When disease had overpowered A’bd-ul-Muttalleb and his nature succumbed to the mighty enemy, he assembled his sons, and said: ‘The event inevitable to all mortals is approaching me, and I have no inquietude on my mind except sorrow for Muhammad, who has neither mother nor father. Therefore my sons must enter into a covenant to take care of him after my demise.’ Hereon Abu Lahab and some of his brothers offered themselves, but were not accepted; Abu Tâleb therefore spoke to his father as follows: ‘If it be the good pleasure of the prince of the Qoraish and of the Arab country, I shall make the utmost efforts to promote, raise, and educate thy darling Muhammad, and shall never allow the dust of vexation to settle upon the countenance of his circumstances and hopes.’ A’bd-ul-Muttalleb assented to this request, and answered: ‘As I was, notwithstanding Muhammad’s infancy, accustomed to make him my confidant in everything, I must consult him also in this affair, and make him the arbiter of it.’ After saying these words he turned his face to the lord of the world [i.e., to Muhammad], saying: ‘With the sting of separation and grief of departure from thee, I am going to exchange this perishable for the eternal world, and I ask thee whom of thy uncles thou lovest most, that I may make arrangements with him to take care of thee.’ The lord of the world—u. w. b.—then arose, embraced Abu Tâleb and sat down on his knee. A’bd-ul-Muttalleb continued: ‘Praise be to Allah, thou agreest with my choice.’
Distich: Whatever is thy wish
Is mine likewise.
Then he said to Abu Tâleb: ‘I surrender Muhammad to thee; thou must carefully guard him, and never relax thy vigilance, because in a short time this beloved child will not only become the prince of his nation, but of the whole world. If good fortune is propitious to thee, and thou livest to see the beginning of his mission, thou wilt become aware that I was the man who was in this world best acquainted with his circumstances.’ Abu Tâleb received this injunction of his father with all his heart, took him by the hand and made a covenant, after which A’bd-ul-Muttalleb exclaimed: ‘Now the agony of death, and the bitterness of spirit connected therewith, have become easy to me,’ and beginning to kiss the blessed face of his lordship the prophet—u. w. b.—said: ‘I have found none of my own children more sweet and agreeable than thee;’ and when he had completed his last will, he expired.
Distich: Verily the builders of grief have cemented the edifice of
life with the loam of suffering;
They have inscribed the floor of the magazine of existence
with the words, ‘Everything therein is perishable.’
When A’bd-ul-Muttalleb died he was one hundred and twenty years old, and his lordship the prophet had attained the age of eight. The latter remained almost always till the time of the exile [hejret] at Mekkah, living contentedly under the protection of Abu Tâleb, who remained faithful to the covenant till the end of his life.