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HAMZAH IBN `ABD AL-MUTTALIB
The Lion of Allah and The Martyr of Martyrs
After a day full of work, worship, and entertainment, the people of Makkah fell into a deep sleep.
The people of the Quraish were turning in their beds except for one who forsook his bed of sleep. He
used to go to bed early, rest for a few hours, then wake up in great anxiety for the expected appointment
with Allah. He went to the praying corner in his room to supplicate to his God. Whenever his wife
awakened upon hearing the voice of his long supplications, she shed tears out of warm sympathy and
asked him not to take it so hard and to get some sleep. He only answered her in tears, "The time for sleep
is over, khadijjah." At that time Muhammad was not yet a serious problem for the Quraish, although he
had started to draw their attention as he started to spread his call secretly; those who believed in him
were still quite few.
There were people among the non-believers who loved and respected him. They yearned to declare
their belief in him and become one of his followers, but their fear of the prevailing norms and the
pressure of inherited traditions prevented them. Among them was Hamzah lbn `Abdul Muttalib, the
Prophet's paternal uncle who was at the same time his brother through fosterage (i.e. they had been
breast-fed by the same woman).
Hamzah was fully aware of the greatness of his nephew and of the truth he came with. He used to
know him not only as a nephew, but also as a brother and friend because they both belonged to the same
generation. They always played together and walked together on the same road of life step by step. But
in their youth they departed, each one in his own way: Hamzah preferred the life of leisure, trying to take
his place among the prominent leaders of the Quraish and Makkah, while Muhammad chose the life of
seclusion away from the crowd, immersed in the deep spiritual meditation that prepared him to receive
the truth.
Despite the fact that each of them had a different way of living out his own youth, Hamzah was
always attentive to the virtues of his friend and nephew. Such virtues helped Muhammad to win a special
place in the hearts of people and helped to draw a clear outline for his great future.
The next day, Hamzah went out as usual. At the Ka'bah he found a number of Quraishi noblemen.
He sat with them, listening to what they had to say: they were talking about Muhammad. For the first
time Hamzah saw them worried about the call his nephew was propagating with a tone of bitterness and
rage marking their voices. Before that, they had never paid attention - at least they had pretended not to
do so - but on that day their faces looked perplexed, upset, and aggressive.
Hamzah laughed at their talks and accused them of exaggeration. Abu Jahl said to his companions
that Hamzah was the best one to know the danger of his nephew's call and that he pretended to
underestimate this danger till the Quraish would relax so much that when they awakened it would be
after his nephew had complete control over them.
They kept talking and threatening while Hamzah sat, sometimes smiling, sometimes frowning.
When they dispersed his head was full of new ideas about the issues of his nephew that they had
discussed in his presence.
Days passed and the Quraish's whispering about the Prophet's call increased. Later, whispering turned
into provocation and Hamzah watched from a distance. His nephew's composed, steadfast attitude