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The Final Days of Abdul Muttalib
The death of Abdul Muttalib marked a turning point in the early life of the Prophet ﷺ. After the loss of his mother Aminah, the young Muhammad ﷺ had found warmth, honor, and deep affection in the care of his grandfather, the respected chief of Quraysh. When Abdul Muttalib passed away, the Prophet ﷺ faced another deep personal loss at a very tender age, and this event completed the stage of his life in which he moved from one guardian to another, always under the special care of Allah.
Abdul Muttalib’s Love for the Young Muhammad ﷺ
Abdul Muttalib was not an ordinary grandfather. He was the leader of Quraysh, the keeper of the Ka‘bah, and the discoverer of Zamzam. In that honored position, his love and special treatment of Muhammad ﷺ became well known in Makkah. The young boy who had already lost his father and mother was given a unique place in Abdul Muttalib’s heart.
It is reported that Abdul Muttalib would seat the child Muhammad ﷺ beside him, near the Ka‘bah, in the place where no one else was allowed to sit. The men of Quraysh would hesitate to sit in that place due to its honor and the respect they had for Abdul Muttalib, but the young Muhammad ﷺ would come and sit there, and no one would stop him. Instead, his grandfather would show pleasure at his presence. This special attention helped the orphaned child feel secure and loved, even as he lived without his parents.
This tenderness from a powerful chief toward a small boy was not only a family bond, but also a sign of how Allah was surrounding His future Messenger with protection and dignity in every stage of his early life.
The Death of Abdul Muttalib
When the Prophet ﷺ reached about eight years of age, Abdul Muttalib’s health declined and his time came to an end. Historians mention that he died in Makkah and was buried there, leaving behind a large family and a strong legacy among the Quraysh.
For the young Muhammad ﷺ this was another heavy loss in a short span of years. First his father before his birth, then his mother on the journey back from Yathrib, and now his grandfather in Makkah. The Qur’an later reminded the Prophet ﷺ of these early stages and the care of Allah over him:
أَلَمْ يَجِدْكَ يَتِيمًا فَآوَى
“Did He not find you an orphan and give [you] shelter?”
(Surat Ad-Duha 93:6)
Although this verse was revealed many years later in Madinah, it describes exactly what happened in these early years. Every time one guardian died, another took over, and behind them all was Allah, the true Protector.
The repeated orphanhood of the Prophet ﷺ was not a sign of neglect. It was part of Allah’s plan to raise him free from worldly attachment to family power, so that his complete reliance would be upon Allah alone.
The emotional impact of this loss on a sensitive child is not recorded in detail by the narrations, but we can understand from the pattern of his life that he tasted loneliness and grief at an early age. These experiences prepared him to understand the pain of the weak and to later show unmatched mercy to orphans and the poor.
Transfer of Custody after Abdul Muttalib
With the passing of Abdul Muttalib, the question of who would care for the young Muhammad ﷺ naturally arose. Among Abdul Muttalib’s sons were men of different characters and different levels of responsibility. The one chosen to take charge of the Prophet ﷺ was his uncle Abu Talib, who shared the same mother as Abdullah, the father of the Prophet ﷺ. This meant that Abu Talib was the full brother of Abdullah, which gave him a special closeness to the orphaned boy.
Historical reports mention that before his death, Abdul Muttalib himself entrusted the care of Muhammad ﷺ to Abu Talib. This shows that the transfer of guardianship was not random. It was arranged with attention to who would most lovingly and faithfully protect the child. Abu Talib was not the wealthiest of the uncles, nor the most powerful, but he was known for his gentle heart, his sense of honor, and his deep attachment to his family.
This choice itself was part of Allah’s care. The Prophet ﷺ later would receive from Abu Talib lifelong support and protection during the Makkan years of da‘wah, despite Abu Talib not accepting Islam. The seeds of that protection were planted here, in the decision made at the death of Abdul Muttalib.
The Wisdom in Repeated Loss at a Young Age
The death of Abdul Muttalib completed a sequence of losses that few children experience: father, mother, then grandfather, all before adulthood. From one angle, this is a story of human pain and loneliness. From another angle, it is a story of divine preparation and purification.
The Qur’an uses the word “yateem,” orphan, when describing the Prophet ﷺ, and then reminds him of the shelter Allah gave him. The early experiences of loss developed in him ﷺ a deep sense of empathy and mercy. Later in his message, he placed great emphasis on caring for orphans and the weak. Among his sayings are:
أَنَا وَكَافِلُ الْيَتِيمِ فِي الْجَنَّةِ هَكَذَا
وَأَشَارَ بِالسَّبَّابَةِ وَالْوُسْطَى وَفَرَّجَ بَيْنَهُمَا
“The one who cares for an orphan and I will be in Paradise like this.”
He indicated with his index and middle finger and separated them slightly.
(Sahih al-Bukhari)
His own childhood, including the death of Abdul Muttalib, was a living background to such teachings. When he spoke about the orphan, he spoke as someone who had lived it. When he urged compassion for the weak, he knew personally the feeling of being without strong parents.
The early trials of the Prophet ﷺ in losing his closest guardians were a training in patience, reliance upon Allah, and compassion for the vulnerable, and became a foundation for his later message of mercy.
A Closing Stage of Childhood
With Abdul Muttalib’s death, a whole chapter of life for Muhammad ﷺ came to a close. He had moved from the lap of his mother to the care of his grandfather, and now he would enter a new home under Abu Talib. Each move brought its own lessons, environments, and experiences, but all were connected by a single thread, the unseen care of Allah shaping the life of His final Messenger.
The next stage, under Abu Talib, would see the Prophet ﷺ begin to engage more with the daily life of Quraysh, including travel, work, and wider social interactions. Yet the memory of his grandfather, his status, and his affection remained part of the early fabric of his life, a reminder that honor and tenderness had always surrounded him, even as he was repeatedly tested by loss.
The death of Abdul Muttalib was not only a family event. It was a quiet but decisive step in the divine preparation of the one who would later change the course of human history.