The Uncles of al Abbas bin Ali (a.s)
Uncles:
Like fathers, uncles play a good role in the structure of personalities. According to the law
of heredity, individuals may acquire some characteristics from their paternal uncles. The
paternal uncles of al-’Abbas were such unique personalities whose lives and situations have
been matters of pride for humanity in general and Islam in particular.
Hamza
Hamza won the badge of honor from his nephew, the great Prophet Muhammad (S) who
named him, Asadullah wa asadu Rasoulih - the Lion of Allah and the Lion of His Messenger,
for his unique bravery and courage. He defended Islam fearlessly until he was killed during
the battle of Uhud. Hence, the Prophet (S) named him as chief of martyrs.
Moreover, many narrations confirm that Hamza had considerable knowledge and
outstanding rank in the eyes of God. Imam ‘Ali, Imam al-Hasan, Imam al-Husayn, Imam
Zayn ul-Abidin, and Imam as-Sadiq mentioned Hamza whenever they wanted to take pride
in their lineage or whenever they wanted to refer to the foremost Muslims who defended
Islam.
Talib
Talib ibn Abi-Talib had to conceal his embracement of Islam because he lived in Mecca.
During the battle of Badr, the Meccans obliged him as well as others from the Hashemites,
to participate with them. The Prophet (S) therefore declared: “There are some individuals
who were coerced to participate in this battle against us - hence, you must avoid fighting
them if you meet…”
‘Aqil
‘Aqil was one of the branches of that immaculate tree. He embraced Islam from the
beginning therefore, the Prophet (S) had great love for him:
“I love you twice - once for your being ‘Aqil and the other for Abu-Talib’s love for you.”
Historians have evoked circles of suspicion around the personality of ‘Aqil because he
joined Muawiya ibn Abu-Suffian. Some claim that he left the wing of his brother Imam ‘Ali,
to join Muawiya’s, because his brother deprived him of additional salaries from the public
treasury of the Islamic State.
Anyhow, everyone agrees that ‘Aqil, during his stay with Muawiya, did not show any loyalty
to him or any disloyalty to the wing of his brother. All indications prove that ‘Aqil had to
visit Muawiya who imposed strict blockade against the Hashemites after the death of Imam
‘Ali (a).
Descendants of ‘Aqil
The righteous progeny glorifies the ascendants. On that account, the descendants of ‘Aqil
were high examples of heroism in defense of their belief. Muslim ibn ‘Aqil, for instance, was
that glorious personality who fulfilled his mission so completely until he was martyred.
The other sons of ‘Aqil lost themselves defending their leader Imam al-Husayn, during the
battle of at-Taff and provided unprecedented examples of sacrifice for their belief.
Moreover, among the descendants of ‘Aqil, there have been numerous personalities with
piety, knowledge, and authorship. Their names are well known all over the Islamic world.
Ja’far
Ja’far ibn Abi-Talib was a great personality. The Prophet (S) chose him for the
commandment of his army at the campaign of Mu’ta. Ja’far however, was martyred during
that campaign and the Prophet (S) conferred upon him with the eternal name ‘At- Tayyar’
when he said after that event during which both the hands of Ja’far were severed:
“Instead of his hands that were cut, Ja’far will have two wings with which he will fly in
Paradise wherever he wants.”
The Prophet (S) had also said to him:
“You are my copy in physique and morality.
1. See al-Anwar ul-Bahiya
2. See Ibn Abi’l-Hadid’s Sharh Nahj ul-Balagha, The Introduction.
3. The Ahlul Bayt (the people of the house), is a term dedicated to the family of Prophet Muhammad (S).
Moreover, it is dedicated to certain individuals, namely - ‘Ali ibn Abi-Talib, Fatima az-Zahra (Prophet Muhammad’s daughter and ‘Ali ibn Abi-Talib’s wife), al- Hasan ibn ‘Ali and al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali. The nine sinless Imams (namely- ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn as-Sajjad, Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Baqir, Ja’far ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq, Musa ibn Ja’far al-Kadhim, ‘Ali ibn Musa ar-Rida, Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Jawad, ‘Ali ibn Muhammad al-Hadi, al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali al-Askari and Al-Mahdi the Awaited) are also included within the Ahlul Bayt.
4. Prophet Muhammad (S) said, “Al-Hasan and al-Husayn are the chiefs of the youth of Paradise.” This hadith is unanimously narrated by all historians of the two sects of Islam, Sunni and Shia.
5. Masjid or mosque- is the Muslim place of worship.
6. We - the Shia believe that the Immaculate Imams whose father is ‘Ali ibn Abi-Talib follow the divine directives in all their religious and worldly conducts. We also believe that they carry supernatural knowledge in all fields of life, because they are divinely chosen for a special mission concerning the question of the existence of this cosmos with all that which is in it.
Nevertheless, the Imams as well as the prophets, peace be upon them all, are required to behave as naturally as possible and to follow the natural laws of this existence. Hence, we notice that the Prophets and Imams (a) used their supernatural energies in very limited situations according to the divine instructions. In this regard, we believe that Imam ‘Ali (a) was more knowledgeable than his brother ‘Aqil in the field of genealogy, but he sought his advice when he wanted to choose a wife that gave birth to heroes - according to the law of heredity, just to indicate natural laws that necessitate following the instructions of the specialists in their fields of specialization.
To prove this matter we may cite as examples the many reports that conveyed to us that Prophet Muhammad (S), though he was divinely directed, used to consult his companions in many affairs and follow their opinions after receiving a signal of acceptance from the Heavens. In this regard, God instructs: “Only through the Divine Mercy have you (Muhammad) been able to deal with your followers so gently.
If you had been stern and hard-hearted, they would all have deserted you a long time ago. Forgive them and ask Allah to forgive (their sins) and consult with them in certain matters. But, when you reach a decision, trust Allah.
Allah loves those who trust Him.” (3:159) following the Prophet (S), all the Sinless Imams (a) had similar situations. It has to be added that because the Prophet and Imams have been the examples for people, they had to behave completely naturally so that people would follow their examples. Hence, Imam ‘Ali, in this interchange with ‘Aqil, wanted to guide people to choose women of honorable lineages for marriage and to avoid the inglorious, because mothers play great roles in the natural and educational development of their sons.