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Week 02 Day 02 P1 January 2021
Week 02 Day 02 P1 January 2021
WEEK 02
DAY 02 (Paper 01)
Boycott of Banu Hashim
• After the acceptance of Islam by Hazrat Hamza and Hazrat Umar, the Quraish came under pressure
from Abu Jahl to take action against the growing popularity of Islam and the courage the Muslims
were now showing in the practise of their faith. In the seventh year of prophethood the Quraish
mounted pressure on Abu Talib the chief of the Clan of Banu Hashim that he should abandon his
nephew and surrender him to their custody. But when he refused, they decided to impose a ban on
the entire clan of Banu Hashim which, with the exception of Abu Lahab, was committed to protecting
Hazrat Muhammad (P.B.U.H) whether or not they believed him to be a Prophet.
• According to terms of ban, which was placed inside the Ka’ba, no one would marry a Hashimi woman
or give his daughter in marriage to a Hashmi; no one was to sell or buy anything from them. This was
to continue until the Banu Hashim themselves renounced Hazrat Muhammad (P.B.U.H) or until he
renounced his claim to prophethood.
• The agreement was duly written and hung on Ka’bah. Members of Banu Hashim (Muslim as well as
non-Muslim) were compelled to retire to a narrow gorge called Shib Abu talib in the outskirts of
Makkah, which was the property of Abu Talib. The boycott lasted for three years i.e 7th to 10th year of
prophethood (616AD-619AD) during which Banu Hashim suffered a lot. They lived in dire condition
and face starvation. The pagans did not allow anyone to deliver food or other necessities to them.
Crying of the children due to hunger and starvation could be heard outside the gorge. They were
forced to eat grass and leaves of trees.
• Sometimes some relatives would flout the ban and smuggle food inside the gorge. For instance, Hakim
ibn Hazim was once caught by Abu Jahl, trying to smuggle in a sack of wheat to his aunt Khadija R.A.
The besieged could leave the gorge in the season of Hajj. The Boycott strengthened the faith of the
Muslims. They were more determined than ever to see their mission successful.
• Finally, after Three years, the ban was lifted in the month of Muharram when hashim bin Amr one of
the Quraish who used to smuggled food to the Banu Hashim, went to Zuhayr, one of the Prophet’s
(P.B.U.H) cousin, to protest about the ban and its effects on the besieged kinsmen. The two men won
the support of others. They met at the Ka’aba and swore not to give up until the ban was torn up. Abu
Jahl and one or two others, who opposed this action, now realised that would be futile to resist any
longer. After much discussion they decided to lift the ban and when they went to take out the
document, they found that the termite had already eaten it up and only the name of Allah was left on
it.
3 (b) How can Muslims apply in practice the lessons learnt from the Prophet’s behaviour in this
situation? [4]
• The Prophet did not give up his faith in times of difficulty, despite few conversions and losing
his wife and uncle, but rather he persevered.
• Muslims should learn to persevere in times of difficulty, when they have lost family members
or they are living in difficult circumstances in their community;
• the Prophet did not curse or wish the worst for those people who had treated him so badly,
but rather prayed for them.
• So Muslims now should not get angry and wish bad things towards those who insult them, but
should try to do or say good things for them.