Table of Contents
Introduction
When Abdul Muttalib passed away, the young Muhammad ﷺ was about eight years old. In his will, the grandfather entrusted his beloved grandson to his son Abu Talib, who was one of the respected leaders of Quraysh and a chief of Banu Hashim. The years that followed under Abu Talib’s care formed an important stage of the Prophet’s early life, shaping aspects of his responsibility, work ethic, and the protection he would later receive when the message of Islam began.
Abu Talib’s Love and Care
Abu Talib was not among the wealthiest of Quraysh, but he possessed honor, leadership, and great affection for his nephew. Authentic narrations describe how deeply he loved the young Muhammad ﷺ and how he preferred him over his own children. Ibn Ishaq relates that Abu Talib would seat him close, give him the best of what was available at home, and show him constant concern and sympathy.
This love for the Prophet ﷺ had already been observed in the way Abdul Muttalib had treated him. The transfer of guardianship to Abu Talib preserved that atmosphere of affection and respect in which the child had been raised. The Prophet ﷺ later remembered this kindness and said about his uncle in an authentic hadith:
إِنَّهُ لَمْ يَبْلُغْنِي حُسْنُ جِوَارِ أَحَدٍ مَا بَلَغَنِي حُسْنُ جِوَارِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ
“The good neighborliness of anyone has not reached me like the good neighborliness of Abu Talib.”
(Reported in meaning in various Seerah narrations)
Although Abu Talib himself never accepted Islam, his emotional attachment to Muhammad ﷺ began early, and it remained strong until his own death many years later.
Abu Talib took over the worldly guardianship of the Prophet ﷺ, providing care, protection, and support, but he did not share his nephew’s faith and died without embracing Islam.
Life in a Modest Household
Under Abu Talib, the Prophet ﷺ grew up in a household that knew both honor and poverty. The uncle had several children and limited means. This environment exposed the young Muhammad ﷺ to the reality of financial difficulty while still surrounding him with dignity and noble values of Qurayshi leadership.
Later narrations show that as an adult he remembered the hardship of his uncle’s home. It is reported that he would say regarding his uncle’s family:
“I was helping my uncle and his family.”
He shared their simple meals and took part in their daily life. Through this, Allah taught him empathy for the poor, contentment with little, and gratitude in times of ease and difficulty. These early experiences would later reflect in his teachings, such as the Quranic praise for contentment:
﴿وَوَجَدَكَ عَائِلًا فَأَغْنَى﴾
“And He found you poor, and made you self-sufficient.”
(Quran 93:8)
The verse was revealed later in Madinah, but it alludes to the earlier stages of his life, including the time with Abu Talib, when the Prophet ﷺ tasted poverty yet lived with honor.
Early Responsibility and Work
In Abu Talib’s care, the Prophet ﷺ did not grow up as a sheltered child who relied entirely on others. Rather, from a young age he experienced the responsibility of contributing to the family’s livelihood. Authentic narrations tell us that he worked as a shepherd in Makkah.
Al Bukhari narrates:
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ:
«مَا بَعَثَ اللَّهُ نَبِيًّا إِلَّا رَعَى الْغَنَمَ»
قَالُوا: وَأَنْتَ؟ فَقَالَ: «نَعَمْ، كُنْتُ أَرْعَاهَا عَلَى قَرَارِيطَ لِأَهْلِ مَكَّةَ»
Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet ﷺ said, “Allah did not send any prophet but that he tended sheep.” They said, “Even you?” He said, “Yes, I used to tend them for a few qirats for the people of Makkah.”
(Sahih al Bukhari)
Although this work was done for the people of Makkah, it was during the period when he lived with Abu Talib. This indicates that he did not burden his uncle but instead helped by earning whatever small amount he could. The job of shepherding taught him solitude, reflection over the creation of Allah, and habits of patience and care. These qualities would become important in his later role, but here they began simply as part of helping his guardian’s modest household.
Under Abu Talib, Muhammad ﷺ began working as a shepherd in Makkah, learning responsibility, patience, and self reliance from a young age.
Companionship on Trade Journeys
Abu Talib also took Muhammad ﷺ with him on some of his trade journeys to Syria. One of the most notable of these journeys is associated with the encounter with Bahira the monk, which is discussed separately in another chapter. Here the important point is that Abu Talib chose not to leave his nephew behind in Makkah. Despite his limited resources, he took the young boy with him on long and risky journeys.
This close companionship strengthened their bond. Abu Talib witnessed qualities in his nephew that aligned with what had been preserved in the stories of prophets: honesty, gentleness, wisdom beyond his years, and physical signs that certain people of the scripture recognized. As some Seerah narrations suggest, after observing what others said about Muhammad ﷺ during such travels, Abu Talib became even more protective and cautious with him.
The Quran mentions Allah’s protection of the Prophet ﷺ in general terms:
﴿أَلَمْ يَجِدْكَ يَتِيمًا فَآوَى﴾
“Did He not find you an orphan, and give you refuge?”
(Quran 93:6)
Abu Talib was one of the main worldly means through which this divine refuge was provided during these travels and in daily life. His guardianship included both home care and the decision to keep the boy close to him, not exposed without protection.
Building a Shield of Tribal Protection
Life in Makkah at that time was centered on clan loyalty and protection through one’s tribe. The Prophet ﷺ, already an orphan, might have been extremely vulnerable without a strong guardian. Under Abu Talib, he belonged to a powerful clan that people hesitated to harm or insult openly.
Although the full test of this protection would appear later when Prophethood began, the roots of it were laid in these early years. The people of Quraysh saw that Abu Talib valued Muhammad ﷺ deeply. They understood that harming the orphan of Banu Hashim would be seen as an offense to their respected chief. This understanding, shaped while Muhammad ﷺ was still young, later contributed to the complex way Quraysh treated him when he started preaching Islam. They were frustrated by him but still constrained by their respect and fear of Abu Talib.
Allah hinted at this arrangement of protection in the Quran by reminding the Prophet ﷺ of the divine favor he received:
﴿وَوَجَدَكَ ضَالًّا فَهَدَى * وَوَجَدَكَ عَائِلًا فَأَغْنَى﴾
“And He found you unaware of the Book, and guided you. And He found you poor, and made you self sufficient.”
(Quran 93:7–8)
Part of that worldly “enrichment” was that he was not left abandoned and exposed, but given the backing of a clan chief in a society that valued such protection above wealth in gold.
Gratitude and Loyalty of the Prophet ﷺ
Even though faith eventually separated their beliefs, the Prophet ﷺ never forgot the kindness and support of his uncle. This gratitude began in the childhood years when he first entered Abu Talib’s house and remained with him throughout his life.
Later, when Abu Talib became old and frail, the Prophet ﷺ continued to visit him and urge him toward the truth. In Sahih Muslim and Sahih al Bukhari, it is reported that when Abu Talib was on his deathbed, the Prophet ﷺ said to him:
«يَا عَمِّ، قُلْ: لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، كَلِمَةً أُحَاجُّ لَكَ بِهَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ»
“O my uncle, say: ‘La ilaha illa Allah’, a word with which I will argue on your behalf before Allah.”
(Sahih al Bukhari, Sahih Muslim)
Although this event took place many years after the period of childhood guardianship, it reflects the long history of care and protection that had begun when Muhammad ﷺ first came into his uncle’s home as a small boy. The Prophet’s persistence in inviting him to Islam was mixed with deep affection and a desire to repay kindness in the most important way possible, by calling him to salvation.
The Prophet ﷺ remained loyal and grateful to Abu Talib throughout his life, remembering the years of care and protection that began in his childhood.
Conclusion
The guardianship under Abu Talib formed a distinct and important phase in the life of the Prophet ﷺ. He passed from the care of his grandfather into the home of an uncle who loved him intensely, protected him, and involved him in real life responsibilities. In that modest household, he tasted poverty yet lived with honor. He worked as a shepherd, learned patience and independence, traveled on trade journeys, and came under the shield of Banu Hashim’s protection.
All of this took place before revelation, yet it prepared the ground for what would follow. When the call to Islam began, Abu Talib’s longstanding love for his nephew and the social weight he carried in Quraysh became a major factor in shielding the Messenger of Allah ﷺ from immediate physical harm. The story of this guardianship shows how Allah cared for His Prophet from childhood, using human relationships and family bonds as a means of protection, mercy, and preparation for the great mission that was to come.