Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hasim ibn Abd Manaf al-Qurayshi (; ) was a foster brother, paternal uncle, maternal second-cousin, and companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
Hamza embraced Islam around 616 CE following an altercation with Abu Jahl and soon became one of MuhammadâÂÂs strongest supporters. He took part in early expeditions, notably fighting at the Battle of Badr, and was killed in the Battle of Uhud in 625 CE. His death was widely mourned, and Islamic tradition honors him as Asadullah () and the "leader of the martyrs".
Ibn Sa'd, citing al-Waqidi, and Ibn Sayyid, quoting Zubayr, both reported that Hamza was four years older than Muhammad. His father was Abdul Muttalib, a member of the Quraysh tribe of Mecca, and his mother was Halah bint Wuhayb of the Zuhrah clan of Quraysh.â Al-Tabari cites two traditions regarding their marriage: in one account, al-Waqidi relates that Abdul Muttalib accompanied his son Abdullah to the house of Wahb ibn Abd Manaf to propose marriage to WahbâÂÂs daughter Amina. During the visit, Abdul Muttalib noticed WahbâÂÂs niece, Halah bint Wuhayb, and also asked for her hand. Wahb agreed, and both Abdullah and Abdul Muttalib were married on the same day in a double-marriage ceremony.
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Hamza showed little interest in Islam during its early years and converted in late 616 CE.âÂÂAccording to early sources, after returning to Mecca from a hunting trip, he was informed that Abu Jahl had insulted Muhammad. Hamza went to the Kaaba, struck Abu Jahl with his bow, and declared his support for Muhammad. When members of Abu JahlâÂÂs clan intervened, he reportedly told them to leave Hamza alone, admitting he had insulted Muhammad.
Following the incident, Hamza entered the House of Al-Arqam and formally embraced Islam.â His conversion was seen as a turning point by the Quraysh, who shifted from direct harassment to attempts at negotiation, which he refused. One account states that Hamza once asked to see the angel Jibril in his true form. When Jibril appeared with feet like emeralds, Hamza lost consciousness. In 622, he joined the emigration to Medina, where he stayed with either Kulthum ibn al-Hidmâ or Sa'd ibn Khaythama. Muhammad paired him in brotherhood with Zayd ibn Haritha.
In his first expedition, Muhammad appointed Hamza to lead a raid against a Quraysh caravan. He commanded a force of thirty riders to intercept a merchant convoy returning from Syria along the coastal route in Juhayna territory.â At the seashore, Hamza encountered the caravan led by Abu Hisham, accompanied by 300 riders. Conflict was averted when Majdi ibn Amr al-Juhani, who had ties to both parties, intervened and negotiated a peaceful resolution. Sources differ on whether Hamza or his cousin Ubayda ibn al-Harith was the first Muslim to whom Muhammad entrusted a banner.
At the Battle of Badr, Hamza fought alongside the Muslims, sharing a camel with Zayd ibn Haritha and wearing an ostrich feather to make himself identifiable in combat. Prior to the battle, the Muslims blocked access to the wells at Badr. Al-Aswad ibn Abd al-Asad approached the cistern, vowing to drink from it, destroy it, or die trying. Hamza confronted him and struck his leg, causing him to fall. Al-Aswad crawled into the water before Hamza killed him near the cistern. During a duel with Utba ibn Rabi'a, Hamza is reported to have referred to himself as the "Lion of Allah and His Messenger". Accounts differ on whether Utba was killed by Hamza or Ali. Hamza later carried MuhammadâÂÂs banner during the expedition against Banu Qaynuqa.
Hamza was killed in the Battle of Uhud on Saturday, 23 March 625 (7 Shawwal 3 AH), at the age of approximately 57 to 59. Fighting at the front line with two swords, he was fatally struck in the abdomen by a javelin thrown by Wahshi ibn Harb, an Abyssinian slave promised manumission by Hind bint Utba in retaliation for the death of her father at the Battle of Badr. Some sources report that Hind attempted to chew HamzaâÂÂs liver after the battle but was unable to swallow it. Ibn Hisham narrates that Muhammad expressed deep grief upon seeing HamzaâÂÂs body and stated that the angel Jibril had called him the "Lion of the Prophet" in the seven heavens. Hamza and his nephew, Abd Allah ibn Jahsh, were buried in the same grave. Ibn Masud reported that Muhammad led multiple funeral prayer for Hamza, each time with another fallen companion laid beside him. He was widely mourned and later referred to as the "leader of the martyrs" by Muhammad, as narrated by Jabir ibn Abd Allah.
Hamza married three times and had seven children.