Abbas ibn Shaiba (566-653), also known as Al-'Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, was a sahabi and uncle of Muhammad, and was only three years older than him. The Abbasid Caliphate took its name from him, as its founder as-Saffah was a scion of a clan of the Banu Hashim tribe that descended from him.
Biography[]
Abbas ibn Shaiba was born in 566 AD to the Namir tribe of Arabia, the son of Shaiba ibn Hashim. Abbas was a wealthy merchant, and was the uncle of Muhammad, a religious leader from Mecca who was only three years younger than Abbas. Abbas protected his nephew while he was in Mecca, and after the Battle of Badr, he converted to Islam. However, he did so halfheartedly, while some believe that he secretly did not convert. He died in 653, 21 years after Muhammad. Abbas was the ancestor of the rulers of the Abbasid Caliphate, who claim descent from him through a certain branch of the Banu Hashim tribe.