Why al-ʿAbbās Stood With Them

A question naturally arises here: how was it that al-ʿAbbās ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib was there at all, given that he was not a Muslim? Al-ʿAbbās ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib was the uncle of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and even though he was not a Muslim, he was one of the senior members of the clan of Banū Hāshim. And even though he was not a Muslim, he was taking special interest in following and monitoring the activities of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and he was one of the people offering the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) protection in Makkah after Abū Ṭālib passed away; he wanted to make sure his nephew would be safe when he left Makkah. That is why the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) allowed him and included him in this meeting — because even though he was not a Muslim, this was an issue that related to the tribe of Banū Hāshim. Muhammad (peace be upon him) remained a member of that clan, and his clan had an interest in his safety and security. So al-ʿAbbās ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib attended as a representative of Banū Hāshim, to make sure their son was well protected.

It might be asked: if al-ʿAbbās was offering protection, how was that different from the time of Abū Ṭālib? The difference is that Abū Ṭālib had respect and power and authority over his people that none of his brothers had, so the ability of al-ʿAbbās ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib to defend Muhammad (peace be upon him) was obviously less than the ability of Abū Ṭālib, because of the seniority of Abū Ṭālib — al-ʿAbbās was young. Nevertheless, they still managed to protect him for that period, and they viewed it as a responsibility upon them.

When al-ʿAbbās finished his statement, al-Anṣār said: "We have heard what you have to say. Now, O Messenger of Allah, ask us what you want" — go ahead and speak of what he wanted from them, and take for himself and for his Lord whatever he wanted.