Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib

For one of his titles (also an Islamic name), see Asadullah.

Ḥamza حَمْزَة
Military Commander to Muhammad
In office 623–625
Succeeded by	Zubayr ibn al-Awwam
Personal details
Born	c. 568 CE Mecca, Hejaz, Arabia
Died	23 March 625 (15 Shawwal, 3 AH) (aged 56–57) Mount Uhud, Medina, Hejaz
Resting place	Uhud, Medina
Spouses	Salma bint Umays Zaynab bint al-Milla ibn Malik Khawlah bint Qays ibn Amir
Relations	full-siblings: Safiyyah (sister) Al-Muqawwim (brother) Hajl (brother) half-brothers: Abdullah Abu Talib Al-Abbas Abū Lahab Az-Zubayr Al-Ghaydaq half-sisters: Al-Bayḍāʾ Umaymah Arwa ‘Atikah
Children	Umamah Amir Bakr Umara (possibly more)
Parents	Abd al-Muttalib (father) Halah bint Wuhayb (mother)
Occupation	Military general
Known for	Paternal Uncle and Companion of Muhammad
Tribe	Quraysh (Banu Hashim)
Religion	Islam
Military service
Allegiance	Muhammad (623–625)
Years of service	623–625
Rank	Military Commander
Battles/wars	Expedition of Hamza Battle of Badr Battle of Uhud †

Ḥamza ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib (Arabic: حَمْزَة إبْن عَبْد ٱلْمُطَّلِب; c. 568–625) was a foster brother, paternal uncle, maternal second-cousin, and companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

He was martyred in the Battle of Uhud on 23 March 625 (7 Shawwal 3 hijri). His kunyas were "Abū ʿUmāra" (أبو عمارة) and "Abū Yaʿlā" (أبو يعلى). He had the by-names Asad Allāh (أَسَد ٱللَّٰه, "Lion of God") and "Asad of His Messenger" (وأسد رسوله), and Muhammad gave him the posthumous title Sayyid al-Shuhadāʾ (سيد الشهداء, "Master of Martyrs").

Early life

Ibn Sa'd basing his claim on al-Waqidi states that Hamza was reportedly four years older than Muhammad. He could also be two years older as said in other hadith.

This is disputed by Ibn Sayyid, who said: "Zubayr narrated that Hamza was four years older than the Prophet. Ibn Hajar wrote of Ibn Sayyid's hadiths: "Hamza was born two to four years before Muhammad". It is also claimed that Hamzah was born after 'Abd Allah's death.

Ancestry

Parents

Hamza's father was Abdul Muttalib from the Qurayshi tribe of Mecca. His mother was Halah bint Wuhayb from the Zuhra clan of Quraysh. Tabari cites two different traditions. In one, Al-Waqidi states that his parents met when Abd al-Muttalib went with his son Abdullah to the house of Wahb ibn Abd Manaf to seek the hand of Wahb's daughter Amina. While they were there, Abd al-Muttalib noticed Wahb's niece, Hala bint Wuhayb, and he asked for her hand as well. Wahb agreed, and Muhammad's father Abdullah and his grandfather Abd al-Muttalib were both married on the same day, in a double-marriage ceremony.

Marriages and children

Hamza married three times and had six children.

1. Salmah bint Umays ibn Ma'd, the half-sister of Maymunah bint al-Harith.
   1. Umama bint Hamza, wife of Salama ibn Abi Salama.
2. Zaynab bint Al-Milla ibn Malik of the Aws tribe in Medina.
   1. Amir ibn Hamza.
   2. Bakr ibn Hamza, who died in childhood.
3. Khawla bint Qays ibn Amir of the An-Najjar clan. He had issue, but their descendants had died out by the time of Ibn Sa'd.
   1. Umar ibn Hamza.
   2. Atika bint Hamza.
   3. Barra bint Hamza.

Conversion to Islam

Hamza took little notice of Islam for the first few years. He converted in late 616 CE. Upon returning to Mecca after a hunting trip in the desert, he heard that Amr ibn Hishām (referred in Islamic scriptures as "Abu Jahl" Father of Ignorance) had insulted Muhammad "speaking spitefully of his religion and trying to bring him into disrepute". Muhammad had not replied to him. "Filled with rage," Hamza "went out at a run ... meaning to punish ibn Hishām when he met him". He entered the Kaaba, where ibn Hishām was sitting with the elders, stood over him and "struck him a violent blow" with his bow. He said, "Will you insult him, when I am of his religion and say what he says? Hit me back if you can!" He "struck Abu Jahl's head with a blow that cut open his head". Some of ibn Hishām's relatives approached to help him, but he told them, "Leave Abu Umara [Hamza] alone, for, by God, I insulted his nephew deeply".

After that incident, Hamza entered the House of Al-Arqam and accepted Islam. "Hamza’s Islam was complete, and he followed the Prophet's commands. When he became a Muslim, the Quraysh recognised that the Prophet had become strong, and had found a protector in Hamza, and so they abandoned some of their ways of harassing him". Instead, they tried to strike bargains with him; but he did not accept their offers.

Hamza once asked Muhammad to show him the angel Jibreel in his true form. Muhammad told Hamza that he would not be able to see him. Hamza retorted that he would see the angel, so Muhammad told him to sit where he was. They claimed that Jibreel descended before them and that Hamza saw that Jibreel's feet were like emeralds, before falling down unconscious.

Hamza joined the emigration to Medina in 622 and lodged with Kulthum ibn al-Hidm or Saad ibn Khaythama. Muhammad made him the brother in Islam of Zayd ibn Haritha.

Military expeditions

First expedition

Main article: Expedition of Hamza ibn 'Abdul-Muttalib

Muhammad sent Hamza on his first raid against Quraysh. Hamza led an expedition of thirty riders to the coast in Juhayna territory to intercept a merchant-caravan returning from Syria. Hamza met Abu Hishām at the head of the caravan with three hundred riders at the seashore. Majdi ibn Amr al-Juhani intervened between them, "for he was at peace with both parties," and the two parties separated without any fighting.

There is dispute as to whether Hamza or his nephew Ubayda ibn al-Harith was the first Muslim to whom Muhammad gave a flag.

Battle of Badr

Hamza fought at the Battle of Badr, where he shared a camel with Zayd ibn Haritha and where his distinctive ostrich feather made him highly visible. The Muslims blocked the wells at Badr.

Al-Aaswad ibn Abdalasad al-Makhzumi, who was a quarrelsome ill-natured man, stepped forth and said, "I swear to God that I will drink from their cistern or destroy it or die before reaching it". Hamza came forth against him, and when the two met, Hamza smote him and sent his foot and half his shank flying as he was near the cistern. He fell on his back and lay there, blood streaming from his foot towards his comrades. Then he crawled to the cistern and threw himself into it with the purpose of fulfilling his oath, but Hamza followed him and smote him and killed him in the cistern".

He then killed Utba ibn Rabi'a in single combat and helped Ali to kill Utba's brother Shayba. It is disputed whether it was Hamza or Ali who killed Tuwayma ibn Adiy.

Later Hamza carried Muhammad's banner in the expedition against the Banu Qaynuqa.

Death

Grave of Hamza near Mount Uhud

Hamza was killed in the Battle of Uhud on Saturday 23 March 625 (7 Shawwal 3 hijri) when he was 57–59 years old. He was standing in front of Muhammad, fighting with two swords. The Abyssinian slave Wahshi ibn Harb was promised manumission by Hind bint Utba if he killed Hamza. This was in revenge for the death of her father, Utba ibn Rabi'a, whom Hamza had killed at the Battle of Badr. Hamza, running back and forth, stumbled and fell on his back; and Wahshi said, "who could throw a javelin as the Abyssinians do and seldom missed the mark," threw it into Hamza's abdomen, killing him.

Family tree

Kilab ibn Murra

Fatima bint Sa'd

Zuhra ibn Kilab (progenitor of Banu Zuhra) maternal great-great-grandfather

Qusayy ibn Kilab paternal great-great-great-grandfather

Hubba bint Hulail paternal great-great-great-grandmother

Abd Manaf ibn Zuhra maternal great-grandfather

Abd Manaf ibn Qusayy paternal great-great-grandfather

Atika bint Murra paternal great-great-grandmother

Wahb ibn `Abd Manaf maternal grandfather

Hashim ibn 'Abd Manaf (progenitor of Banu Hashim) paternal great-grandfather

Salma bint `Amr paternal great-grandmother

Fatima bint Amr paternal grandmother

`Abd al-Muttalib paternal grandfather

Hala bint Wuhayb paternal step-grandmother

Amina mother

Abd Allah father

al-Zubayr paternal uncle

al-Harith paternal half-uncle

Hamza paternal half-uncle

Thuwayba first nurse

Halima second nurse

Abu Talib paternal uncle

`Abbas paternal half-uncle

Abu Lahab paternal half-uncle

6 other sons and 6 daughters

Muhammad

Khadija first wife

Abd Allah ibn Abbas paternal cousin

Fatima daughter

Ali paternal cousin and son-in-law family tree, descendants

Qasim son

Abd Allah son

Zainab daughter

Ruqayya daughter

Uthman second cousin and son-in-law family tree

Umm Kulthum daughter

Zayd adopted son

Ali ibn Zainab grandson

Umama bint Zaynab granddaughter

`Abd Allah ibn Uthman grandson

Rayhana bint Zayd wife

Usama ibn Zayd adoptive grandson

Muhsin ibn Ali grandson

Hasan ibn Ali grandson

Husayn ibn Ali grandson family tree

Umm Kulthum bint Ali granddaughter

Zaynab bint Ali granddaughter

Safiyya tenth wife

Abu Bakr father-in-law family tree

Sawda second wife

Umar father-in-law family tree

Umm Salama sixth wife

Juwayriya eighth wife

Maymuna eleventh wife

Aisha third wife Family tree

Zaynab fifth wife

Hafsa fourth wife

Zaynab seventh wife

Umm Habiba ninth wife

Maria al-Qibtiyya twelfth wife

Ibrahim son

• * indicates that the marriage order is disputed
• Note that direct lineage is marked in bold.

See also

• Abbas ibn Ali
• Al-Qaid Jawhar
• Badr al-Jamali
• Habib bin Mazahir
• Hamzanama
• List of expeditions of Muhammad
• Malik al-Ashtar
• Sayyid Ash-Shuhada Mosque
• Sunni view of the Sahaba
• The Message (1976 film)