IMAM ABD AL-FIDA' ISMA~L IBN KATHiR 85(SAAS) suggested to him that he say, "There is no god but God" and he refused
to do so. Instead, he said that he subscribed to the faith of the elders. The last
thing he said was that, "He is following the religion of 'Abd al-Mut@lib."
All this is affirmed by al-Bukhzri's narration from Musaddad, who related
from Yahya, from Sufym, from 'Ahd al-Malik b. Wmayr, from 'Abd All* b.
al-Hzrith who said, "AlL'AbbXs b. 'Ahd al-Muttalib related to us that he said, 'I
asked the Messenger of God (SAAS), "What benefit were you to your uncle? He
used to protect and defend you."
"'He replied, "He is in a shallow stream of hell-fire; if it were not for me, he
would be in its lowest depths.""'
Muslim related this same account in his compendium by various paths, from
'Ahd al-Malik h. Wmayr.
Both these scholars narrated it in both their works from a Eadith of d-Layth,
as follows, "Ibn al-Hadd related to me, from 'Abd Allah b. Khabbzb, from Aha
Sacid, that he heard the Prophet (SAAS) say when someone mentioned his
uncle, 'Perhaps my intercession may help him on Judgement Day, and he will he
placed in a shallow stream of hell-fire that will reach up to his ankles and cause
his brain to boil."'
This is the phraseology of al-Bukhari. In one account the words used are, "...
cause umm dimaghihi", the centre of his brain, instead of "dimaghuhn", his brain,
to boil.
Muslim related, from Aha Bakr h. Aha Shayba, from 'Affzn, from Hammad
b. Salama, from Thi%hit, from Aba Wthmzn, from Ihn 'Abbas, that the
Messenger of God (SAAS) said, "Abti Talib receives more lenient punishment
than any other inhabitant of hell; he wears two shoes of fire that cause his brain
to boil."
In the Maghzzi, the history of the conquests, by Ymus b. Bukayr, the statement
given is "... and from them (his shoes) his brain will boil so that it streams down
over his feet." Al-Suhayli makes mention of this.
The ha& Abn Bakr al-BazzW stated in his compendium, "'Amr - he being
the son of Isma'il h. Mujalid - related to us, saying that his father related to
them, from Mujdid, from al-Sha'bi, from Jabir, who said, 'The Messenger of
God (SAAS) was asked, "Have you been of benefit to Aha Talib?"
"'He replied, "I drew him forth from hell-fire into a shallow stream of it."'"
A1-Bazzsr alone gives this tradition.
Al-Suhayli stated, "However, the Prophet (SAAS) did not accept the
testimony of d-'Ahhas that his brother (Abn Tzlih) had made the said statement
and replied, 'I did not hear it because al-'Abbzs was at that time an unbeliever,
from whom a testimony was unacceptahle.'"
My comment is that this account thereof is in itself not to be considered
authentic because of the weakness of its chain of transmission, as stated earlier.
Evidence for that is provided by the fact that he (d-cAbha~) asked the Prophet
(SAAS) thereafter about Abn Taih and he told him what is stated above.