The Grave of Hz. Hamza b. Abdulmuttalib

Hz. Hamza b. Abdulmuttalib is the uncle of the Prophet and also his milk brother, having been nursed by the same wet nurse. He was born around 570 AD in Mecca, almost at the same time as the Prophet. He is known by the titles 'Esedullah' (Lion of Allah), 'Esedü Rasûlillāh', and 'Seyyidüşşühedâ' (Master of Martyrs). In the early years of Islam, around the 6th year of Prophethood, Hz. Hamza embraced Islam; although this transformation was experienced as a matter of strength and honor, it eventually matured into a true faith. According to tradition, upon hearing that his uncle Abu Jahl had insulted the Prophet, he slapped him in great anger and immediately declared, 'I have entered his religion too!'; this honest and courageous outburst greatly boosted the morale of the Muslims. During the brotherhood agreement (muâhât), the Prophet declared Hz. Hamza as a brother to Kulsûm b. Hidm. He showed great heroism in the Battle of Badr (2 AH); he was among those who fought one-on-one against the polytheists, killing Shaybah b. Rabîa, Utbah b. Rabîa, and Walid b. Utbah. In the Battle of Uhud (3 AH/625 AD), the polytheist Quraysh army had the Abyssinian slave Wahshi b. Harb watching Hz. Hamza with the intent to kill him; he had been assigned to take revenge for Tuayme b. Adi, who was killed at Badr. Hz. Hamza fought with great energy on the battlefield, knocking down everyone who confronted him. Wahshi threw a spear from his hiding place, striking Hz. Hamza in the hip and martyred him. Afterwards, Abu Sufyan's wife Hind bint Utbah mutilated Hz. Hamza's body and took out his liver. After the battle, when the Prophet saw his uncle's mutilated corpse, he was filled with great sorrow and his eyes filled with tears. He personally led Hz. Hamza's funeral prayer; his grave was dug by Hz. Abu Bakr, Umar, Ali, and Zubair b. Awwam, and they buried him together. Hz. Hamza was buried in the same grave as his sister's son Abdullah b. Jahsh; the martyrs were buried in their own clothes without being washed. Hz. Hamza's grave constitutes the most prominent and most visited point of martyrdom at the foot of Mount Uhud. During his lifetime, the Prophet would occasionally visit the Uhud martyrs and pray; this tradition has continued among Muslims to this day. [Source: "Hamza", TDV Islamic Encyclopedia, https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/hamza; "Wahshi b. Harb", TDV Islamic Encyclopedia, https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/vahsi-b-harb]