِنَّهُ مَاتَ مُشْرِكًا. فَقَالَ: ” اذْهَبْ فَوَارِهِ ” قَالَ: فَلَمَّا وَارَيْتُهُ رَجَعْتُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَقَالَ لِي: اغْتَسِلْ
Najiyah bin Ka’b narrated from Ali (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) that He came to the Prophet ﷺ and said, Abu Talib has died. The Prophet ﷺ said: Go and cover him. He (Ali) said: He died a Mushrik (idolator). He ﷺ said: Go and cover him. He (Ali) said: When I had buried him, I came back to the Prophet. He ﷺ said: Wash. (Musnad Ahmad, 759).
He died a Mushrik (polytheist)
The scholars of Hadith differed with regards to the authenticity of the above Hadith narration. Their concern centered around Najiyah bin Ka’b. Some considered him to be a sound narrator, others considered him weak.
وَرَوَاهُ الطَّيَالِسِيُّ فِي مُسْنَدِهِ عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ فَزَادَ بَعْدُ: اذْهَبْ فَوَارِهِ: ” فَقُلْتُ: إِنَّهُ مَاتَ مُشْرِكًا ” قَالَ: اذْهَبْ فَوَارِهِ. وَفِي حَدِيثِهِ تَصْرِيحُ السَّمَاعِ مِنْ نَاجِيَةَ قَالَ: شَهِدْتُ عَلِيًّا يَقُولُ. وَهَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ مُتَّصِلٌ. (تاريخ الإسلام وَوَفيات المشاهير وَالأعلام)
It was narrated by (Imam) al-Tayalisi in his Musnad from Shu’bah, on the authority of Abu Ishaq. He added after: Go and cover him. So, I said: He died as a polytheist (Mushrik). He ﷺ said: Go and cover him. In his Hadith, the statement of Najiyah hearing from (Sayidina Ali) is explicit. He said: I witnessed Ali saying. This is a Hasan and connected Hadith. (Imam al-Dhahabi, Tareekh al-Islam).
In the Nass above, Imam al-Dhahabi considers the Hadith in the collection of Imam Abu Dawood al-Tayalisi (122) to be Hasan. That narration also has Najiyah bin Ka’b in the chain. Therefore, it is correct to conclude that Imam al-Dhahabi did not considered Najiyah to be a weak narrator.
Based on this we can say that Sayidina Ali did say that his father died upon Shirk. What is even more consequential is that he said it in the presence of the blessed Prophet ﷺ and the Prophet ﷺ did not rebuke him. Had it been untrue then the Prophet ﷺ would have rebuked Sayidina Ali. It is a serious sin to refer to a Muslim as a Mushrik (idolator).
He was misguided
عَنْ نَاجِيَةَ بْنِ كَعْبٍ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ، قَالَ: لَمَّا مَاتَ أَبُو طَالِبٍ أَتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَقُلْتُ: إِنَّ عَمَّكَ الشَّيْخَ الضَّالَّ قَدْ مَاتَ، فَقَالَ: “انْطَلِقْ فَوَارِهِ، وَلا تُحْدِثَنَّ شَيْئًا حَتَّى تَأْتِيَنِي” قَالَ: فَانْطَلَقْتُ فَوَارَيْتُهُ. فَأَمَرَنِي فَاغْتَسَلْتُ، ثُمَّ دَعَا لِي بِدَعَوَاتٍ مَا أُحِبُّ أَنَّ لِي بِهِنَّ مَا عَرُضَ مِنْ شَيْءٍ
Najiyah bin Ka’b narrated from Ali (May Allah Most High be pleased with him). He said: When Abu Talib died, I came to the Prophet ﷺ and said: Your paternal uncle, the misguided old man, has died. He ﷺ said: ‘Go and cover him, and do not do anything (else) until you come to me.’ He (Ali) said, So I went and covered him. Then he ﷺ commanded me so I performed Ghusl (washed). Then he ﷺ supplicated for me, with such supplications that I would not like to have anything else instead of them. (Musnad Ahmad, 1093).
This Hadith is also in Musnad Abi Dawood (3214). Once again Najiyah is in the chain. Therefore, difference of opinion amongst the scholars exists regarding the authenticity of the narration. In the Nass below we find Imam Ibn Mulaqin considering it to be Hasan.
وَعَن عَلّي كرم الله وَجهه قَالَ لما مَاتَ أَبُو طَالب أتيت النَّبِي صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم َ فَقلت إِن عمك الشَّيْخ الضال قد مَاتَ فَقَالَ انْطلق فواره وَلَا تحدثن شَيْئا حَتَّى تَأتِينِي فَانْطَلَقت فواريته فَأمرنِي فاغتسلت فَدَعَا لي رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد وَالنَّسَائِيّ بِإِسْنَاد حسن زَاد الْبَزَّار بدعوات مَا يسرني أَن لي بهَا حمر النعم وسودها قَالَ الرَّافِعِيّ فِي أَمَالِيهِ حَدِيث ثَابت مَشْهُور. (تحفة المحتاج إلى أدلة المنهاج)
(Sayidina) Ali, may Allah ennoble his face said, when Abu Talib died, I came to the Prophet ﷺ and said: Your paternal uncle, the misguided old man, has died. He ﷺ said: ‘Go and cover him, and do not do anything (else) until you come to me.’ So I went and covered him. Then he ﷺ commanded me so I performed Ghusl (washed). Then he ﷺ supplicated for me. It was narrated by Abu Dawood and al-Nasai with a Hasan chain of narration. (Imam) al-Bazar added, ‘with supplications, I would not be willing to exchange for red camels.’ (Imam) al-Rafi said, in his Amali, an established renowned Hadith. (Imam Ibn Mulaqin, Tuhfatu al-Muhtaaj).
The wording in these narrations does not refer to Abu Talib as a Mushrik. Rather, he is described as misguided or astray. However, those who claim that Abu Talib became Muslim have a difficulty with this narration. Since, they claim Abu Talib became Muslim at the very end of his life. If that were true, then there would be no justification to consider him astray.
Sayidina Abu Bakr’s comment
As well as Sayidina Ali commenting on his father dying non-Muslim, we have a comment from Sayidina Abu Bakr too. When his father, Abu Quhafah, became Muslim he commented that he would have been more pleased by the Islam of Abu Talib. The blessed Prophet ﷺ concurred.
عَن ابْنِ عُمَر قَالَ: جَاءَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ بِأَبِي قُحَافَةَ يَقُودُهُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيه وَسَلَّم شَيْخًا أَعْمَى يَوْمَ فَتْحِ مَكَّةَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيه وَسَلَّم: أَلا تَرَكْتَ الشَّيْخَ حَتَّى نَأْتِيَهُ؟ قَالَ: أَرَدْتُ يَا رَسولَ اللهِ أَنْ يَأْجُرَهُ اللَّهُ أَمَا وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ لأَنَّا كُنتُ أَشَدَّ فَرَحًا بِإِسْلامِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ مِنِّي بِإِسْلامِ أَبِي أَلْتَمِسُ بِذَلِكَ قُرَّةَ عَيْنِكَ قَالَ: صَدَقْتَ
(Sayidina) Ibn Umar said: Abu Bakr (May the Mercy of Allah be upon him) brought Abu Quhafah, leading him to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He was a blind old man on the day of the conquest of Mecca. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: You should have left the old man, and we would have gone to him. He said: O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, I wanted Allah to reward him. By the One who sent you with the truth, I would have been more pleased with the Islam of Abu Talib than my father’s Islam. Seeking therein the coolness of your eye. He ﷺ said: You have spoken the truth. (Musnad al-Bazar, 6131).
رواه الطبراني والبزار وفيه موسى بن عبيدة وهو ضعيف. (مجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد)
It was narrated by al-Tabarani and al-Bazar. It (the chain) has Musa bin Ubaidah, and he is weak. (Imam al-Haythami, Majma al-Zawaid).
The narration of (Sayidina) Abu Bakr is weak according to Imam al-Haythami. Nevertheless, taken together with the statements of Sayidina Ali, it strengthens the idea that the Sahabah were well aware of the passing of Abu Talib upon Kufr.
وسنده صحيح. وأخرجه الحاكم من هذا الوجه، وقال: صحيح على شرط الشيخين، وعلى تقدير ثبوتها فقد عارضها ما هو أصحّ منها. (الإصابة في تمييز الصحابة)
The chain of transmission is Sahih. (Imam) al-Hakim narrated it with this chain. He said: It is authentic according to the conditions of the two Sheikhs. (Imam Ahmad bin Ali bin Hajr al-Asqalaani, al-Isabah)
In the Nass above, we find Imam Ibn Hajr suggesting the narration of (Sayidina) Abu Bakr is Sahih. However, this is not useful since the narration in Hakim does not contain the comment regarding Abu Talib. It simply mentions the conversion of Abu Quhafah (May Allah Most High be pleased with him).
Conclusion
In the narrations above, we find prominent Sahabah referring to Abu Talib as a non-Muslim. This includes his son Sayidina Ali. They are making such references in the presence of the Prophet ﷺ. Had it been the case that Abu Talib died Muslim then the blessed Prophet ﷺ would have been obliged to correct them.
There is an abundance of evidence in Quran and Sunnah proving that Abu Talib died non-Muslim. We also have statements from great Sahabah mentioning this fact too. Therefore, there is no room to conclude that Abu Talib died a Muslim. Due to this, great scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah have mentioned that Abu Talib died non-Muslim.
And Allah Most High Knows Best.
–Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (14.12.23)
