After Janabe Abdul Mutallib’s death his son Hazrat Abu Talib (A.S.) (Imam Ali’s (A.S.) father) became the Amir of Mecca and the trustee of Kaaba (as Janabe Abdulla the elder brother had died earlier). Like his father Hazrat Abu Talib (A.S.) too took upon himself the duty of being the host of the pilgrims of Kaaba. He became so popular that the Arabs began to call him “Baizatul Bilaad” [Ibne Aseer].
Apart from being the trustee of Kaaba, Allah bestowed upon Hazrat Abu Talib (A.S.) the honour of being the guardian of the Prophet (S.A.W), who had lost his father even before he was born, and his mother had died when the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.A.) was hardly six years old. Hazrat Abu Talib (A.S.) stood with the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.A) for more than forty-five years risking his own life and the life of his children.
He, however, never submitted to the threats of the enemies of Islam. Perhaps it was this affection and sacrifice of Hazrat Abu Talib (A.S.) that developed and took the human form of Imam Ali (A.S.), who though was only thirteen years old but never for a moment left the company of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.A.) and continued with the mission his father had left for him till the end of his life.
(Extracted from the book Ali — The Miracle of Mohammad by Marhoom Syed Yaqoob Hasan)
