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Abu Sufyan's name was Sakhr bin Harb and was born ten years before the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) in the influential Quraishite tribe of Banu Umayya. He was chief of his own clan Abd Shams. Abu Sufyan like his kinsmen opposed the Holy Prophet, though he was not as active in his enmity as others like Abu Jahl. He was basically a trader and amassed a great fortune during his journeys to Syria and Yemen. It was on the return of one of these journeys in 2 AH when he feared an attack by the Muslims at Madinah. He sent for military help to Makkah, and this resulted in the Battle of Badr.
When in the Battle of Badr, many of the elder leaders of
Quraish were killed, Abu Sufyan was elected as their leader. He used to say,
"I have become great by the passing away of the great." He lost his
father-in-law (Utba) and son (Hanzalah) at Badr. He led the Makkan army in the
battles of Uhud and Ahzab, as well as other smaller expeditions, but failed to impress
his countrymen in any of these.
Due to this fact, he withdrew from open opposition against
the Muslims, and this charge was taken over by others such as Ikrimar bin Abi
Jahl, Suhail bin Amr and Safwan bin Umayya. Hence Abu Sufyan was not involved in
the Treaty of Hudaibiya when it was being contracted but did try to renew it
when it was breached by the allies of Quraish.
At the conquest of Makkah, the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) granted Abu Sufyan special status. He converted to Islam at this time and took part in the Battle of Hunain and Siege of Taif, where he fought gallantly alongside the Holy Prophet (ﷺ), losing one of his eyes in combat. He participated also in the battle of Yarmouk, though not in actual combat as he was nearly 70. His other eye was also blinded in this war. One of his sons, Yazid, was a great Muslim general martyred in Palestine, and the other, Muawiya was not only a noted companion, but also the sixth caliph. Also, his daughter Ramla (Umm Habiba) is amongst the mothers of the faithful. He related over a hundred Ahadith. He died in 32 AH (653 AD) at the age of 83.
