While Abbas was working at the Middle School for Girls in Yining, he fell in love with Yang Fengyi, a colleague, despite Uyghur tradition against relationships out of the faith and the disapproval of Yang's father who was the head of the local Han merchants' association.
   During Ili Rebellion, Abbas sheltered the Yang family at his home.
 When Abbas fell ill, Yang Fengyi (杨凤仪) nursed him for 40 days back to health.
 In the spring of 1945 as fighting between Nationalists and the Ili rebels intensified, Yang Fengyi felt extreme family and social pressure.
 In April, Yang Fengyi committed suicide using Abbas' pistol.
 In a parting letter, she explained that she was a person who observed no ethnic boundaries but could not tolerate the atrocities committed around her.
 She wrote that she had died for him, asked him to protect her family and urged him to live on "for me, for the revolution and for the people of all nationalities in Xinjiang."
 Abbas was heartbroken by Yang's death and ordered bans against killings of civilians.

After Yang's death, Abbas married Lü Suxin (吕素新), a student of Yang's.
 The couple had two sons and one daughter.
While Abbas was working at the Middle School for Girls in Yining, he fell in love with Yang Fengyi, a colleague, despite Uyghur tradition against relationships out of the faith and the disapproval of Yang's father who was the head of the local Han merchants' association.    During Ili Rebellion, Abbas sheltered the Yang family at his home.  When Abbas fell ill, Yang Fengyi (杨凤仪) nursed him for 40 days back to health.  In the spring of 1945 as fighting between Nationalists and the Ili rebels intensified, Yang Fengyi felt extreme family and social pressure.  In April, Yang Fengyi committed suicide using Abbas' pistol.  In a parting letter, she explained that she was a person who observed no ethnic boundaries but could not tolerate the atrocities committed around her.  She wrote that she had died for him, asked him to protect her family and urged him to live on "for me, for the revolution and for the people of all nationalities in Xinjiang."  Abbas was heartbroken by Yang's death and ordered bans against killings of civilians.
After Yang's death, Abbas married Lü Suxin (吕素新), a student of Yang's.  The couple had two sons and one daughter.
Abdulkerim Abbas