Excerpts from "The Sealed Nectar"
3. 'Abdullah: The father of Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. His mother was Fatima, daughter of 'Amr bin 'A'idh bin 'Imran bin Mukhzum bin Yaqzah bin Murrah. 'Abdullah was the brightest of 'Abdul-Muttalib's sons, the most chaste and the most loved. He was also the son towards whom the divination arrows pointed to be slaughtered as a sacrifice at the Ka'bah. When 'Abdul-Muttalib had ten sons and they reached maturity, he disclosed to them his secret vow which they accepted obediently. Their names were written on divination arrows and given to the guardian of their most beloved goddess, Hubal. The arrows were shuffled and drawn.
An arrow showed that it was 'Abdullah who was to be sacrificed. 'Abdul-Muttalib then took the boy to the Ka'bah with a razor to slaughter him. However, the Quraish, his uncles from the Mukhzum tribe and his brother Abu Talib, tried to advise him against it.
He then sought their advice as regards his vow. They suggested that he would summon a woman diviner to judge the matter. She ordered that the divination arrows should be drawn again, but including ten camels and 'Abdullah. She added that drawing the lots should be repeated with ten more camels every time the arrow showed 'Abdullah. The action was thus repeated until the number of camels amounted to one hundred.
At this point the arrow showed the camels, consequently they were all slaughtered instead of his son. The slaughtered camels were left for anyone to eat from, human or animal. This incident produced a change in the amount of blood money usually accepted in Arabia. Earlier it had been ten camels, but after this event it was increased to a hundred. Later on, this was approved of in Islam. It was reported that the Prophet one said :
"I am the offspring of the slaughtered two," (meaning Ismael and 'Abdullah)
'Abdul-Muttalib choose Aminah, daughter of Wahb bin 'Abd Manaf bin Zuhrah bin Kilab, as a wife for his son, 'Abdullah. In the light of ancestral lineage, she had an eminent standing rank to mobility of position and descent. Her father was the chief of Bani Zahrah who was attributed great honor.
They were married in Makkah, and soon after 'Abdullah was sent by his father to buy dates in Madinah where he died. In another version, 'Abdullah was sent to Syria on a trade journey and died in Madina on his way back.
He was buried in the house of An-Nabighah Al-Ja'di. He was twenty five years old when he died. Most historians state that his death was two months before the birth of Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. Some others said that his death was two or more months after the Prophet's birth. When Aminah was informed of her husband's death, she commemorated his memory in a most heartening eulogy.
'Abdullah left very little wealth -- five camels, a small number of goats, a woman-servant, called Barakah (Umm Aiman) who would later serve as the Prophet's nursemaid.