The Incident of the Disrespectful ʿUqbah ibn Abī Lahab and Analysis of Its Chains of Transmission
Authored by: Ḥāfiẓ Muḥammad Anwar Zāhid ḥafiẓahullāh
It is narrated in Ibn ʿAsākir that Abū Lahab and his son ʿUtbah were preparing for a journey to Shām (Syria). Before departing, ʿUtbah said:
"Before I travel, I will go and insult Muḥammad ﷺ and his Lord."
He came to the Prophet ﷺ and mockingly said:
"I disbelieve in the One who came near and descended, and became as close as two bow-lengths or nearer!"
Because of his repeated insolence and extreme disrespect, the Prophet ﷺ cursed him, saying:
“O Allah, appoint one of Your dogs over him.”
When ʿUtbah returned to his father and informed him of what had occurred, Abū Lahab said:
"My son, now I fear for your life. I am certain that Muḥammad’s supplication will not be rejected."
The caravan proceeded on its journey and halted near the monastery of a Christian monk in the land of Syria. The monk warned them:
"Be careful! In this land, wild beasts roam freely like flocks of sheep. Why have you stopped here?"
Abū Lahab, now worried, gathered the group and said:
"You know my old age and my rights upon you. I beg of you one favor. Muḥammad has invoked a curse upon my son, and I fear for his life. Let us place our belongings near the monastery and have my son sleep at its center, surrounded by all of you on guard."
They accepted his request and positioned themselves around ʿUtbah. Despite their vigilance, a lion came in the night, sniffing each man’s face. Finding none of them to be its target, it stepped back and then leapt onto the platform where ʿUtbah lay. After sniffing his face, realizing he was the one sought, the lion tore him to pieces.
At that moment, Abū Lahab exclaimed:
"I was certain he would not survive the curse of Muḥammad ﷺ."
The narration has been recorded in the following sources:
◈ Ibn ʿAsākir
◈ al-Mustadrak of al-Ḥākim (2/539)
◈ Dalā’il al-Nubuwwah by Abū Nuʿaym (pp. 389–392)
◈ Fatḥ al-Bārī by Ibn Ḥajar (4/39)
◈ Majmaʿ al-Zawā’id (6/19) by al-Haythamī
① Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq – While well-known, he is a mudallis (ambiguous in narration) and does not clearly state his source in this report, which weakens its reliability.
② In al-Mustadrak, the narration contains ʿAbbās ibn al-Faḍl, a weak narrator.
③ Al-Haythamī notes that Ṭabarānī narrated a version of this report in mursal form (a chain missing the Companion), which further reduces its authenticity.
④ The narrator Zuhayr ibn ʿAlāʾ in that version is also weak.
The story of ʿUtbah ibn Abī Lahab insulting the Prophet ﷺ and being killed by a lion in response to the Prophet’s supplication:
✖ Appears in several historical and biographical works
✖ Has multiple chains, but all are weak due to
• Tadlīs of Ibn Isḥāq
• Weak or unknown narrators like ʿAbbās ibn al-Faḍl and Zuhayr ibn ʿAlāʾ
• Mursal transmission in some versions
✖ Is not suitable as ḥujjah (evidence) in establishing authentic prophetic biography
Therefore, the narration is not reliable, and its details should not be confidently affirmed.
Authored by: Ḥāfiẓ Muḥammad Anwar Zāhid ḥafiẓahullāh
❖ The Disrespectful ʿUqbah ibn Abī Lahab and the Lion's Attack
It is narrated in Ibn ʿAsākir that Abū Lahab and his son ʿUtbah were preparing for a journey to Shām (Syria). Before departing, ʿUtbah said:
"Before I travel, I will go and insult Muḥammad ﷺ and his Lord."
He came to the Prophet ﷺ and mockingly said:
"I disbelieve in the One who came near and descended, and became as close as two bow-lengths or nearer!"
Because of his repeated insolence and extreme disrespect, the Prophet ﷺ cursed him, saying:
“O Allah, appoint one of Your dogs over him.”
When ʿUtbah returned to his father and informed him of what had occurred, Abū Lahab said:
"My son, now I fear for your life. I am certain that Muḥammad’s supplication will not be rejected."
The caravan proceeded on its journey and halted near the monastery of a Christian monk in the land of Syria. The monk warned them:
"Be careful! In this land, wild beasts roam freely like flocks of sheep. Why have you stopped here?"
Abū Lahab, now worried, gathered the group and said:
"You know my old age and my rights upon you. I beg of you one favor. Muḥammad has invoked a curse upon my son, and I fear for his life. Let us place our belongings near the monastery and have my son sleep at its center, surrounded by all of you on guard."
They accepted his request and positioned themselves around ʿUtbah. Despite their vigilance, a lion came in the night, sniffing each man’s face. Finding none of them to be its target, it stepped back and then leapt onto the platform where ʿUtbah lay. After sniffing his face, realizing he was the one sought, the lion tore him to pieces.
At that moment, Abū Lahab exclaimed:
"I was certain he would not survive the curse of Muḥammad ﷺ."
❖ Verification of the Narration (Taḥqīq al-Ḥadīth):
The narration has been recorded in the following sources:
◈ Ibn ʿAsākir
◈ al-Mustadrak of al-Ḥākim (2/539)
◈ Dalā’il al-Nubuwwah by Abū Nuʿaym (pp. 389–392)
◈ Fatḥ al-Bārī by Ibn Ḥajar (4/39)
◈ Majmaʿ al-Zawā’id (6/19) by al-Haythamī
◈ Weaknesses in the Chain:
① Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq – While well-known, he is a mudallis (ambiguous in narration) and does not clearly state his source in this report, which weakens its reliability.
② In al-Mustadrak, the narration contains ʿAbbās ibn al-Faḍl, a weak narrator.
③ Al-Haythamī notes that Ṭabarānī narrated a version of this report in mursal form (a chain missing the Companion), which further reduces its authenticity.
④ The narrator Zuhayr ibn ʿAlāʾ in that version is also weak.
✔ Summary:
The story of ʿUtbah ibn Abī Lahab insulting the Prophet ﷺ and being killed by a lion in response to the Prophet’s supplication:
✖ Appears in several historical and biographical works
✖ Has multiple chains, but all are weak due to
• Tadlīs of Ibn Isḥāq
• Weak or unknown narrators like ʿAbbās ibn al-Faḍl and Zuhayr ibn ʿAlāʾ
• Mursal transmission in some versions
✖ Is not suitable as ḥujjah (evidence) in establishing authentic prophetic biography
Therefore, the narration is not reliable, and its details should not be confidently affirmed.
