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OverviewHis full name was Abd-al-Uzza ibn 'Abdul Muttalib and he was called Abu Lahab (meaning father of the flame) because his cheeks were always red or inflamed. His wife was Umm Jamil, who bore him two sons, Utbah ibn Abu Lahab and Utaybah bin Abu Lahab. The two sons married (later divorced) two daughters of the prophet and Khadijah bint Khuwaylid. He is the son of Abdul Muttalib and therefore Muhammad's uncle.
Position of an uncle according to pre-Islamic Arab cultureHe was rumored to have a relation with Layla binte Harmalah Thuwaybah, the servant of Abu Lahab, nursed Muhammad when he was an infant, and later on converted to Islam. In pre-Islamic Arabic culture, an uncle was someone who represented the father if the child was an orphan. The uncle was also expected to take care of his nephew and raise him like his own child. Abu Lahab's hatred towards Islam, which brought him into conflict with his nephew, violated those traditions.
The Wa SabahahWhen Muhammad was instructed by God to spread the message of Islam openly, he was told by the Qur'an to warn his kinsfolk about the punishment of God. In doing so, Muhammad climbed Mount Safa and shouted: Wa sabahah! which means "O calamity of the morning!" This alarm in Arabia was raised by the person who noticed early at dawn an enemy tribe advancing against his tribe. So when Muhammad did this, people asked who was the one who made the call. They were told that it was Muhammad. When all the people assembled, Muhammad addressed the clans by name. "O Bani Hashim, O Bani Abdul Muttalib... etc., If I were to tell you that behind this hill there is an enemy about to attack you, would you believe me?" The People responded that they would, since Muhammad had never told a lie in his life. The Prophet continued and said "Then I warn you that you are heading for a torment." Before anybody could speak, Abu Lahab said: "Woe be on you the rest of the day! Is that what you summoned us for?" Another tradition recalls Abu Lahab picking up a stone to throw at the Prophet.
Other acts of crueltyOnce Abu Lahab asked the Prophet: "If I were to accept your religion, what would I get?" The Prophet replied: "You would get what the other believers would get." Abu Lahab responded: "Is there no preference or distinction for me?" In which the Prophet replied, "What else do you want?" Abu Lahab replied back: "May this religion perish in which I and all other people should be equal and alike!"
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