The Illustrious Sahaabah The Illustrious Sahaabah of Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam)
When the envoys of the Quraish returned from Abyssinia disgraced, as Najaashi did not hand over the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) to them, but offered the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) his full support and protection, the Quraish were infuriated.
Furthermore, fuelling the fury and anger of the Quraish was that Hazrat Hamzah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) and Hazrat Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) – who were both renowned for their might and bravery – had embraced Islam and were supporting the cause of Islam.
Seeing that Islam was growing day-by-day, and that all the strategies they adopted were proving ineffective in suppressing the Deen of Islam, the Quraish decided to kill Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and bring an end to Islam.
They approached the family of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and offered to pay them the blood money multiplied manifold in exchange of them handing over Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) to them to be killed.
However, the Banu Haashim, supported by their relatives from the Banul Muttalib, refused to hand over Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) to them to be killed and instead resolved to defend and protect him.
On seeing that the Banu Haashim and Banu Abdil Muttalib were protecting Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and were not prepared to hand him over to them, the Quraish finally decided to boycott the Banu Haashim and Banul Muttalib tribes until they handed him over to them to be killed.
Hence, the Quraish gathered at a place called Muhassab at the upper-area of Makkah Mukarramah and wrote out the boycott resolution, in which they stated that no person should marry into the Banu Haashim clan, nor have any business dealings with them, nor even interact with them until they surrender Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) to the Quraish to be killed.
The details of the resolution were written on a piece of paper and was hung up inside the Ka‘bah Shareef. The person who wrote this document was Mansoor bin Ikrimah. After he committed this evil deed, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) cursed him, as a result of which his fingers became paralyzed and he lost the use of his hand.
Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), together with the Banu Haashim and Banul Muttalib, entered the Valley of Abu Taalib in the month of Muharram of the 7th year after the nubuwwah, and they remained here under boycott for three years. Some reports mention that they were forced to enter the valley by the Quraish before the boycott document was written, while other reports mention that they were forced to enter the valley after the boycott document was prepared.
The members of the Banu Haashim and Banu Muttalib clans, whether Muslim or non-Muslim, all supported Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and remained with him throughout the period of the boycott. The Muslims supported him on account of their deen, while the non-Muslims supported him on account of their family ties. From the Banu Haashim, it was only Abu Lahab who remained in support of the Quraish.
Protecting Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) while in the Valley
While in the valley, Abu Taalib would fear that someone should not enter and assassinate Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) during the night. Hence, when it was time to retire for the night, he would ask Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) to lie on his own bed, as normal. In this way, if any person with a sinister agenda was observing them, he would think that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) was in his own bed.
Thereafter, during the night, Abu Taalib would ask Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) to switch beds with one of his relatives. In this way, even if someone entered the valley and tried to kill Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), he would remain safe as he was not in his bed as expected.
(Tabaqaat Ibnu Sa’d 1/162-163, Uyoonul Athar 1/218, Subulul Huda 2/377, Sharhuz Zurqaani 2/12-14, Seerah Halabiyyah 1/337, Rowdhul Unuf 2/129, Taareekhul Islam [Seerah Nabawiyyah] pg. 221, Al-Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah 3/82)
