Table of Contents
The Sealed Document of Hostility
When the chiefs of Quraysh failed to stop the spread of Islam by argument, mockery, and scattered acts of persecution, they decided to unite on a harsher strategy. Their fear was not only religious disagreement, but also the loss of leadership, economic power, and social control in Makkah. The tribe of Banu Hashim, the clan of the Prophet ﷺ, had continued to protect him, even though not all of them were Muslim. This tribal protection prevented Quraysh from killing him outright, since such an act would trigger open warfare among the tribes.
To break the protection of Banu Hashim, the leading men of Quraysh met and agreed on a written pact. They decided to cut off all forms of normal life from Banu Hashim and Banu al-Muttalib. The goal was to pressure these two clans to hand over Muhammad ﷺ for execution or to force them to abandon their support for him. This pact was written and hung inside the Ka‘bah to give it a sense of permanence, sacredness, and public agreement.
Reports mention that the man who wrote it was Bagheed ibn ‘Amir, or according to other narrations, Mansur ibn ‘Ikrimah. They wrote that Quraysh would not marry from Banu Hashim, nor give them women in marriage, nor buy from them, nor sell to them, nor sit with them, nor enter their houses, nor make peace with them, until they handed over the Prophet ﷺ to be killed. This was not only targeted at the believers, but at the whole clan who chose to stand by him for reasons of honor and kinship.
Allah alludes to the cruelty of such pacts and agreements in a general way in the Quran, condemning oppressive alliances that cut off the believers and seek to extinguish the light of guidance. He says:
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ نُهُوا عَنِ النَّجْوَىٰ ثُمَّ يَعُودُونَ لِمَا نُهُوا عَنْهُ وَيَتَنَاجَوْنَ بِالْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ وَمَعْصِيَتِ الرَّسُولِ
“Have you not seen those who were forbidden secret counsels, yet they return to what they were forbidden and conspire for sin and aggression and disobedience to the Messenger?”
[Surah al Mujadilah 58:8]
Though revealed later, this verse captures the spirit of the meetings of Quraysh, their secret discussions and their open agreement to harm those who followed the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
The written boycott was a formal, public, and collective decision of Quraysh to isolate Banu Hashim and Banu al-Muttalib socially and economically until they surrendered the Prophet ﷺ, even though many of them were not Muslim.
The Prophet ﷺ did not respond to this injustice with similar hostility. He remained firm in his mission, patient, and entirely reliant on Allah, while his clan, Muslim and non Muslim, accepted the cost of protecting him from his enemies.
Entering Shi‘b Abi Talib
When this pact was agreed upon, the pressure on Banu Hashim increased sharply. The majority of the clan, both believers and non believers, withdrew with the Prophet ﷺ to a narrow valley on the outskirts of Makkah, known as Shi‘b Abi Talib. The word “shi‘b” refers to a mountain pass or a ravine between mountains. This confined space became their place of living for the duration of the boycott.
Abu Talib, the uncle of the Prophet ﷺ and head of Banu Hashim at that time, took the responsibility of organizing their life inside the shi‘b. He arranged for the Prophet ﷺ to sleep in different parts of the valley at night, out of fear of an assassination attempt. The risk was real. Quraysh had made the Prophet ﷺ their central target, yet tribal rules still prevented open murder. This move into the shi‘b created a physical barrier that separated them from the rest of Makkah and made control over food and trade easier for Quraysh.
Those of the clan who did not follow Islam still chose to share the hardship for the sake of honor and kinship. This shows the strength of tribal loyalty at that time and the central role of Abu Talib in protecting the Prophet ﷺ. In contrast, some individuals who were allied but not truly loyal to Banu Hashim remained outside and took part in the boycott.
The Prophet ﷺ continued his mission from within this valley. He met people only when they could reach him secretly or during the months when fighting, raiding, and aggressive acts were widely avoided by tradition, which gave some opportunity for contact and supply. Faith grew in such cramped and difficult conditions, and the believers learned to depend on Allah more than ever.
Cutting Off Trade and Marriage
The social and economic boycott attacked the most fundamental daily interactions of life in Makkah. Quraysh did not only attempt to stop the message of Islam with theological arguments. They used social pressure and the control of trade as weapons against the believers and their supporters.
From an economic perspective, Quraysh ordered that no one was to buy anything from Banu Hashim or sell anything to them. When caravans arrived in Makkah or when traders came to the markets, men of Quraysh would warn them and sometimes raise prices in order to prevent food reaching the people of the shi‘b. This created an artificial scarcity that quickly turned into real hunger. Children cried from starvation, and the sound of their crying reached some of the compassionate people of Quraysh, which later became a cause for the breaking of the pact.
Socially, Quraysh agreed that no one was to marry into Banu Hashim and that they would not give their own women in marriage to them. In the tribal culture of Arabia, marriage was a key way of building alliances, trust, and security. By cutting off this option, Quraysh wanted to isolate the supporters of the Prophet ﷺ and make them feel that standing by him meant losing any chance of normal social life.
This strategy of cutting off material and social support is one of the oldest methods used against those who call to truth. In the Quran, Allah reminds the believers that such hardship is part of the road of faith, but He also promises His support. He says:
أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَن تَدْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَأْتِكُم مَّثَلُ الَّذِينَ خَلَوْا مِن قَبْلِكُم ۖ مَّسَّتْهُمُ الْبَأْسَاءُ وَالضَّرَّاءُ وَزُلْزِلُوا حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَ الرَّسُولُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَهُ مَتَىٰ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ ۗ أَلَا إِنَّ نَصْرَ اللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ
“Do you think that you will enter Paradise while there has not yet come to you the example of those who passed away before you? They were touched by poverty and hardship and were shaken until the Messenger and those who believed with him said, ‘When will the help of Allah come?’ Indeed, the help of Allah is near.”
[Surah al Baqarah 2:214]
The boycott targeted two main areas of life: economic dealings such as buying and selling, and social ties such as marriage and visiting, to isolate the Prophet ﷺ and his clan and to push them to surrender him.
The believers, however, understood that the real provider is Allah, not the markets of Quraysh, and that the real honor is to stand by His Messenger ﷺ, not to seek acceptance by those who fight the truth.
Daily Hardships Under Siege
Life inside Shi‘b Abi Talib during the boycott was marked by constant shortage. It is reported that the boycott lasted around three years. During this period, Banu Hashim suffered from extreme difficulties in obtaining food and basic goods. Because of the control exerted by Quraysh, prices of simple items rose very high when those who sympathized with the believers tried to buy supplies for them. Sometimes, a companion would go to the market and Quraysh would immediately outbid him at any price in order to deny food to those in the shi‘b.
Many narrations describe the hunger that they experienced. Some of the people among Banu Hashim survived on leaves of trees. According to reports, the cries of children, desperate from hunger, could be heard outside the valley. This affected some of the more soft hearted among the Quraysh, and planted seeds of doubt about the justice of what their leaders were doing.
The Prophet ﷺ himself shared in this hardship. He did not take extra food for himself, nor did he live in comfort while his followers starved. Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه later described how he would sometimes fall unconscious from hunger in his own time, and he observed that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to tie stones to his stomach when food was scarce. Although this specific image is reported in the context of other hardships, it shows the pattern of sharing difficulty with his community.
A hadith in Sahih al Bukhari shows the attitude of the Prophet ﷺ toward hunger and deprivation, and how he turned it into a reminder of the Hereafter:
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ، خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ، أَوْ لَيْلَةٍ، فَإِذَا هُوَ بِأَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ، فَقَالَ: مَا أَخْرَجَكُمَا مِنْ بُيُوتِكُمَا هَذِهِ السَّاعَةَ؟ قَالاَ: الْجُوعُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ. قَالَ: وَأَنَا، وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ، لَأَخْرَجَنِي الَّذِي أَخْرَجَكُمَا...
Abu Hurayrah reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ went out one day or one night and found Abu Bakr and Umar. He said, “What has brought you out of your homes at this hour?” They said, “Hunger, O Messenger of Allah.” He said, “And I, by the One in Whose Hand is my soul, what brought me out is what brought you out.”
[Sahih al Bukhari]
The believers in Shi‘b Abi Talib faced something similar, and often more severe, over a long period. They learned to live with very little and to value patience. They did not allow suffering to turn them back from their faith. Among them were small children who would later grow up remembering the boycott, such as Ali ibn Abi Talib رضي الله عنه and others from Banu Hashim.
At the same time, the Prophet ﷺ did not stop calling people to Islam. In the sacred months, when hostilities and boycotts were more relaxed by Arab custom, he would leave the shi‘b and go to the gatherings of the pilgrims, present his message to the tribes, and invite them to Allah. Hardship became a time of hidden growth for the early Muslim community.
Hidden Support and Acts of Compassion
Although Quraysh as a whole had agreed to the boycott, not every individual was satisfied with the cruelty that resulted. Some men and women from Makkah tried quietly to ease the suffering of Banu Hashim. These acts of compassion did not break the boycott openly, but they showed that Allah places mercy in the hearts of people even in the middle of oppression.
One famous example is that of Hisham ibn ‘Amr, who was related to Banu Hashim. It is reported that he would secretly take a camel loaded with food at night, guide it toward the entrance of the shi‘b, then strike the camel so that it would run into the valley, where the people could take its load. He repeated this kind of action many times, risking his own reputation and safety among Quraysh.
There were also others who later played a central role in ending the boycott, such as Zuhayr ibn Abi Umayyah, who was the nephew of Khadijah رضي الله عنها, and Mut‘im ibn ‘Adi, who already had a reputation for generosity and protection of the weak. These men were from different clans and did not accept Islam at that time, but they were disturbed by the injustice of starving out an entire clan, including children and women, for political and religious reasons.
The presence of such people shows that the boycott of Quraysh was not a unanimous, heartfelt action by every individual, but rather a policy enforced by the leaders. Allah tells us in the Quran that among the disbelievers, there are sometimes those whom He guides later, or those whose hearts refuse particular forms of injustice, even if they have not yet accepted faith. He says:
لَّيْسُوا سَوَاءً ۗ مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ أُمَّةٌ قَائِمَةٌ...
“They are not all alike. Among the People of the Scripture is an upright community...”
[Surah Ali ‘Imran 3:113]
The principle extends beyond the People of the Book to show that moral differences exist among people even before Islam reaches them. The boycott of Makkah revealed these differences and prepared the way for the later support that the Prophet ﷺ would receive from some of these men.
Even during a general injustice, Allah may place mercy and fairness in the hearts of certain individuals, who then become a means of support and eventual relief for the believers.
This hidden support reminded the Muslims of a constant truth, that Allah can raise helpers for His religion from unexpected places, and that no plan of the enemies is complete or perfect, because hearts remain under the control of Allah.
Cracks in the Pact and Divine Intervention
As time passed, the harshness of the boycott became more visible, and the conscience of some of the Quraysh began to move. The constant sound of hungry children, the sight of relatives suffering in a narrow valley, and the realization that this conflict had gone beyond any normal boundary of tribal rivalry all contributed to a change in attitude among some of the Makkan nobles.
Several key individuals discussed the matter among themselves. Among them were Hisham ibn ‘Amr, Zuhayr ibn Abi Umayyah, Mut‘im ibn ‘Adi, Zam‘ah ibn al Aswad, and Abu al Bukhturi ibn Hisham. They did not speak the same words of faith as the Muslims, but they agreed that this pact was unjust, and that it must be ended.
They planned together how to break the boycott without allowing their own clans to accuse them individually of betrayal. One of them, Zuhayr ibn Abi Umayyah, decided to speak publicly. He took a stand near the Ka‘bah when the leaders of Quraysh were gathered and said in front of everyone that this pact was a cause of shame, for they ate and dressed while their relatives were being destroyed. He declared that he would not sit until the unjust document was torn.
In that tense moment, others from their group spoke up and supported him, each from a different clan. The leaders of Quraysh found themselves facing a joint internal opposition in front of the public eye. Their unity began to crack. The boycott that had been written and hung as if it were permanent began to lose its authority when men from within their own ranks denounced it.
Here, the Prophet ﷺ informed his uncle Abu Talib of a hidden sign from Allah. According to authentic reports, he told Abu Talib that Allah had sent termites to that document and that they had eaten it, except for the parts where the name of Allah was mentioned. Abu Talib believed his nephew and took this information as a basis to confront Quraysh.
He went to the Ka‘bah, where the leaders were, and told them that his nephew claimed that the document had been destroyed by insects except for the name of Allah. He proposed a test. If Muhammad ﷺ was telling the truth, they must end the boycott. If he was lying, Abu Talib would no longer protect him and would leave him to them. Confident that the document was safe, the Quraysh accepted this challenge.
When they opened the document, just as the Prophet ﷺ had informed them, they found that its contents had been eaten away, leaving only the parts where the name of Allah was written. Allah had shown them a sign that their attempt to oppose the truth was under His control.
This incident is in harmony with the general statement of Allah:
يُرِيدُونَ لِيُطْفِـُٔوا۟ نُورَ ٱللَّهِ بِأَفْوَٰهِهِمْ وَٱللَّهُ مُتِمُّ نُورِهِۦ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ ٱلْكَـٰفِرُونَ
“They want to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will complete His light, even if the disbelievers hate it.”
[Surah as Saff 61:8]
Allah demonstrated His control over the plans of Quraysh by allowing insects to destroy the written pact, except for the mention of His name, exposing their injustice in front of their own people.
With their own eyes, the Quraysh leaders saw that the document was no longer intact. Combined with the internal opposition that had risen among them, this sign removed the last cover from their oppressive policy. They had no way to continue the boycott without openly rejecting a clear sign and facing a growing division in their own ranks.
Lifting the Boycott and Emerging Stronger
Once it became clear that the document had been destroyed and the public opposition from within Quraysh had been voiced, the boycott could not continue. The pact was declared cancelled, and Banu Hashim and Banu al Muttalib were free to leave Shi‘b Abi Talib and return to normal life in Makkah. After about three years of isolation and deprivation, the Prophet ﷺ and his clan emerged from the valley.
On the surface, the boycott had not achieved its goal. Quraysh had wanted to force Banu Hashim to hand over the Prophet ﷺ, but they had failed. His message had not stopped, and his companions had grown in patience, unity, and trust in Allah. Yet the long period of hardship had physical and emotional effects. The believers had suffered long hunger. The Prophet ﷺ had seen his followers and relatives endure severe pain. Shortly after the end of the boycott, some of those who had borne the burden of protecting him would pass away, and this would lead into the period known as the Year of Sorrow, which is discussed elsewhere.
For the believers, however, the lifting of the boycott confirmed several truths. It showed that no injustice lasts forever, even when it appears strong at the beginning. It showed that Allah can bring an end to oppression from within the ranks of the oppressors themselves, and through small, hidden acts, such as insects eating a piece of parchment. It also showed that enduring hardship for the sake of Allah is not wasted. Their patience during the boycott prepared them for later trials and equipped them with a deeper inner strength.
Allah mentions the general principle that relief follows hardship in the Quran:
فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا. إِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا
“So indeed, with hardship comes ease. Indeed, with hardship comes ease.”
[Surah ash Sharh 94:5 6]
The repetition in this verse emphasizes certainty. The life of the Prophet ﷺ in the period of the social and economic boycott is a living example of this promise. Hunger, isolation, and pressure were followed by the cancellation of the unjust pact and the continued spread of Islam.
The social and economic boycott ended without achieving its aim, while the believers emerged with stronger faith and deeper reliance on Allah, proving that hardship, when met with patience, becomes a means to honor and victory.
From within the narrow valley of Shi‘b Abi Talib, a generation of believers learned to detach their hearts from the approval and wealth of Quraysh and to attach themselves only to Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. This inner transformation became one of the unseen foundations for the later establishment of the Muslim community in Madinah and the wider spread of Islam across Arabia.