Abū Ṭālib now cared for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and the boy was always at his side. Though Abū Ṭālib had no wealth, he loved him more than he loved his own children. He would not sleep unless the Prophet ﷺ was beside him; whenever he went out, the Prophet went out with him. Abū Ṭālib’s attachment to him was unmatched.

Abū Ṭālib would give him special portions of food. If the members of Abū Ṭālib’s household ate—whether together or separately—they remained hungry; yet whenever the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ate with them, they were satisfied. Thus, when Abū Ṭālib wished to serve a meal he would say, “Stay where you are until my son comes.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would arrive, eat with them, and food would even be left over; but if he was absent, they would not be filled. Abū Ṭālib would remark, “You are truly blessed.” The other children would wake up with sleep in their eyes and their hair disheveled, whereas the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would rise bright-faced, well-anointed, and with kohl-lined eyes.

Al-Ḥasan ibn ʿArafah related: ʿAlī ibn Thābit narrated from Ṭalḥah ibn ʿAmr, and I heard ʿAṭāʾ ibn Abī Rabāḥ say—reporting from Ibn ʿAbbās: “The sons of Abū Ṭālib would wake up with their eyes crusted and their hair unkempt, while the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would wake up radiant and well-anointed.” Abū Ṭālib used to place the children’s dish before them early in the morning; they would sit and snatch at the food, whereas the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would hold back his hand and not snatch with them. When his uncle noticed this, he set aside a separate portion of food exclusively for him.

Ibn Isḥāq said: Yaḥyā ibn ʿAbbād ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Zubayr told me, on the authority of his father, that a man from the Lahb tribe who practiced divination used to come to Mecca. Men from Quraysh would bring him their young boys so that he might look at them and foretell their futures. Abū Ṭālib brought the Messenger of Allah ﷺ along with the others. The diviner looked at the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, but was momentarily distracted. When he finished, he said, “Bring that boy back to me!” Realizing how intent the man was, Abū Ṭālib concealed him. The diviner began calling out, “Woe to you! Return to me the boy I just saw, for by Allah he will have a great destiny!” Abū Ṭālib then left with the boy.