The First Invite
Another day came. It was not less important than that day of the revelation of the mission.
When the Quranic verse of the Warning (And warn your nearest relations...Quran, 26:214) was reveled to the Prophet (s), he ordered Imam Ali (as), who was the first one who believed in the mission, to invite the close relatives of Quraysh and to tell them about the purpose of this invitation but the crowed separated without any use.
The Prophet (s) tried again to gather them. And as soon as he finished his speech, his uncle Hazrat Abu Talib (as) said to him: “ How much we like to assist you, to accept your advice and to believe your sayings. Here are your relatives gathering and I am one of them but I am the first of them to do what you like. Follow what you are ordered of By Allah (s.w.t).
Abu Lahab objected to Hazrat Abu Talib by saying “By Allah (s.w.t.) this is the evil Prevent him ( Mohammed) before he will spoil the others.”
Hazrat AbuTalib (as). Answered him,”By Allah (s.w.t.), we will defend him as long as we are alive.” Then he turned to his nephew and said :"O my master Get up and say whatever you like. Inform of yur God's mission, You are the most truthful, the most honest."
It was Hazrat AbuTalib, who offered his support, who accepted the advice and who believed, what his nephew had said. Wouldn’t this refer to the deep faith, the true submission and the reasonable obedience of him, who could distinguish between the truth and the falsehood?
Hazrat Abu Talib (as) addressed the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.) as ‘master’. the nephew who was an orphan, whom Hazrat Abu Talib (as) himself had brought up, where as it was the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.) who had to say it to his uncle because of his high age.
But it was his firm belief in the prophet hood of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.) because of which he addressed him so. He believed in his mission, his truthfulness and his trustworthiness
When the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.) appointed Hazrat Ali (as) as his successor someone mocked Hazrat Abu Talib (as) saying that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.) had ordered him to obey his son. At this Hazrat Abu Talib (as) gave him a fitting reply saying “ Let him (Ali) along. He would never fail to assist his cousin (Mohammed (s.a.w.w.)).
Hazrat Abu Talib (as) had seen Hazrat Ali (as) offering the prayers behind the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.) in the first moments of the mission in a secretg place for fear of the polytheists.
Hazrat Ali (as) told his father: “O father! I have believed in Allah (s.w.t.) and his Apostle. I have believed in all what the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.) has said. I have offered the prayers with him and followed him.”
Hazrat Abu Talib (as) said to his son:” As long as he invites you for goodness, you are to keep to him..”
What a fine word it was that showed a deep faith rooted in the heart of its sayer. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.) would invite but to goodness and so every reasonable one had to keep to him.
Had not Hazrat Abu Talib (as) believed in the Prophet hood of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.) then surely he would have discouraged his son from following him. Instead Hazrat Abu Talib (as) encouraged Hazrat Ali (as) to keep him company knowing that he was inspired by the heaven.
It was mentioned that Hazrat Ali (as) said “My father said to me : “ O my son ! keep to your cousin for you will be safe from any immediate or later evil. Then he recited the following verses.
The best of deeds is keeping to Mohammed (sa),
So be firm in that O Ali, with all of your power.”
Once when he saw the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.) offering prayers with Hazrat Ali (as) on his side he ordered his son Jafar to join them. In one of his poetry he recites:
Ali and Ja’far are my trusts,
Whenever the time brings distresses and disasters.
O ou both! Support your cousin and don’t fail him.
He is my blood brothers son
By Allah I wont fail the Prophet,
Neither will any of my sons.
We leave it on the readers to judge that are the above verses not a clear sign of the faith of Hazrat Abu Talib (as) and belief in his prophet hood.
Once again Hazrat Abu Talib (as) invited his brother Hamza (Abu ya’la) to spread the religion of Allah (s.w.t.) and encouraged him to tolerate the distresses he would face in the way of this great task and asked him to assist his nephew, whom Allah (s.w.t.) had entrusted with this mission, with all power he had.
In one of his poetry he said:
O Aby Ya’la Be patient with the distresses you face,
In revealing the mission of Ahmed,
Strive to firm his religion.!
Surely you will succeed with your hard attempt.
Follow him, who has been sent by Allah (s.w.t.), sincierly and determinantly,
O Hamza don’t be unbeliever ,
I am so hapy when you say: I am a believer,
So be a supporter of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.) for the sake of Allah,
Talk to Quraysh about what you believe in ,
And say loudly to them : Ahmad has never been a magician.
The above facts that Hazrat Abu Talib (as) supported the mission with all he could, ordered his sons Hazrat Ali (as) and Hazrat Jafar and brother Hamza to help him shows his deep rooted faith in the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.) and his mission.