Did Abu Talib die as an disbeliever?

First question:

An innovator claimed that Abu Talib (a.) died in disbelief and cited as a source the 2nd volume of Tafsir Al-Qummi on page 142. Which report is actually available?

Answer:

The servant of Umar lied!

Ali Ibn Ibrahim Al-Qummi mentions the verse: “You cannot guide whom you would like. It is God who guides whom He wants. He knows better who follows the guidance.” – 28:56 – And writes: “This verse was revealed to Abu Talib, peace was upon him. The Prophet Muhammad (s.) said to him: “Uncle, say it openly that no one is worthy of worship except the one God, so that it may give you an advantage on the Day of Resurrection.” He answered: “O son of my brother, i know and yet i say it myself.” When he died, Al-Abbas Ibn Abd Al-Muttalib testified to the Messenger (s.) that he said it with his loudest voice at his death. The Prophet Muhammad (s.) said: “As for me, i could not hear it from him and i hope that it will give him an advantage on the Day of Resurrection. If i am awakened to a praiseworthy rank, i will intercede for my father and mother and my uncle and a brother from the time of ignorance.” As for the statement of Abu Talib (a.): “O son of my brother, i know it myself.” It means: “O son of my brother, i know myself to be a believer.” And this is also confirmed in the last part of the verse: “He knows better who follows the guidance.” – 28:56 – [Tafsir-ul-Qumi, volume 2 page 142]

قال علي بن إبراهيم القمي رحمه الله: واما قوله: (انك لا تهدي من أحببت) قال نزلت في أبي طالب عليه السلام فان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله كان يقول يا عم قل لا إله إلا الله بالجهر نفعك بها يوم القيامة فيقول: يا بن أخي أنا أعلم بنفسي، (وأقول بنفسي ط) فلما مات شهد العباس بن عبد المطلب عند رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله انه تكلم بها عند الموت بأعلى صوته، فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: اما انا فلم اسمعها منه وأرجو ان تنفعه يوم القيامة، وقال صلى الله عليه وآله: لو قمت المقام المحمود لشفعت في أبي وأمي وعمي وأخ كان لي مواخيا في الجاهلية .. وهو قوله: يا بن أخي! أنا أعلم بنفسي يعني اعلم بنفسي من انني مؤمن. وفي ذيل الآية أيضا ما يؤيده وهو قوله تعالى ” وهو اعلم بالمهتدي

Interestingly, similar reports are circulating among the people of innovation.

Abdullah Ibn Abbas reported that the Prophet Muhammad (s.) said: “O Uncle, pronounce the confession of faith, so that i may make intercession for you on the Day of Resurrection.” Abu Talib (a.) replied: “O son of my brother, if it were not for my fear for you that they might humiliate you and your father’s descendants after you and the Quraish would accuse me of the profession of faith for fear of death, then i would have said it and i am not saying it without giving you joy. As the death of Abu Talib (a.) approached, Abbas looked at him and noticed that his lips were moving so that he could hear it with his ears. Then Abbas said: “O son of my brother, my brother, Abu Talib (a.), said the profession of faith that you commanded him to speak.” Then the Prophet Muhammad (s.) said: “I could not hear it.” [As-Sirat-un-Nabawiyyah of Ibn Hisham, Volume 2 Page 28]

قال ابن إسحاق حدثني العباسُ بن عبد الله بن معبد عن بعض أهله عن ابن عباس قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: أي عم قلها ـ أي كلمة التوحيد ـ استحل لك بها الشفاعة يوم القيامة، فأجابه أبو طالب: يا ابن أخي، والله ـ لولا مخافة السبة عليك وعلى بني أبيك من بعدي، وأن تظن قريش أنني إنما قلتها فزعا من الموت، لقلتها، ولا أقولها إلا لأسرك بها، فلما تقارب الموت من أبي طالب، نظر العباس إليه فوجده يحرك شفتيه، فأصغى إليه بأذنيه ثم قال: يا ابن أخي لقد قال أخي الكلمة التي أمرته أن يقولها، فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: لم أسمع

Second question:

The innovators also claimed that Abu Talib (a.) received the lightest punishment in hellfire and wore shoes that would make his brain boil, citing An-Nawadir of Ar-Rawandi on page 10 as the source. So what report is actually available?

Answer:

قال عليه السلام: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: أهون أهل النار عذابا عمي، أخرجه من أصل الجحيم حتى أبلغ به الضحضاح، عليه نعلان من نار يغلى منهما دماغه وقيل في الهامش: إن كان المقصود أبا طالب عليه السلام فهو كذب واضح من أعداء أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام، كذب به على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله، وإن كان المقصود أبا لهب، فله وجه

The servants of Umar lied!

Ja’far As-Sadiq (a.) reported that the Prophet Muhammad (s.) said: “The lightest punishment of the people of the fire will be given to my uncle. He will be driven out of the deepest hellfire until it only touches his ankles. He will wear shoes of fire that boils his brain.” Footnote: “If one claims that it is about uncle Abu Talib, peace be upon him, this is a blatant lie of the enemies of the Commander of the believers (a.) and a lie that is attributed to the Messenger of God (s.) and if one says that it is about uncle Abu Lahab, this may be true.” [An-Nawadir of Fadlullah Ar-Rawandi, page 106]

قال عليه السلام: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: أهون أهل النار عذابا عمي، أخرجه من أصل الجحيم حتى أبلغ به الضحضاح، عليه نعلان من نار يغلى منهما دماغه وقيل في الهامش: إن كان المقصود أبا طالب عليه السلام فهو كذب واضح من أعداء أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام، كذب به على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله، وإن كان المقصود أبا لهب، فله وجه

Interestingly, similar reports are circulating among the people of renewal.

As-Suhaili reported that Abbas Ibn Abdi l-Muttalib said: “When Abu Lahab died, i suddenly saw him in my dream in a terrible state and he said to me: “After i passed away from you, i had no rest, except to have my punishment lightened every Monday. And this is because the Messenger of God (s.) was born on Monday and Thuwaibah proclaimed the good news of his birth to Abu Lahab, who then released them.” [Fath-ul-Bari Fi Sharh Sahih Al-Bukhari by Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani, Volume 9 page 124]

قال ابن حجر العسقلاني: وذكر السهيلي أن العباس قال لما مات أبو لهب رأيته في منامي بعد حول في شر حال فقال ما لقيت بعدكم راحة الا أن العذاب يخفف عنى كل يوم اثنين قال وذلك أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ولد يوم الاثنين وكانت ثويبة بشرت أبا لهب بمولده فاعتقها

Third question:

Furthermore, the Innovator added that the scholar of Islam, Al-Majlisi, recorded a statement of the Infallible (a.) about the disbelief and punishment in hell of Abu Talib (a.) and the parents of the Messenger (s.). He cited as his source the 35th volume of Bihar-ul-Anwar on page 155. Which report is actually available?

Answer:

The servant of Umar lied!

Muhammad Baqir Al-Majlisi writes: “Ibn Abi Al-Hadid says in his commentary on Nahj-ul-Balaghah: “People disagree whether Abu Talib converted to Islam or not. So the followers of the Imams and many of those who declare Zaid Ibn Ali an Imam say: “Abu Talib died as a Muslim.” And some of our scholars from the mu’tazilites say the same thing. Among them is the scholar Abu Al-Qasim Al-Balkhi, Abu Ja’far Al-Iskafi and others besides them, and most of the people of tradition, the general public and our scholars from Basrah and others besides them say: “Abu Talib died as a follower of the belief of his people.” And of this they report a well-known tradition in which the Prophet Muhammad (s.) said to him at the death of Abu Talib: “Say the profession of faith, O uncle, and i will testify to God for you tomorrow.” Abu Talib replied: “If the Arabs would not say that Abu Talib was afraid of death, i would bear witness to it before your eyes.” And it is said that he said: “I am a follower of the faith of my ancestors.” And it is said that he said: “I am a follower of the belief of Abd-ul-Muttalib.” And it is also said other than that.” [Bihar-ul-Anwar of Al-Majlisi, volume 35 page 155; Sharh Nahj Al-Balaghah of Ibn Abi Al-Hadid, volume 14 page 65 – 66]

قال محمد باقر المجلسي رحمه الله: وقال ابن أبي الحديد في شرح نهج البلاغة: اختلف الناس في إسلام أبي طالب فقالت الامامية وأكثر الزيدية: ما مات إلا مسلما، وقال بعض شيوخنا المعتزلة بذلك، منهم: الشيخ أبو القاسم البلخي وأبو جعفر الإسكافي وغيرهما، وقال أكثر الناس من أهل الحديث والعامة ومن شيوخنا البصريين وغيرهم: مات على دين قومه، ويروون في ذلك حديثا مشهورا: إن رسول الله قال له عند موته: قل يا عم كلمة أشهد لك بها غدا عند الله تعالى، فقال: لولا أن تقول العرب أن أبا طالب جزع عند الموت لأقررت بها عينك! وروي أنه قال: أنا على دين الأشياخ! وقيل: إنه قال: أنا على دين عبد المطلب، وقيل غير ذلك

And the innovations of the followers of the illegitimate imams have no weight with the lovers of the Ahl-ul-Bait (a.). As for the scholar of Islam, he clearly holds the view that Abu Talib (a.) was a believer and inherited Imam Ali (a.).

Muhammad Baqir Al-Majlisi writes: “The followers of the Imams (a.) say that the narrations circulating among the general public, Imam Ali (a.) and Ja’far Ibn Abi Talib (a.) would not have inherited anything from Abu Talib (a.), are fabricated and the school of law of the people of the house (a.) opposes this. Among them, the Muslim may inherit from one who is not a Muslim, but the one who is not a Muslim may not inherit from the Muslim, even if he enjoys the most excellent lineage among them.” [Bihar-ul-Anwar, Volume 35, Page 157]

قال محمد باقر المجلسي: وقالت الامامية: إن ما يرويه العامة من أن عليا وجعفرا لم يأخذا من تركة أبي طالب شيئا حديث موضوع، ومذهب أهل البيت بخلاف ذلك، فإن المسلم عندهم يرث الكافر ولا يرث الكافر المسلم ولو كان أعلى درجة منه في النسب