Story of Makkah’s Brutal Embargo against Early Muslim

During the Makkah period of the Prophet’s message, four events of special significance occurred:

1- the conversion of Hamzah,

2- the conversion of Umar,

3- the Prophet’s refusal to negotiate any sort of compromise with Quraish,

4- and then the pact drawn up between the families of Banu Al-Muttalib and Banu Hashim. The pact was drafted to protect the Prophet (peace be upon him) against any treacherous attempt to kill him.

The polytheists were at a loss as to what course they would follow to stop the Prophet. They had already been aware that if they killed him, civil war would break out. Also blood would surely flow profusely in the valleys of Makkah.

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Taking this dreadful prospect into consideration, they grudgingly resorted to a different wicked course that would not imply murder.

The pagans of Makkah held a meeting in a place called the Al-Muhassab valley. They also formed a confederation hostile to both Bani Hashim and Bani Al-Muttalib. They decided not to have any business dealings with them nor any sort of inter-marriage.

Social relations, visits and even verbal contacts with Muhammad (PBUH) and his supporters would discontinue until the Prophet was given up to them to be killed.

Bagheed ibn ‘Amir ibn Hashim wrote the articles of their proclamation, which had provided for merciless measures against Bani Hashim. The Prophet (PBUH) invoked Allah against Bagheed, whose hand was later paralyzed. (Ibn Al-Qayim, Zad Al-Ma`ad)

Abu Talib took stock of the situation and decided to withdraw to a valley on the eastern outskirts of Makkah. Families of Banu Hashim and Banu Al-Muttalib, who followed suit, were thus confined within a narrow pass (Shi`b of Abu Talib). This was from the beginning of Muharram, the seventh year of the Prophet’s mission till the tenth year; that is, a period of three years.

Suffering intensifies


Makkah Boycotts Muslims and Imposes a Cruel Embargo

It was a stifling siege. They almost stopped the supply of food and the people in confinement faced great hardships.

The idolaters used to buy whatever food commodities entered Makkah lest they should leak to the people in Ash-Shi`b. Muslims had to eat leaves of trees and skins of animals.

People heard the cries of little children suffering from hunger. Nothing to eat reached them except of some meager quantities of food smuggled by some compassionate Makkans on few occasions.

During ‘the sacred months’ — when hostilities traditionally ceased, they would leave their confinement and buy food coming from outside Makkah. Even then, merchants unjustly raised the price of food stuff; so that the Muslims’ financial situation would fall short of finding access to it.

Hakim Ibn Hizam was once on his way to smuggle some wheat to his aunt Khadijah when Abu Jahl intercepted him and wanted to debar him. Only when Al-Bukhtari intervened, did Hakeem manage to reach his destination.

Unshakable determination


Abu Talib was so much concerned about the personal safety of his nephew. Whenever people retired to sleep, he would ask the Prophet to lie in his place; but when all the others fell asleep, he would order him to change his place and take another. This was just an attempt to trick a potential assassin.

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Despite all odds, Prophet Muhammad persisted in his line; his determination and courage never weakened. He continued to go to Al-Kabah and to pray publicly.

The Prophet used every opportunity to preach to outsiders who visited Makkah for business or on pilgrimage.

An alliance against injustice


This situation ultimately created dissension amongst the various Makkan factions who had strong blood relations with the besieged people. After three years of blockade, in Muharram, the tenth year of the Prophet’s mission, the Makkan factions broke pact.

Hisham ibn Amr, who used to smuggle some food to Bani Hashim secretly at night, went to see Zuhair bin Abi Omaiyah Al-Makhzoumy. He reproached him for resigning to that intolerable treatment meted out to his uncles in exile. The latter pleaded impotence, but agreed to work with Hisham. They agreed to form a pressure group that would secure the extrication of the exiles.

So, on the ground of motivation by blood relations, there emerged a group of five people who set out to abrogate the pact and declare its unfair clauses null and void. They were Hisham ibn `Amr, Zuhair ibn Abi Omaiyah, Al-Mut`im ibn `Adi, Abu Al-Bukhtari and Zam`ah ibn Al-Aswad.

Hardships Faced by New Converts- Makkah Rejects Prophet Muhammad


Hardships Faced by New Converts: Makkah Rejects Prophet Muhammad


The group decided to meet in their assembly place and start their self-charged mission from the very precinct of the Sacred House.

Thus, Zuhair, after circumambulating the Kabah seven times, approached the hosts of people there. He rebuked them for indulging in the amenities of life whereas their kith and kin of Bani Hashim were starving. He swore he would never relent until the parchment of boycott was torn to piece and the pact broken at once.

Abu Jahl, standing nearby, retorted that it would never be torn. Zam`ah was infuriated and accused Abu Jahl of telling lies, adding that the pact was established and the parchment was written without seeking their approval.

Al-Bukhtari intervened and backed Zam`ah. Al-Mut`im ibn `Adi and Hisham ibn `Amr attested to the truthfulness of their two companions.

Abu Jahl, in return, hinted that this objection to the pact was a conspiracy planned somewhere and sometime before.

A sign of Allah


Meanwhile, Abu Talib was sitting in a corner of the Mosque. He came to communicate to them that a Revelation had been sent to his nephew, the Prophet (PBUH), that ants had eaten away all the hostile and unjust clauses of their proclamation except those parts that bore the Name of Allah.

Abu Talib contended that he would be ready to give Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) up to them if his words proved untrue; otherwise, they would have to recant and repeal their boycott.

The Makkans agreed to the soundness of his proposition. Al-Mut`im went to see the parchment and there he did discover that the ants had eaten it away and nothing remained save the part bearing (in the Name of Allah).

The proclamation was thus abrogated, and Muhammad (PBUH) and the other people were permitted to leave Ash-Shi`b and return home.

In the context of this trial to which the Muslims were subjected, the polytheists had a golden opportunity to experience a striking sign of Muhammad’s Prophethood (the white ants eating away the parchment) but to their miserable lot they desisted and augmented in disbelief:

{But if they see a Sign, they turn away, and say `This is continuous magic.} (Al-Qamar 54:2)