THE OPPOSITION INTENSIFIES

When the Quraysh saw that the pressure on Abu Talib had failed, they made life unbearable for the Prophet and his followers. Slaves, the weakest sections of society, were the worst sufferers. Their masters beat them brutally, and some were beaten to death. However, they suffered all this patiently. So Abu Bakr spent much of his wealth on freeing these enslaved people.

Even wealthy Muslims were not spared. They were also persecuted. Their relatives turned against them. After the death of Abu Talib and Khadijah, the people felt nothing was left to stop them from persecuting the Prophet. They threw garbage at him as he passed through the streets. They spread thorns in his path. They made noise when the Prophet stood up at the Kabah to pray.

The Makkans did all they could to turn the people against the Prophet. However, despite all their efforts, Islam continued to spread. Some of the most powerful men of Makkah accepted Islam. Hamzah, the Prophet’s uncle, Umar ibn AI-Khattab, famous for his bravery, and Abu Dharr Ghifari were among them.

The Makkan chiefs were more enraged than before. They made life so difficult for the Muslims that many migrated to nearby Abyssinia with the Prophet’s permission. At first, fifteen men and women migrated to Abyssinia. Slowly, the number reached eighty-three.

With time, the Makkan chiefs became more and more bitter. They felt that the Prophet’s clan, the Banu Hashim, headed by Abu Talib, was responsible for all this misery and that if they had given up Muhammad, all his activities could have been stopped without delay. So they told the Banu Hashim they would suffer the consequences if they did not surrender to Muhammad.

The tribes of Makkah agreed. They agreed to cut off all dealings with the Banu Hashim. No one was to sell anything to them. The agreement was signed and hung up in the sacred Kabah. This was the seventh year of prophethood.

This boycott period was a great hardship for the Banu Hashim and the Muslims. While this ban was in force, Abu Talib, the chief of the Banu Hashim, had to take refuge in a narrow valley, which came to be known as Abu Talib’s Pass. The Prophet and his relatives lived in this valley for three years. Many Muslims joined them. All supplies to the valley were cut off. The Banu Hashim had to live on the leaves and roots of trees.

Finally, certain kind-hearted Makkan leaders took pity on them. They tore the agreement hanging in the Kabah to pieces so the Banu Hashim could return to their homes. However, Abu Talib, the Prophet’s uncle, died soon after this. His health had suffered during the three years of hardship. Nevertheless, although Abu Talib had not accepted Islam, he protected the Prophet from his opponents as head of his clan.

After his death, Abu Lahab, another uncle of the Prophet, became head of the Banu Hashim. He was the bitterest enemy of Islam and Muslims. He made it clear to the Quraysh that Muhammad no longer had the protection of his clan. Moreover, in those days, no one could survive without such protection.

Khadijah, the faithful wife of the Prophet, also died soon after the ban was lifted. Both these deaths took place in the tenth year of prophethood.

The loss of Abu Talib and Khadijah saddened the Prophet, for they had been great sources of strength to him. It was their deaths that made the enemy bold enough to persecute him. One day when the Prophet was praying in the Kabah, Abu Jahl put a piece of cloth around his neck and twisted it hard. He would have strangled the Prophet had not Abu Bakr rushed to his help in time.

Day by day, the situation worsened. So the Prophet decided to go to Taif, a neighbouring town about 40 miles from Makkah, to spread God’s word. He was accompanied only by his servant, Zayd. He spoke to the leaders of Taif and invited them to accept Islam. They paid no heed to his message. They were such evil people that they did not stop at that. When the Prophet left the town in a sad state, these chiefs sent street urchins to chase him. They abused him and threw stones at him as he walked out of the town. They continued to pelt stones at him until it became too dark for them to see him. He stopped on the way in an orchard to rest. He was severely hurt, bleeding profusely. However, he only prayed for the guidance of his foes. He did not curse them. In all humility, he said thus:

“I rather hope that God will raise from among their descendants people who will worship God the One, and will not ascribe partners to Him.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 3231)