T h e  A n s w e r : For ten years the New Said has had no book with him other than the Qur’an, which he says is sufficient for him. I do not have the time to study all the books of Hadith about secondary matters such as that, and write which is the  soundest  and  most  authentic.   I  will  only  say  this  much,  that  the  Noble Messenger’s (Upon whom be blessings and peace) parents were believers and will be saved  and  go  to  Paradise.[9]   Surely  Almighty  God  would  not  wound  His  Noble Beloved’s blessed heart with its filial tenderness.

If  i t  i s  a s k e d : “Seeing that it is thus, why weren’t they able to believe in God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace)? Why didn’t they live to see his mission?”

T h e  A n s w e r : Out of His munificence, in order to gratify the Messenger’s (Upon whom be blessings and peace) filial sentiments, Almighty God did not put his parents under any obligation to him. His mercy required that to make them happy and to please His Noble Beloved, He did not take them from the rank of parenthood and put them in that of spiritual offspring; He did not place his parents and grandfather among his outward community.  However, He bestowed on them the merit, virtues, and happiness of his community. If an exalted field marshal’s father, who has the rank of captain, entered his son’s presence, he would be overwhelmed  by two opposing emotions. So, compassionately, the king does not post the father to the retinue of his elevated lieutenant, the field marshal.

EIGHTH POINT

You ask: “What is the most authentic narration concerning the faith of his uncle, Abu Talib?”

T h e  A n s w e r :  The Shi‘a agree that he believed, while most of the Sunnis do not agree. But what occurs to my heart is this: Abu Talib loved most earnestly, not the Most Noble Messenger’s (Upon whom be blessings and peace) messengership,  but his person and his self. That most earnest personal love and tenderness surely will not go for nothing. Yes, Abu Talib loved Almighty God’s Noble Beloved sincerely and protected  and  supported  him;  it  was  because  of  feelings  like  shame  and  tribal solidarity that he did not believe in him in acceptable fashion, not out of denial and obduracy. If due to this he goes to Hell, God Almighty may create a sort of particular Paradise for him, in reward for his good actions.

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[9] Nabhani, Hujjat Allah ‘ala’l-‘Alamin, 412-4; Suyuti, al-Rasa’il al-Tis’a (al-Ta’zim wa’l-Minna f’ Anna Abaway Rasul Allah (SAW) fi’l-Janna) ed. ‘Izzuddên al-Sa’idi (Beirut: 1988), 133-89.