The Year of Mourning
Abu Talib was very much attached to the Prophet Muhammad (SAW). From the time of the childhood on the Prophet (SAW), till later on in his life, Abu Talib was the very tower of defense for the Prophet(SAW). He would expose himself to sacrifices for the sake of his nephew, but yet he disbelieved in the message of the Prophet (SAW). Abu Talib fell ill in Rajab, during the tenth year of the Prophethood [Tareekh Al-Islam 1/120].
Only two months after the death of his uncle, did the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] experience another great personal loss viz., the Mother of believers, his wife Khadijah passed away in Ramadan of the tenth year of his Prophethood, when she was sixty-five years old, and he was fifty [Talqeeh Fuhoom Ahl-al-Athar p.7; Rahmat-ul-lil’alameen 2/164].
The death of Abu Talib rendered the Prophet [pbuh] vulnerable, and the polytheists availed them of that opportunity to give free rein to their hatred and highhandedness and to translate them in terms of oppression and physical tortures. Once an insolent Quraishite intercepted him and sprinkled sand on his head. When he arrived home, a daughter of his washed the sand away and wept. “Do not weep, my daughter. Allâh will verily protect your father.” The Prophet [pbuh] said. [Ibn Hisham 1/416]
Rapid succession of misfortunes, led the Prophet [pbuh] to call that period, ‘the year of grief and mourning’. Thenceforth, that year bore that appellation.
[Above sections taken from Al-Raheeq Al-Makhtum, page 79 – 80, Issam Diab’s English Translation]
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