Wisdom Behind the Prophet ﷺ Attributing Himself to ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib
Source: Fatāwā Amunpūrī by Shaykh Ghulām Muṣṭafā Ẓahīr Amunpūrī
❖ Question
سیدنا براء بن عازب رضی اللہ عنہ narrates that on the day of Ḥunayn, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was challenging the enemy and proclaiming:
أنا النبى لا كذب، أنا ابن عبد المطلب
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 4315; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1776)
Why did the Prophet ﷺ express pride in being the son of ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, whereas boasting of forefathers is prohibited?
❖ Answer
① In wars and battlefields, there are many matters that are permissible which are not permissible in ordinary circumstances. The Prophet ﷺ, in the battlefield, mentioned his grandfather ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib in a prideful manner to intimidate the enemy. In a state of war, using boastful phrases to weaken the enemy’s resolve is permissible.
سیدنا سلمہ بن اکوع رضی اللہ عنہ narrates that سیدنا علی رضی اللہ عنہ, challenging the people of Khaybar in the battlefield, recited in rajaz style:
أنا الذى سمتني أمي حيدرة كليث غابات كريه المنظرة
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1807)
② It may also mean that the Prophet ﷺ did not mention his grandfather in a boastful sense; rather, he did so merely for introduction and identification—that he is a Prophet, and his lineage connects to ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, who was a respected figure among them.
