الرحلةThe Journey

حمزة بن عبد المطلب

Hamzah (RA)

Hamzah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib

Also known as: Hamza, Sayyid al-Shuhada', Asadullah

c. 55 BH – 3 AH · c. 568–625 CE

Companions

Uncle of the Prophet ﷺ, the 'Lion of Allah' and master of the martyrs.

Hamzah was the Prophet's paternal uncle and also his foster brother, close to him in age. A strong hunter and warrior, he accepted Islam in the early Makkan years after hearing that Abu Jahl had insulted his nephew, and his conversion gave the small Muslim community new protection.

He fought with great courage at Badr. At Uhud he was killed by Wahshi, an enslaved spearman promised his freedom, and his body was mutilated. The Prophet ﷺ grieved deeply for him and called him the master of the martyrs (sayyid al-shuhada').

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Life journey

  1. c. 568 CE Makkah مكة
  2. 622 CE Madinah المدينة
  3. 625 CE Mount Uhud جبل أحد
    Died 625 CE · 3 AH
    Martyred at the Battle of Uhud and buried at its foot.

Places in their life

The Ka'bah in al-Masjid al-Haram, Makkah
The Ka'bah in al-Masjid al-Haram, Makkah
Photo: Adli Wahid (minor modifications by Basile Morin), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
al-Masjid al-Nabawi, the Prophet's Mosque, Madinah
al-Masjid al-Nabawi, the Prophet's Mosque, Madinah
Photo: TheHadiRahim, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Mount Uhud, Madinah
Mount Uhud, Madinah
Photo: Ahmed, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sources

  • Ibn Hisham, al-Sira al-Nabawiyya
  • Sahih al-Bukhari (Book of Military Expeditions, on the killing of Hamzah)
  • Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani, al-Isaba fi Tamyiz al-Sahaba
Draft, awaiting scholarly review.
Birth year approximate (two to four years older than the Prophet ﷺ).