Imam Zainul Abedeen (as)
One of those, who had heard of the lies fabricated about the faith of Hazrat Abu Talib (as), asked Imam Sajjad – Ali bin al-Husain (a.s.) about those accusations. Imam Sajjad (a.s.) said: “Yes!”
The asker repeated his question to be certain about the source of those accusations and to know whether they were true or not: “There are some people here pretending that Hazrat Abu Talib (as) was unbeliever!”
Imam Sajjad (a.s.) sighed painfully and cried loudly: “How wonder! Did they accuse Hazrat Abu Talib (as) (of being unbeliever) or they accused the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.), who had been ordered by Allah (s.w.t.) not to let a believing woman keep on living with an unbelieving man as his wife in many Quranic verses?
No one doubted that Fatima bint Asad was one of the first faithful women. She had been still Hazrat Abu Talib (as)’s wife until he died."
(Al-Hujja, p. 24, SharhNahjulBalagha, vol. 3, p. 312, SheikhulAbtah, p. 76, al-Ghadeer, vol. 7, pp. 381, 390-391, Aayaan ash-Shia, vol. 39, pp. 136-37)
The saying of Imam Sajjad (a.s.) showed that whoever thought that Hazrat Abu Talib (as) was unbeliever, accused the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) of contradicting the orders of the Holy Quran or being indifferent to apply them to his uncle.
No one at all could deny the true faithfulness of Fatima bint Asad, Hazrat Abu Talib (as)’s wife and Ali’s mother, and no one could say that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) had annulled the marriage of Hazrat Abu Talib (as) and his wife Fatima.
Imam Mohammed Baqir (as)
1) Imam Baqir (a.s.) was asked about the false tradition fabricated against Hazrat Abu Talib (as) saying that Hazrat Abu Talib (as) would be in Hell.
He answered: “If the faith of the Hazrat Abu Talib (as) is put in a scale of a balance and the faith of the peoples is put in the other scale, the faith of Hazrat Abu Talib (as) will outweigh.”
Then he said: “Don’t you know that AmeerulMo’mineen Ali (a.s.) ordered to offer the Hajj for the sake of Abdullah, Aamena and Hazrat Abu Talib (as) during his lifetime (Ali’s lifetime) and then he ordered in his will to offer the Hajj for them.”
(SharhNahjulBalagha, vol. 3, p. 311, Al-Hujja, p. 18, SheikhulAbtah, pp. 23, 76, al-Ghadeer, vol. 7, pp. 381, 391, Aayaan ash-Shia, vol. 39, p. 136)
Then Imam Baqir (a.s.) proved the faithfulness of Hazrat Abu Talib (as) when saying that Imam Ali (a.s.) had ordered to offer the Hajj for the sake of Hazrat Abu Talib (as) not only during his lifetime (Ali’s lifetime) but also after his death when recording that in his will. Hajj was one of the basic pillars of Islam and hence Ali (a.s.) wouldn't have ordered to be offered for an unfaithful man!
Imam Sadiq (as)
1) Once there was a conversation between Imam Sadiq (a.s.) and Yonus bin Nabata. Imam Sadiq (a.s.) asked Yonus: “O Yonus! What do people say about Hazrat Abu Talib (as)?” Yonus said: “They say that he is in Hell, in which his head boils”
Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said: “Have told lies the enemies of Allah! Hazrat Abu Talib (as) is one of the companions of (the Prophets, the truthful, the martyrs and the good, and a goodly company are they!)
(Al-Hujja, p. 17, SheikhulAbtah, pp. 23, 75, al-Ghadeer, vol. 7, p. 394)
2) Once again Imam Sadiq (a.s.) answered a man asking him that people pretended that Hazrat Abu Talib (as) was unbeliever: “They tell but lies! How is that and he had said:
Don’t you know that we have found Muhammad a Prophet as Moses! It had been recorded in the first Books!
(Al-Ghadeer, vol. 7, p. 392)
Once again he said: How was Hazrat Abu Talib (as) unbeliever whereas he had said:
They knew well that our sons had never been a liar,
nor had he cared for absurdities.
And a white-faced, with whose face it is prayed,
so that the clouds bring goodness.
He is the shelter of the orphans and the guardian of the widows.”
(Ibid)
3) Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said: “AmeerulMo’mineen (Imam Ali (a.s.)) was pleased with the poetry of Hazrat Abu Talib (as) to be recited and recorded. He said: Learn it (the poetry) and teach it to your children for it complies with the religion of Allah and it has much knowledge.”
(Al-Hujja, p. 25, al-Ghadeer, vol. 7, p. 395)
4) Imam Sadiq (as) says that “ One day Jibrail (as) decended and told the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.) that Allah (s.w.t.) has said that the fire of Hell is prohibited on those who carried you in their backs and wombs and He has prohibited it from your caretakers and your protectors.
Imam Ali Raza (as)
Abban bin Mahmood wrote to Imam Reza (a.s.) when his faith was about to be shaken by the fabricated lies: “May Allah make me die for you! I am in doubt about the faith of Hazrat Abu Talib (as)!”
Imam Reza (a.s.) wrote to him: “And whoever acts hostilely to the Messenger after that guidance has become manifest to him, and follows other than the way of the believers, We will turn him to that to which he has (himself) turned and make him enter Hell; and it is an evil resort.’
Then: if you don’t confess the faithfulness of Hazrat Abu Talib (as), your fate will be to Hell.”
The answer of Imam Reza (a.s.) showed that doubting about the faithfulness of Hazrat Abu Talib (as) (a.s.) contradicted believing in the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.).
(SharhNahjulBalagha, vol. 3, p. 311, Al-Hujja, p. 16, al-Ghadeer, vol. 7, p. 381, 396, Mo’jamulQoboor, vol. 1, p. 189, Aayaan ash-Shia, vol. 39, p. 136 (without mentioning what was after the Quranic verse).
Imam Hasan Askari (as)
Imam Askari (a.s.) (al-Hasan bin Ali) said in a long tradition narrated by his grandfathers: “Allah the Almighty had revealed to his Messenger (Muhammad) (s.a.w.a.): (I have assisted you with two groups of assistants; a group supports you secretly and the other supports you openly.
As for the group that supports you secretly, their master and the best of them is your uncle Hazrat Abu Talib (as) but as for the group that support you openly, their master and the best of them is his son Ali bin Hazrat Abu Talib (as).”
Then he added: “Hazrat Abu Talib (as) is like the believer of the Pharaoh’s people; he keeps his faithfulness secret.”
(Al-Hujja, p. 115, al-Ghadeer, vol. 7, p. 368)
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All the above narrations make it crystal clear that Hazrat Abutalib (as) was a sincerer believer in the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.).