It is narrated from Sayyiduna al-Miswar bin Makhramah (may Allah be pleased with him) that Aminah bint Wahb, the mother of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), was under the guardianship of her paternal uncle Uhayb bin Abd Manaf bin Zuhrah. Abd al-Muttalib bin Hashim came with his son Abdullah bin Abd al-Muttalib (the father of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)), and Abdullah married Aminah bint Wahb, and Abd al-Muttalib married Halah bint Uhayb bin Abd Manaf bin Zuhrah, who is the mother of Hamzah bin Abd al-Muttalib. Both these marriages took place in a single sitting. He (Hamzah) was close in age to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and he was also his foster brother.

Ibn Ishaq says: A man from the tribe of Aslam, who retained well what he heard, told me that Abu Jahl confronted the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) at al-Safa, harmed him, abused him, and said harsh words finding fault with his religion. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) gave him no reply. A slave woman of Abdullah bin Jud'an al-Taymi was listening to all this from her dwelling above al-Safa. Then Abu Jahl went from there and sat in the gathering of Quraysh near the Ka'bah. Shortly afterwards, Sayyiduna Hamzah bin Abd al-Muttalib came back from hunting with his bow slung over him. It was his habit that whenever he returned from hunting, he would stop at the gathering of Quraysh, greet them and talk with them. He was the most honoured and the most formidable man of Quraysh, and at that time he was still upon the religion of his people. When he passed by the slave woman, she said: "O Abu Umarah, if only you had seen what your nephew Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) suffered just a little while ago from Abu al-Hakam (Abu Jahl)! He found him here, harmed him, abused him and said hateful things, and then left, while Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) gave him no reply." Hearing this, Hamzah was filled with anger, because of the honour Allah willed for him. He went out quickly without stopping for anyone, intending to perform tawaf of the House and heading deliberately for Abu Jahl to attack him. When he entered al-Masjid al-Haram and saw him sitting among the people, he advanced towards him until he stood over his head, and he struck him a heavy blow on his head with his bow. Men of the tribe of Banu Makhzum stood up to help Abu Jahl and said: "O Hamzah, it seems to us that you too have become a Sabi' (a Muslim)?" Hamzah said: "What can stop me from it, when its truth has become clear to me? I bear witness that he is the Messenger of Allah and that what he says is the truth. By Allah, I will not turn back from it; stop me if you are truthful." Abu Jahl said: "Leave Abu Umarah alone, for I did abuse his nephew very badly." So Hamzah remained firm upon his Islam and followed the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). When Hamzah accepted Islam, Quraysh realised that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had now gained strength and that Hamzah would defend him, so they held back from some of the harm they used to inflict on him. Hamzah composed some verses about this when he struck Abu Jahl; (the narrator) mentioned a rajaz poem that is not reliably preserved, which begins: "Taste, O Abu Jahl, the consequence of what you did." Then Hamzah returned home, and Shaytan came to him and whispered: "You, the chief of Quraysh, have followed this Sabi' and abandoned the religion of your forefathers? Death is better for you than this." So Hamzah became troubled and prayed: "O Allah, if this is right guidance, then place its affirmation in my heart; otherwise, make a way out for me from the confusion I have fallen into." He spent that night in severe whisperings, until when morning came, he went to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O my nephew, I have fallen into a confusion from which I do not know the way out. It is very hard for a man like me to remain in a state in which he does not know whether he is upon guidance or error, so speak to me." So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) turned to him, admonished him, made him fear Allah and gave him glad tidings. Then Allah placed faith in his heart, and he said: "I bear witness that you are truthful; I bear a witness of truth and of knowledge. O my nephew, now proclaim your religion openly. By Allah, I would not like to have all that the sky shades while remaining upon my former religion." So Hamzah was among those through whom Allah honoured the religion.