As Islam grew bigger and stronger, especially after the conversion of Hadhrat Hamza and Hadhrat Omar, the leaders of Mecca held a meeting and decided to boycott the Muslims with a cruel embargo…

The terms of the boycott were approved and signed by all the chief polytheists. It was a total economic and social embargo:

1. No spouse is to be taken from the sons of Hashim and Muttalib
2. No spouse is to be given to the sons of Hashim and Muttalib
3. Nothing is to be sold to the sons of Hashim and Muttalib
4. Nothing is to be bought from the sons of Hashim and Muttalib

Besides these conditions, the boycott comprised other ruthless stipulations like prohibition of meeting with these families under any circumstance until the Rasul of Allah was surrendered for them to kill. It was signed by the chiefs of approximately 80 families and hung on the wall inside the Kaaba…

When the polytheists announced the terms of their boycott and embargo, Abu Talib made a wise invitation to the sons of Hashim and Muttalib asking them to withdraw to the outskirts of Mecca, to a region called Shi’b Abi Talib, where they could stick together as a community and support each other. All of the sons of Hashim and Muttalib, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, joined their leader in that valley. Nonetheless, this was nothing less than a besiege and a ruthless social and economic embargo. The entrance and exit points of the region were constantly being monitored to ensure no form of support was being made to them.  

This cruel embargo started on the 7^th year of Islam, at the beginning of the month of Muharram, and lasted for three years…

During this time, Abu Talib placed a guard by our Master every night, in fear of a possible assassination. Some nights, he would watch over him in person, not allowing him to sleep with his family. 

During these embargo years no food was allowed into the region, nor were they allowed to leave the region, not even during the season of pilgrimage…

If perchance a Muslim found a way to go to the bazaar, a polytheist would immediately run to the shopkeeper and prevent him from selling any goods to the Muslim. 

It’s impossible to pen the extent of the famine and misery the Muslims and their relatives were put through… Most times, they had nothing to eat and survived off the scraps, barks and leaves of the trees…

Days would pass without a single bite of food… Children would cry out of hunger for hours on end until they would finally pass out… When the polytheists who passed by the region heard the crying and wailing, they would mercilessly rejoice and feel triumph…

Occasionally, a few non-Muslims, including Hakeem ibn Khuzam and Khadija’s nephew Al-Mot’am ibn ‘Adi, who felt sorry for them would attempt to discretely send food, but most times they would get caught. In any case, even if the food came, it would be so inadequate that our Master and his companions would tie rocks on their bellies to relieve their hunger pains…

During this time our Master and his wife Khadija spent their entire fortune, everything they owned, to provide some form of aid and relief to their community, but alas… the destitute and misery was colossal.

One day again, Hakeem ibn Khuzam sent a camel load of wheat to the region, but Abu Jahil saw it and stopped it. Hakim was so enraged that he burst Abu Jahil’s head with a camel bone leaving Abu Jahil’s face in blood…

Despite all of this, our Master continued his mission of risalah, perpetually inviting the Meccans to Islam… even though most times, it bared no result. 

One day, near the end of this period, Gabriel (pbuh) brought news to our Master. The treaty that was hung on the wall inside the Kaaba was destroyed by a worm, sparing nothing other than the line “In the name of Allah…” Our Master shared this news with his uncle Abu Talib.

“O uncle! Allah, my Rabb, made a worm eat and destroy the treaty leaving nothing other than the name of Allah on the page…”

“Did your Rabb tell you this?” asked Abu Talib…

“Yes! My Rabb informed me.”

“Surely none can deceive you with false news and none can delude you with magic!” 

Then Abu Talib went to the polytheists and called out to them:

“O people of Quraish! My nephew has informed me that your treaty was eaten by a tree worm and no writing other than “In the name of Allah” was left… Bring your treaty and let us see it! 

In fact, let us bet on it, if the news my nephew brings is true then end the boycott, but if what he says is false and you find your treaty intact then I shall hand him over to you; you can deal with him as you like!”

The Meccans accepted.

They went inside the Kaaba and saw that in fact it was exactly as our Master had told. Only the name of Allah was left untouched. The polytheists were dumbfounded and speechless… Finally, one of them broke the silence, “Another one of his nephew’s magic tricks! Don’t believe them!”

And they continued the boycott…