He met the Prophet ﷺ on the road before the Prophet entered Mecca as a Muslim. The Prophet ﷺ was alarmed and turned away from him, because he had formerly done things that harmed the Prophet; so he humbled himself before the Prophet ﷺ until the latter’s heart softened toward him.

His acceptance of Islam then became sound, and on the Day of Hunayn—when the people fled—he and al-ʿAbbās stayed close to the Messenger of Allah. He grasped the bridle of the Prophet’s mule and stood firm with him.

His son ʿAbd al-Malik transmitted that the Prophet ﷺ said, “O children of Hāshim! Keep away from charity.” (1)

He was also the Prophet’s foster-brother, for Ḥalīmah had nursed them both.

Hishām ibn al-Kalbī and al-Zubayr called him al-Mughīrah, while a group held that his kunyah is actually his given name and that al-Mughīrah was their brother.

It is said that those who most resembled the Prophet ﷺ were Jaʿfar, al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī, Qutham ibn al-ʿAbbās, and Abū Sufyān ibn al-Ḥārith.

Abū Sufyān was a poet, and concerning him Ḥassān said:

“Convey to Abū Sufyān on my behalf a piercing message—
for what was hidden has now become clear.
You satirized Muhammad, and I replied on his behalf;
with Allah rests the recompense for that.” (2)

Ibn Isḥāq, reporting from ʿĀṣim ibn ʿUmar through an unnamed source, said:

“The people turned back on the Day of—”