أبو طالب
Abū Ṭālib
Person
The Prophet’s uncle, who raised him after his grandfather’s death and protected him from Quraysh.
What it means
Abu Talib was the father of Ali. He took the orphaned Muhammad into his household and defended him when Quraysh pressed him to hand over his nephew, even through the three-year boycott of the clan. He died in about 619, shortly before Khadija.
What the sources say
He is not reported to have accepted Islam. Verses such as 28:56 say that guidance is God’s to give.