THE JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME WITH PROPHET MUHAMMAD THE PROPHET OF ALLAH 017 The Boycott by Khadeijah A. Stephens Copyright © 1984-2012 by Allah.com Muhammad.com Mosque.com Khadeijah A. Stephens Bismillah Ir Rahman Ir Raheem The Boycott Now that Hamza and Omar had converted to Islam, the Koraysh viewed the Prophet, salla Allahu alihi wa sallam, in a different light. Their persecution had failed to halt the ever increasing number of their fellow tribesmen from following him, so they decided to call for a meeting of all the Koraysh chieftains to devise an alternate plan which would cause the Muslims hardship in as many aspects of their lives as possible. No less than forty chieftains from the Koraysh with its branches gathered together in Wadi Al-Muhassab, an area belonging to the tribe of Kinanah to discuss how best to resolve the matter. The plan which proved acceptable to the majority was that from now onward, they would boycott the tribes of the children of Hashim and Muttalib with the exception of Abu Lahab, who was their staunch ally. No longer would their children be permitted to marry members of these tribes but trading between them was now strictly forbidden. They were adamant that the boycott should remain in effect until the Muslims surrendered the Prophet, salla Allahu alihi wa sallam, to them to be killed. The Withered Fingers To ensure that none would be tempted to break the boycott, Mansoor, Ikrimah's son, wrote down the pact details and fastened it onto a wall inside the Ka’bah as a reminder to anyone who might be tempted to break it. Some of the Koraysh tribes did not agree wholeheartedly to the harshness of the sanctions. However, when the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) heard of Mansoor's action, he supplicated to Allah against him, whereupon several of Mansoor's fingers withered away. In addition to this, the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) prophesized to the Koraysh that the pact would be eaten by termites and only the inscribed the Name of Allah would remain written on the pact. The Relocation of the Prophet and his Companions As a matter of safety, the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) who was always concerned for the welfare of his Companions, decided it would be better for the Muslims to live close to one another. With this in mind, it was decided that they would settle near the home of Abu Talib. It was now Muharram, in the seventh year after the prophethood when the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) and Lady Khadijah arrived in their new home while Abu Lahab and his household who lived nearby packed their belongings and moved away. Now that the boycott was in place, Abu Jahl, obsessed in his hatred, occupied his time ensuring that the boycott was strictly observed. Flour for Lady Khadijah Lady Khadijah had a nephew called Hakim who belonged to one of the tribes participating in the boycott. One day, Hakim and his servant were seen by Abu Jahl taking a bag of flour into the predominately Muslim sector. Abu Jahl accused Hakim of breaking the boycott and a heated argument ensued in which Abu Jahl threatened to expose Hakim to the others. During the argument Abi Bakhtari son of Hashim, from the tribe of Asad, overheard the two arguing and asked what all the fuss was about. When it was explained to him, he sided with Hakim arguing that he could see no harm in what Hakim was doing as he was just returning a bag of flour belonging to his aunt. Abu Bakhtari told Abu Jahl that there was no need to make such a big issue of the matter and to let Hakim go on his way, Now that Abu Bakhtari had taken sides in the argument, tension increased and a scuffle broke out. In self defense, Abu Bakhtari picked up the jaw-bone of a camel and struck Abu Jahl with such forced upon his head that he fell concussed to the ground. The Courage of the Prophet Despite the constant threats of the Koraysh, the Prophet, persisted in his mission to preach to all who would listen, his courage never faltered or weakened. He continued to go to Al-Ka’bah and pray in public and whenever an opportunity presented itself he would preach to visitors to Mecca who came during the sacred months or for special occasions to trade, or for pilgrimage. Hisham, the Son of Amr Among the tribes whose chieftains had signed the pact were tribesmen -- especially those closely related through marriage to the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) -- who felt compassion towards the Muslims. One such person was Hisham, Amr' son. When night fell and no one was about, Hisham would often load his camel with food, clothing, and gifts, lead it towards the Muslim houses then strike the camel on its rump so that it ran down into the streets of the boycotted area. The food and gifts were immediately shared amongst the Muslims and they were grateful for Hisham’s courage and generosity. A little over two years had now passed. The boycott remained in force and the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) and his Companions faced the severe hardship of poverty and deprivation with patience, knowing that Allah would bless them. Even Abu Bakr, who had once been among the wealthiest of Meccans was now reduced to a poor man. With the shortage of food, times were difficult but the light of sharing faith and the much loved companionship of their ever caring Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) made the hardship easier to endure. The Sacred Months It was only during the Sacred months that the Muslims felt safe enough to leave their homes to pray at their beloved Ka’bah. However, although they suffered no physical harm during these months, the unbelievers did not withhold their verbal abuse. Amongst those whose verbal abuse was the most offensive was Umayyah, Khalaf's son. Whenever he saw the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) he seized the opportunity to hurl slanderous, backbiting statements at him. It was during this time that Allah sent down verses that warned of the punishment of backbiters and slanderers: "Woe to every backbiter, slanderer who amasses wealth and counts it, thinking his wealth will render him immortal! On the contrary! He shall be flung to the Crusher. What shall let you know what the Crusher is? (It is) the kindled Fire of Allah, which shall oversee the hearts, closed around them in extended columns." Koran Chapter 104 The Cessation of the Boycott Among the Koraysh were those having close ties to the tribes of Hashim and Muttalib who felt the duration of the boycott was excessive. The first person to take action was Hisham Amr's son, who had for sometime been sending camels laden with food and clothing into the Muslim sector at night. He was aware that any effort he might take by himself would be wasted, so he went to Zuhair son of Abi Umayyah, one of the two sons of Atika, the Prophet's aunt and asked, "Are you content to eat well, clothe yourself, and marry when you know the circumstances of your relatives. They can neither buy nor sell, marry nor yet give in marriage. I swear if they had been the relatives of Abu Jahl, he would never have done this!" "What can I do, I am just one person, if there was another then I would do something to end it!" replied Zuhair. "There is another," replied Hisham. "Who is it?" asked Zuhair. "Myself," replied Hisham, "so let us get a third!" replied Zuhair. Hisham went to Mut’im, Adi's son, who was an influential member of the tribe of Nawfal and also the grandson of the brother of both Hashim and Muttalib. Mut’im agreed, and asked for a fourth to join them as he warned that the Koraysh would most likely turn against them. Hisham approached Abu Bakhtari from the tribe of Asad, who had sided with Hakim when he was caught by Abu Jahl returning flour to his aunt, Lady Khadijah. Abu Bakhtari agreed and asked for another to join them, as there was strength in numbers, so Hisham approached Zam’ah Al-Aswad's son, who was also from the tribe of Asad. Zam’ah agreed but thought it unnecessary for a sixth person to join them. That night in the month of Muharram, three years after the commencement of the boycott, the five met together at Hujon, which is a place situated on the outskirts of Mecca. There they agreed that none of them would rest until the pact fastened to the inside of the Ka’bah had been revoked. It was agreed that Zuhair would act as their spokesman and speak first to the Koraysh on account of his kinship to the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam). The Confrontation The next day, when many of the Koraysh gathered near the Ka'bah, Zuhair and his companions entered its courtyard. Zuhair circumambulated Ka’bah seven times, then turned to the gathering and said, "O people of Mecca, should we eat and wear clothes while the sons of Hashim suffer on account of their being unable to trade? By Allah, I will not sit until this terrible pact is torn up!" Abu Jahl was quick to rise up in protest saying, "It will not be torn up, you are a liar!" Zam’ah now spoke up, "It is you who are the liar. We were not in favor of it even when it was written." At that point Abu Bakhtari interjected, "We are not in favor of its contents, and neither do we hold with it!" Both Mut’im and Hisham supported their companions whereupon Abu Jahl accused them all of conspiracy. Abu Talib who had been sitting nearby reminded them that the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) had said regarding the document that had been hung inside the Ka’bah, that nothing of it would remain except the Name of Allah, it would be destroyed by termites. Mut’im went into the Ka’bah to fetch the document and as the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) had said, all but a short phrase at the beginning of the document remained which read "In Your Name, O Allah", thereupon, Mut’im brought the remaining portion out and showed to the gathering. Many of the Koraysh had already softened to the words of Zuhair and his companions, but when they saw the remnant of the document they took it to be a good omen and so it was that the boycott finally came to an end. Abu Jahl knew it was pointless to go against the wishes of the crowd so it was with great reluctance he accepted its termination. News that the boycott had been revoked was delivered to the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) and his followers and there was great rejoicing of thanksgiving to Allah for its lifting. Despite the harsh circumstances the Muslims faced throughout the boycott it had bonded them closer together rather than making them selfish. They had supported one another and unsparingly shared their meager possessions, all for the love of Allah and His Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam). For their patience Allah rewarded them and there was nothing that could take away from them the sweetness of their belief. Abu Bakr and Talha Abu Bakr had, until shortly after his conversion, been a wealthy, influential, and well respected citizen of Mecca, but now, on account of the boycott, he was no longer wealthy and his influence had dwindled amongst the unbelievers. There had been a time when all would turn to him with their troubles when he would either help financially or give sound advice, but now many of those whom he had helped turned away and shunned him. One day, when Abu Bakr and his cousin Talha were taking a stroll, Nawfal -- whose son, Aswad had embraced Islam under the hand of Abu Bakr – and a company of others attacked the pair, tied their hands and feet together and left them lying on the road for passersby to see and mock. In those days it was customary for the tribe of the injured party to revenge themselves against the offender, but the leaders of the tribe of Taym, to which Abu Bakr belonged, chose to ignore the incident which was a clear indication that they now considered him to be of little or no standing. Abu Bakr and Ad-Dughunnah’s Son Now that it was known that no action would be taken by the Taym tribe if Abu Bakr were to be harmed he became the object of persistent abuse so he went to the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) to ask his permission to join those that remained behind in Abyssinia, the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) always had the welfare and safety of his Companions at heart agreed so with a sorrowful heart Abu Bakr set out for Abyssinia. As he neared the Red Sea, he met an old friend by the name of ibn Ad-Dughunnah, the chieftain of a small tribe that had settled not far from Mecca and were allied to the Koraysh. Ibn Ad-Dughunnah hardly recognized Abu Bakr and was both shocked and distressed to see him in such an impoverished condition and inquired what had brought about such a dramatic change in his affairs. Abu Bakr related several of the unwarranted hostilities he had faced in Mecca on account of his conversion then told him that now all he wanted was to be able to worship Allah in peace and to preach during his travels. Ibn Ad-Dughunnah reflected upon former times in wonderment of how people could turn to be so fickle and said, "How could they have done such things? You were without doubt the gem amongst your tribe, in times of trouble you were always there to call upon, your deeds are good, and you always helped others in times of need! Go back, I will support you." Abu Bakr accepted ibn Ad-Dughannah's support and they returned together. Upon reaching Mecca, ibn Ad-Dughunnah declared for all to hear, "People of Koraysh, the son of Abu Kuhafah has my support -- let no one treat him badly!" The Koraysh accepted the ultimatum, however a fellow from the tribe of Jummah -- the tribe from whom Abu Bakr had rescued Bilal demanded, "Tell him to worship his Lord behind closed doors, and to let his prayers and recitation be confined therein so that he can neither be seen nor heard. We fear that if our sons or women see him they will be seduced by his ways!" Ibn Ad-Dughunnah turned to Abu Bakr and asked him to comply, and he agreed. Abu Bakr neither prayed in public nor did he recite the Koran outside his house, however one day he decided to build a small mosque in front of his house, and thereafter offered his prayer in it and recited the Koran. The women and children of the unbelievers began to gather around him in great numbers. They used to wonder and look at him. Abu Bakr was a man given to much weeping when he recited the Koran, and could not restrain himself. The hierarchy of the unbelieving Koraysh became fearful so they sent for Ad-Dughannah's son. When he arrived they said, "We accepted your protection of Abu Bakr on condition that he restrict his worship of his Lord to inside his house, but he has violated the conditions and built a mosque in front of his house where he prays, and recites the Koran in public. We are fearful he may influence our women and children, therefore stop him from doing this. If he wishes to confine his worship of his Lord to his house he may do so, but if he insists on doing so openly then ask him to release you from your obligation to protect him, because we would dislike breaking our agreement with you, but we deny Abu Bakr the right to act openly. Ad-Dughannah's son went to Abu Bakr and said, "You are aware of the contract I made on your behalf, please either abide by it or release me from my obligation to protect you because I do not want the Arabs to hear that my tribe dishonored a contract I made on behalf of another man." Abu Bakr replied, "I release you from your agreement to protect me and am content with the protection of Allah." The Companions Approach to their Persecution These early band of Companions were blessed with tremendous conviction, constancy and perseverance throughout their persecution. Their belief in Allah was unshakable and having reached that condition their circumstances were perceived by them as being scarcely significant. Allah says, “As for the scum it is cast away as jetsam, but, that which profits people remains on the earth.” 13:17. The love the Companions had for the Prophet, and the Message he brought was deep and sincere. He was their role model, a person with admirable, noble characteristics which surpassed all other humans and of which even his enemies were never heard to deny. The Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) was someone who the Companions tried their best to emulate and for whom they were prepared to sacrifice. The Companion’s love of him was embedded deep in their hearts and they were always ready to defend him even if it meant risking their lives. Such was the spirit of selflessness that strengthened them to endure their difficulties. They knew that which they endured was only temporal, a trial, and that within a few years they would return to their Lord and longed for the life in the Hereafter. Allah says: “Do people think that they are left alone by saying, 'We are believers,' and will not be tried? We tried those who have gone before them. Allah knows those who are truthful and those who lie.” 23:2-3 The Boycott 017 Back Cover Subtitles The Withered Fingers The Relocation of the Prophet and his Companions Flour for Lady Khadijah The Courage of the Prophet Hisham, the Son of Amr The Sacred Months The Cessation of the Boycott The Confrontation Abu Bakr and Talha Abu Bakr and Ad-Dughunnah’s Son The Companions Approach to their Persecution