أبو جهل
Abū Jahl
Person
A leader of Quraysh and a bitter enemy of the Prophet, killed at Badr.
What it means
His name was Amr ibn Hisham, and the Prophet’s followers called him Abu Jahl, “father of folly”. He led the opposition in Mecca, mocking the Prophet and persecuting the weak Muslims, among them Sumayya, who is regarded as the first martyr of Islam. He was killed at the battle of Badr in 2 AH.
What the sources say
The Prophet is reported to have called him “the pharaoh of this community” (Musnad Ahmad). His son Ikrima later accepted Islam and was forgiven.