Hamza ibn 'Abdul Muttalib

'Hamza ibn 'Abdul Muttalib (Arabic: حمزه بن عبدالمطلب) was the uncle of the prophet of Islam, Muhammad. He and Muhammad were raised together as they were almost the same age. He was well known and well respected by the Quraish tribe.

Hamza was known as the lion of Allah (Arabic: أسد الله) and the lion of Heaven (Arabic: أسد الجنة) for his bravery. Among the champions of early Islam, few have rivaled his reputation in battle.

His mother was Halah binte Wahab. She was a first cousin to Aminah binte Wahb Â‘Abdu Manaaf ibn Zuhrah, the mother of Islamic Prophet Muhammad. Thus Hamza was related to the prophet in several ways. He was a second cousin (on his mother's side) an uncle (on his father's side) and milk brother by breast feeding from Thuwaybah, the freed slave of Abi Lahab [1].

Muhammad enjoyed the protection of his prominent uncle Abu Talib ibn 'Abdul Muttalib, but was not immune from harassment from his enemies. On one occasion, Abu Jahl found him alone, and used much offensive and vulgar language toward him. When Hamza came home from a hunting expedition that evening, his slave-girl told him about the incident of which she had been an eye-witness. Hamza was a warrior, hunter and sportsman, and was little interested in the day-to-day affairs of the city. But Abu Jahl's conduct toward his nephew so roused his anger that he seized his bow, went into the assembly of the Quraish, where Abu Jahl was relaying the events of the day to his peers. Hamza struck him on his head with his bow, causing it to bleed, and shouted: "I too have become a Muslim."

Masjid Hamza in Suez, Egypt

This was a challenge to Abu Jahl but he figured that silence was the best part of valor, and did not tangle with Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib, even restraining his friends who wished to rise in his defense. Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib, the uncle of the Prophet of Islam, was one of the bravest men of Arabia and a well-known officer of Islam. It was he, who insisted earnestly that the army of Islam should go out of Medina and fight against Quraish. It was Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib, who protected the Prophet in Mecca during the delicate moments with all his might. Hamza ibn 'Abdul Muttalib accepted Islam in the fifth year of the Proclamation.

He was the same senior and valiant officer who killed the brave champion of Quraish, Shaybah and others and also wounded a group of the enemies in the Battle of Badr - the first battle of Islam. He had no object in mind except to defend truth and virtue and to maintain freedom in the lives of human beings. Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib had killed Utbah, the father of Hind, in the Battle of Badr.

In the book Khalid Bin AlWaleed, A.I. Akram writes:

"A total of 70 infidels had been killed and another 70 captured by the Muslims, at a cost of only 14 Muslims dead. Among those killed were 17 members of the Banū Makhzum, most of them either cousins or nephews of Khalid. Abu Jahl had been killed. Khalid's brother, Waleed, had been taken prisoner.

As the messenger announced the names of those who had fallen and those who had killed them, the Quraish noted the frequency with which the names of Ali and Hamza were repeated. Ali had killed 18 men by himself and had shared in the killing of four others. Hamza had killed four men and shared with Ali in the killing of another four. The name of Ali thus dominated the proceedings of this sad assembly."

In the Battle of Uhud, she slaked her thirst for vengeance which had given her no rest since the battle of Badr. Hind, the wife of Abu Sufyan ibn Harb and the mother of Muawiyah ibn Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, nursed a grudge against Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib and was determined to take her father's revenge on the Muslims at any cost.

Wahshi, an Ethiopian warrior, was the slave of Jabir Mut'am and an uncle of Jibir had also been killed in the Battle of Badr. He (Wahshi) had been appointed by Hind to help achieve her object by hook or by crook. She asked him to kill one of the three persons (The Prophet, Ali ibn Abi Talib or Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib) so that she might avenge her father's death.

The Ethiopian warrior said in reply: "I cannot approach Muhammad at all, because his companions are nearer to him than anyone else. Ali too is extraordinarily vigilant in the battlefield. However, Hamza is so furious that, while fighting, he does not pay any attention to any other side and it is possible that I may be able to make him fall by some trick or by taking him unawares". Hinda was contented with this and promised that if he was successful in performing the job she would set him free. Some believe that Jibir made this promise with his slave (Wahshi) as his (Jibir's) uncle had been killed in the Battle of Badr.

Wahshi, the slave, says: "On the Day of Uhud I was pursuing Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib. He was attacking the centre of the army like a ferocious lion. He killed every one whom he could approach. I hid myself behind the trees and stones, so that he could not see me. He was too busy in fighting. I came out of ambush. Being an Ethiopian, I used to throw my weapon like Ethiopians and it seldom missed the target. I, therefore, threw my javelin towards him from a specific distance after moving it in a particular manner. The weapon fell on his flank and came out from between his two legs. He wanted to attack me but severe pain prevented him from doing so. He remained in the same condition till his soul departed from his body. Then I approached him very carefully and having taken out my weapon from his body returned to the army of Quraish and waited for my freedom.

In the battle of Uhud the Muslims were defeated and retreated into the mountain of Uhud where Quraish could not reach them. After their rout, Hind and the other harpies she had brought with her from Mecca, mutilated the bodies of the slain Muslims. Hind cut open Hamza's abdomen, plucked out his liver and chewed it up. Muhammad bin Umar Waqidi, the historian, says that she made a fire in the battlefield, roasted Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib's heart and liver and ate them. Not satisfied with this, she cut the limbs, the ears and the nose of Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib, strung them into a "necklace," and entered Mecca wearing it as a "trophy" of victory. Muhammad, the Apostle of God, was deeply aggrieved at the death and at the mutilation of the body of such a stalwart of Islam as Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib. He bestowed upon him the titles of the "Lion of Heaven," and the "Chief of the Martyrs."

Wahshi relates his story of conversion:

After the Battle of Uhud, I continued to live in Mecca for quite a long time until the Muslims conquered Mecca. I then ran away to Taif, but soon Islam reach that area as well. I heard that however grave the crime of a person might be, the Prophet forgave him. I, therefore, reached the Prophet with Shahadatayn on my lips. The Prophet saw me and said "Are you the same Wahshi, the Ethiopian?" I replied in the affirmative. Thereupon he said: "How did you kill Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib?" I gave an account of the matter. The Prophet was moved and said: "I should not see your face until you are resurrected, because the heart-rending calamity fell upon my uncle at your hands".

Wahshi says:

"So long as the Prophet was alive I kept myself hidden from him. After his death the battle with Musaylimah Kazzab (The liar) took place. I joined the army of Islam and used the same weapon against Musaylimah and succeeded in killing him with the help of one of the Ansar. If I killed the best of men (Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib) with this weapon, the worst man, too, did not escape its horror".