Aunts and uncles of the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam

26-12-2015 | IslamWeb

Question:

How many uncles did Muhammad, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, have? How many of them accepted Islam?

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger. 

The scholars held different views about the exact number of the paternal uncles of the Prophet, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam; it was said that they were twelve, some said ten, and others said nine. Their names are as follows:

1) Al-ʻAbbaas

2) Hamzah

3) Abu Taalib, and his real name was ʻAbd Manaaf.

4) Az-Zubayr

5) Al-Haarith

6) Hajl, his real name was Al-Mugheerah; it also said that his name was Al-Ghaydaaq.

7) Al-Muqawwim

8) Dhiraar

9) Abu Lahab, and his real name was 'Abdul-'Uzza

Only two of them embraced Islam: Al-ʻAbbas and Hamzah . 

The paternal aunts of the Prophet, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, were six, and their names are:

1) Safiyyah

2) Umm Hakeem Al-Baydhaa'

3) ʻAatikah

4) Umaymah

5) Arwa

6) Barrah

Safiyyah embraced Islam. Scholars held different views whether ʻAatikah and Arwa embraced Islam or not; some scholars held that it was authentically established that Arwa embraced Islam.

Allaah knows best.