Aqeel ibn Abi Talib
(Arabic: عَقِيل ٱبْن أَبِي طَالِب, ʿAqīl
ibn ʾAbī Ṭālib RA) was a companion and first cousin of the Islamic prophet
Muhammad. He was known by the kunyas Abu Aqeel and Abu Yazid.
He was born c. 581 CE, the second
son of Abu Talib and Fatimah bint Asad; hence he was a brother of Sayidina Ali
Ibn Abi Talib RA. ʿAqīl ibn Abī Ṭālib RA was said to be an expert in
genealogy.
He married Fatima bint Al-Walid
from the Abd Shams clan of the Quraysh. After Rasulullah ﷺ departed from Makkah, ʿAqīl ibn ʾAbī Ṭālib RA sold the
houses of his Muslim relatives among the inhabitants of the city. He fought on
the side of the polytheists at the Battle of Badr, where he was taken prisoner.
Rasulullah ﷺ is reported to have told
his companions on the Day of Badr: "Indeed I am aware that men from Banu
Hashim, and others also, have been brought out under compulsion with no wish to
fight us. If any of you encounters one from Banu Hashim then do not kill
him". Sayidina Umar Ibn Al Khattab RA said that he should be handed over
to Sayidina Ali Ibn Abi Talib RA to have his head cut off; but Rasulullah ﷺ approved of Saiyidna Abu Bakr's RA opinion that he should be
released on ransom. Since ʿAqīl ibn ʾAbī Ṭālib RA had no money, he had to be
redeemed by his uncle Sayidina Abas RA for 500 dinars or 40 ounces of gold.
When Rasulullah ﷺ told him that Abu Jahal had
been killed, ʿAqīl ibn ʾAbī Ṭālib RA conceded that nobody would now challenge Rasulullah
ﷺ's authority: "Either people
will be affected by your words, or you will dominate them by force."
Aqeel RA emigrated to Madinah in
mid-629, a year after Khaybar. ʿAqīl ibn ʾAbī Ṭālib RA and his children, due to
their close relationship with Rasulullah ﷺ, were
forbidden to receive anything from the alms tax. He fought in the Battle of
Mu'tah.
At Badr
After Rasulullah ﷺ departed from Makkah, ʿAqīl ibn ʾAbī Ṭālib RA sold the
houses of his Muslim relatives among the inhabitants of the city.
Aqeel RA fought on the side of the
polytheists at the Battle of Badr, where he was taken prisoner. Rasulullah ﷺ is reported to have told his companions on the Day of Badr:
"Indeed I am aware that men from Banu Hashim and others also, have been
brought out under compulsion with no wish to fight us. If any of you encounters
one from Banu Hashim then do not kill him" ,Saidina Umar Al Khattab RA said
that he should be handed over to Saiyidna Ali Ibn Abu Talib RA to have his head
cut off; but Rasulullah ﷺ approved of Saiyidna Abu
Bakr's RA opinion that he should be released on ransom. Since ʿAqīl ibn ʾAbī Ṭālib
RA had no money, he had to be redeemed by his uncle Sayidina Abas RA for 500
dinars or 40 ounces of gold. When Rasulullah ﷺ told him
that Abu Jahal had been killed, ʿAqīl ibn ʾAbī Ṭālib RA conceded that nobody
would now challenge Rasulullah ﷺ 's authority:
"Either people will be
affected by your words, or you will dominate them by force."
Conversion to Islam
ʿAqīl ibn ʾAbī Ṭālib RA emigrated
to Madinah in mid-629, a year after Khaybar. ʿAqīl ibn ʾAbī Ṭālib RA and his
children, due to their close relationship with Rasulullah ﷺ, were forbidden to receive anything from the alms tax.
ʿAqīl ibn ʾAbī Ṭālib RA fought in
the Battle of Mu'tah. It is said that soon after this, he fell ill and "was
not mentioned at" the conquest of Makkah, the ambush at Hunayn or the
siege of Ta'if. However, an alternative tradition indicates that he did in fact
fight at Hunayn. When his wife asked him what plunder he had brought back from
this battle, he replied: "This needle. You can sew your garments with
it," and he gave her his bloodstained sword. Later Rasulullah ﷺ ordered anyone who had taken anything from the plunder to
return it. Aqeel RA told Fatima, "By Allah, I think your needle is
gone!" and threw his sword into the plunder.
After Muhammad
Later ʿAqīl ibn ʾAbī Ṭālib RA married
a woman from the Jusham clan. When he was wished the traditional Arab wedding
congratulation, "May you live in harmony and have many sons," he
responded, "Say rather what Allah's Messenger said: 'May Allah bless you
and bestow blessings upon you.'"
ʿAqīl ibn ʾAbī Ṭālib RA donated a
carpet to the mosque in Madinah. On Fridays it was spread out up the west wall.
When the shadow of the wall covered the whole carpet, Sayidina Umar Al Khattab
RA knew it was time to come out for the midday prayer.
ʿAqīl ibn ʾAbī Ṭālib RA was the
fourth husband of Fatima, a sister of Hind bint Utbah. She was a wealthy woman
who paid ʿAqīl ibn ʾAbī Ṭālib RA to manage her property as ʿAqīl ibn ʾAbī Ṭālib
RA was a wealthy and successful merchant. She often asked him about her father
and uncle, who had been killed by the Muslim army. ʿAqīl ibn ʾAbī Ṭālib RA once
told her that they were in Hell, and their quarrel was so severe that Sayidina Uthman
Ibn Affan RA assigned Muawiyah Ibn Abu Sufian RA and Abd Allah ibn Abbas RA to
mediate between them.
Another view, The grave of Sayidina Aqeel Ibn Abu Talib and the most honored Jaafar Ibn Abu Talib - The Al Tayyar during the battle of Mut'ah.
Legacy
Descendants of Aqeel RA are
numerous and spread out across Yemen, parts of Oman and Somalia. The shrine of
Imam Saad bin Aqil' who is a descendant is located in Tal Afar, Iraq.
Descendants of Aqeel are numerous
and spread out across Yemen, parts of Oman and Somalia.
