The parents of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ

He is Muhammad ﷺ, son of Abdullah, son of Abd al Muttalib, son of Hashim, son of Abd Manaf, son of Qusayy, son of Kilab, son of Murra, son of Ka`b, son of Lu`ayy, son of Ghalib, son of Fihr, son of Malik, son of Nadr, son of Kinana, son of Khuzayma, son of Mudrika, son of Ilyas, son of Mudar, son of Nizar, son of Ma`add, son of Adnan (Bukhari).

There is consensus among scholars about the family tree of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Ibn Kathir and others). Furthermore, there is consensus that Adnan was a descendant of Prophet Ismail who was the son of Prophet Abraham, peace be upon them both.

It is well known that the Arabs had a strong tradition of passing on knowledge of lineage and family history all the way back to Adnan. The Arabs knew well the lives of their ancestors, and they kept their memories alive through oral tradition and transmission. As a result, a great deal is known about the ancestors of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

For example, we know that they were all followers of the original teachings of Abraham. For example, Abdul Muttalib is known for his strong monotheistic faith. There are several narrations about him that confirm this. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was proud to be the grandson of Abul Muttalib. All of the ancestors, without exception, including the parents of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, had the best character and the best morals. They were all very well recognized, respected and admired by the society in which they lived. Their inspiring life stories can be found in seerah books.

Imam Tirmidhi and Imam Bayhaqi write in their works that Ibn Abbas narrates: The Prophet ﷺ said: Without a doubt, when Allah created me, He created me from the best of creation. Then He formed tribes of people, and placed me in the best tribe. Then He created the breaths and included me among the best. Then He created the families and placed me in the best family. As a result, I am the best among them, both my family and my breaths.

Bukhari narrates in Sahih that Ibn Abbas said: Hercules, the emperor of the Byzantine Empire, asked Abu Sufyan about the lineage of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and what his position was among others in society. Abu Sufyan replied: Among us, the one who is of noble lineage is Muhammad (ﷺ).

Aisha (ra) narrated that the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said: Gabriel told me, “I searched the earth in the east and the west but I found no one better than you and no clan better than the clan of Hashim.”

About the parents of the Prophet ﷺ

There is consensus among the scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamaa’a that the parents of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ are from the people of Paradise.

Fakhruddin Al-Razi and Jalaluddin Al-Suyuti are of the opinion that the parents of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ were monotheists. They believed in one God and in life after death.

They lived in a time when no prophet had been sent. The previous revelation had come through the Prophet Jesus, peace be upon him, about 600 years earlier. There were also no preserved holy scriptures in their entirety that could be followed. Both the text and the meanings of the Bible had been changed. It is also a fact that the Prophet Jesus had been sent to the Jewish people, not to the Arabs. The parents of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ thus lived in a time called “Fatrah.” According to Islamic teachings, people who lived in such eras will not be held accountable for their faith. “…And We do not impose punishment until We have sent a messenger” (17:15).

Ibn Hajr al Haythami writes that prophets sent to the Jews were not commanded to preach to the Arabs, their mission was limited to the Jewish people. The Arabs who lived before Prophet Muhammad ﷺ declared himself a prophet cannot therefore be held responsible for their beliefs.

Several hadiths mention that the ancestors of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, all the way back to Adam, peace be upon them both, were the most righteous, virtuous and among the best people of their time. It is also known from another hadith that there has always been a group of people who have prayed to the one and true God, Allah, and have been on the right path. If one combines these two hadiths, it is obvious that the ancestors of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ belong to this group, since a polytheist cannot be considered religiously better than a monotheist.

Narrations that point to the opposite conclusion are all weak or only narrated by single individuals. Imam Suyuti writes that since all such hadiths are weak, there is room to believe the opposite, that is, the Prophet’s parents were not among those who practiced polytheism.

To the doubter; it is not required to have an opinion about the rank of the ancestors of the Prophet ﷺ with Allah SWT. Therefore, it is daring and disrespectful to have a condescending opinion of them, or to doubt their sincerity.

Imam Ibn Arabi writes that whoever believes that the parents of the Prophet ﷺ are burning in the Fire is a cursed person. This is because Allah says that whoever makes fun of or teases the Prophet ﷺ is under His curse in this world and the world to come. Ibn Arabi further argues; “For would it not be hurtful for the Prophet ﷺ to hear people speak disparagingly of his parents?” This applies regardless of the rank and position they may have with Allah SWT.

Written by Muhammad Juned

Approved by Imam Najeeb-ur-Rehman Naz