The Years of Boycott

Furious about their delegates returning with the loads of gifts they had sent to Abyssinia, the Qurayshi non-believers grew even more somber day by day, as they heard glad tidings of the Muslims in Abyssinia. Things had started to get completely out of their hands. The protection of the sons of Abdul Muttalib was so impossible to overcome that they were unable to harm the Messenger of Allah with a lasting effect. Whether they were Muslim or not, all of the Hashimites, except for Abu Lahab, were protecting Muhammad, the Trustworthy.

The non-believers knew they certainly had to find a permanent solution to this issue. Finally, one evening they gathered and came to a decision that was even worse than death. They declared a boycott and decided to cut all connections with the Muslims and those helping them. According to the boycott, they were to cut all ties with the sons of Hashim and Abdul Muttalib until the moment they handed the Prophet over to them. They were to be chased away from Mecca; no one would marry their sons or daughters, and they would be cut off from all their sources of food and water. In other words, they were deliberately going to be left to perish. When the people perished on their own in the harsh conditions of the desert, then there would be no blood feuds to worry about. They put down their decisions onto a written document and posted the covenant on the walls of the Ka’ba. Thus, in the beginning of the seventh year of Islam, the Messenger of Allah, the Muslims and the sons of Hashim who supported them, were all confined to the place they called the neighborhood of Abu Talib.

The intention of the Qurayshi non-believers was to discourage the believers through such behavior and, in the end, leave our Prophet with no support. However, the Muslims and the sons of Hashim, who were gathered under Abu Talib, were determined to endure every hardship and stand by our Prophet no matter what. One of our Prophet’s uncles, Abu Lahab, on the other hand, was willing to condone even the deaths of his relatives and did not hesitate to unite with the non-believers.

This period, which lasted three years, was a tough time of great challenge and hardship for both the believers and their friends. Most of the time, they suffered from hunger and thirst. There were times when they were even desperate enough to eat tree leaves and pieces of skin. The cries of lamentation and hunger coming from the small children were impossible to bear. These acts of inhumanity did not trigger even the faintest feelings of regret or pity in the furious non-believers. They would even give the highest prices to the merchants in the caravans coming in to Mecca just to make sure they wouldn’t buy anything from the Muslim caravans. Those who wished to secretly help out the believers punished in the severest ways.

During these years of boycott, the wealthy Muslims among them spent their entire fortunes trying to accommodate the needs of those in hardship. Once again, Allah’s Messenger’s biggest supporter was his loyal wife, Khadija, during these days of suffering. In addition to keeping our Prophet’s spirits up at every single moment, she also put forward whatever she possessed to help the Muslims in need, with no hesitation at all. Khadija’s devotion and selflessness continued on until she had spent every bit of what she had in this very cause. Such behavior on her part had formed a glorious example for those around her, and had also served as a means for other people’s hearts to open up to Islam.