The Boycott

Alarmed at the stand of the Prophet (saw) and his followers, and the return of the delegates from Abyssinia unsuccessful, the Quraish decided to apply an alternative way to stop any further progress of Islam. Towards the end of the seventh year of the mission, they made a solemn covenant to boycott the descendants of Hashim and Muttalib, engaging themselves in contract of no intermarriage with any of them and to have no communication with them.

Furthermore, they were forced out of Makkah to the valley. They lived in this status for three years. The provisions, which they had carried with them, were soon exhausted. They were made to eat grass and dry hides of camels. Probably they would have entirely perished but for the trust in Allah with the occasional help received from the few sympathetic companions, they managed to survive. Upon this, the Quraish became divided into two sects, one group calling for an end to the boycott and the other supporting it.

Reconciliation of the Quraish Towards the beginning of the tenth year of the mission, reconciliation

was concluded between the Quraish and the two families of Hashim and Abdul Mutwalib. The two families all agreed to endorse Abu Talib as their chief. Thus, the alliance against the two families was abolished and the boycott was cancelled. During the period of the boycott in the valley, Islam made no progress except when the Prophet (saw) used to come out of his temporary prison to preach Islam to the pilgrims. This is because Arabs considered illegal to cause harm during sacred months.

Death of Abu Talib and Khadija (ra) Just after the cancellation of the boycott, in the tenth year of

prophethood, the Prophet (saw) lost two very important persons in his life; his uncle Abu Talib and his wife lady Khadija (ra). This year was referred to as the year of sorrow. The Prophet lost in Abu Talib the kind guardian of his youth who had hitherto protected him against his enemies, and in lady Khadija (ra), his most encouraging companion and the source of tranquility. She was his pillar of hope and consolation.

The Prophet (saw), weighed down by the loss of his protector and beloved wife, without hope of turning the Quraish from idolatry, with a saddened heart, yet full of trust, resolved to exercise his ministry in the neigbouring town with the hope of winning them into Islam. He chose Taif, a town about sixty miles east of Makka. He was accompanied by a faithful servant Zaid (ra).

The people of Taif The tribe of Thakif, who were the inhabitants of Taif, received him very

coldly. However, he stayed there for several weeks preaching Islam. Though the more considerate and better sort of men treated him with a little respect, the ignorant, slaves and common people, who had been instructed not to listen to him, were outrageously indignant at his invitation to abandon the gods they worshipped with such freedom of morals and lightness of heart. At length, they rose against him, stoned him, bringing him to the wall of the city, obliged him to depart and return to Makka. Despite this treatment, he (saw) forgave them and prayed for their guidance.

Isra wal Miraj (The miraculous journey)

The journey of Isra and Mi’raj refers to the night when the Prophet (saw) was taken on a miraculous journey by Allah. Most scholars agree that this night fell on the 27th of the month of Rajab, one year before the migration of the Prophet (saw) from Makka to Madina.

The word Israa means to travel by night. This indicates the Prophet’s journey from Masjid Haram in Makka to Masjid Aqsa in Jerusalem. Mi’raj means ‘the means of ascending.’ This word is used to describe the upward journey from Masjid Aqsa, Jerusalem to the heavens and beyond.

Allah says, “Exalted is He who took His Servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al- Aqsa, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing.” (Quran 17:1)

In Israa, Angel Jibril (as) took the Prophet (saw) from the sacred Mosque, Ka’bah to Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem in part of the night. Here, the Prophet (saw) met prophets such as Ibrahim, Moses, Jesus and others

(pbut). He also led them in prayer. After this, the Prophet (saw) was taken up to the heavens (Mi’raj) where he was shown the great signs of Allah. It was on this journey that the five daily prayers were prescribed. He was then taken back to Al-Aqsa then to Makkah. The whole experience lasted a few hours of the night. Upon hearing this, the people of Makkah mocked him. However, his description of Jerusalem, other things on the way, and the Arab caravan that he saw on this journey including its expected arrival in Makkah turned out to be true, the ridicule of the non-believers stopped.

The Background to Israa and Mi’raj

As earlier mentioned, shortly after the boycott, the Prophet’s uncle Abu Talib died. Though the Prophet (saw) tried his best to get him to accept Islam, he chose to remain in the religion of his forefathers. This hurt the Prophet (saw) a lot, because Abu Talib had raised him from his early childhood and had protected him from the persecution of the Quraish. Therefore, Abu Talib’s death affected the Prophet (saw) in two ways: firstly; he did not embrace Islam and secondly; he could no longer shield the Prophet (saw) from the mischief of the Quraish. Three days after Abu Talib’s death, the Prophet’s wife, Khadija (ra) died too. It was she who comforted him during difficult experiences with revelation and during the early attacks and rejection of the Quraish.

Consequently, the Prophet (saw) went to Taif with the aim of winning them to Islam and their support of Islam too, but his invitation was totally rejected. He was chased out of the city and stoned so badly that his sandal became clogged with blood.

Following these events, which occurred around the same time, the Prophet (saw) suffered a series of disappointing set-backs and trials. Thus, despite the obvious hardship and strain, Allah reiterated His closeness and love for the Prophet (saw) by inviting him to the heavens, into His presence in order to strengthen his determination and prepare him for the next, forthcoming stages of Prophethood which would be the Hijra, the establishment of the Islamic state and the conquering of Makkah. These factors made this journey a very special gift from Allah to the Prophet (saw).

Lessons from Isra and Mi’raj There are many details regarding Isra and Mi’raj. However the following

are some important lessons drawn from this great event. a) It implies that after hardship, there is ease. This journey served as a

relaxation to the Prophet (saw) after a series of hardships. b) It shows the significance of Aqsa mosque. The only Masjid mentioned

in the Quran a after the Ka’bah and the first Kibla of the Muslims. c) Isra and Mi’raj symbolises the truth of the prophethood of

Muhammad (saw). d) It shows that the Prophet (saw) is the leader of all the Prophets

hence led them in prayers. e) The Importance of the daily prayers is seen here as it was given to

the Prophet (saw) during this journey. f) The Prophet (saw) was shown transgressors being punished to

remind and warn evil people to be cautious of their deeds. g) It shows Allah’s power by making the prophet (saw) travel to

Jerusalem and further to the heavens in one single night. h) The strong imaan of Abubakar (ra) where he believed in everything

the Prophet (saw) said despite denial from Arabs. i) There is no doubt that Al-Isra followed by Al-Miraj was one of the

greatest miracles in the life of Prophet Muhammad (saw).

Prophet (saw)’s mission in Madina

In Madina, as a ruler the Prophet (saw) could have lived a comfortable life. But of course, his Mission was not complete. There was no time to rest and relax. He had the task of the establishment of the Islamic state and spreading the word of Allah across the Arabian Peninsula.

The First Pledge of Aqabah This is the ‘oath of allegiance’ of people of Yathrib to Prophet

Muhammad (saw), prior to his migration to Madina. At the end of the eleventh year, many tribes converged in Makkah for the pilgrimage. The Prophet (saw) used these opportune moments to go into the camps of the visiting tribes to preach Islam. It was here that the first six people of the Khazraj tribe of Yathrib embraced Islam. The following year, on the

occasion of pilgrimage, twelve more people of the Khazraj tribe became Muslims at the valley of Aqaba. Here, they met the Prophet (saw) and the first covenant was drafted.

Terms of the first covenant 1. They pledged to be faithful and obedient to Almighty Allah 2. They agreed not to not commit theft in one’s life 3. They pledged that they will not commit adultery 4. Not to kill their little ones (infanticide) 5. Not to falsely make allegations against the chastity of women 6. Not to backbite 7. To practice every good and abstain from every evil.

On their return to Yathrib, the Prophet (saw) sent with them Mus’ab ibn Umayr to teach them the Qur’an and the basics of Islam. He was thus considered the first Ambassador of Islam. With his effort, Islam spread in Yathrib very first. Mus’ab resided with the Muslims of the two major rival tribes; Al-Aws and Al Khazraj and taught them the religion of God and the need to have unity as the new converts increased every day.

The Second Pledge of Aqabah The following year 622 C.E. saw a great number of pilgrims, seventy-

three men and two women, from Yathrib. When Muhammad (saw) learnt of their arrival, he thought of meeting them to strategize. Secretly he contacted the leaders of the groups and learned of their good preparation for a task of hosting the Prophet (saw) in Yathrib. They agreed to meet at Al-Aqabah during the night on the second day following the pilgrimage.

The Prophet (saw) arrived early accompanied by his uncle, Al-Abbas, who had not yet converted to Islam, but was concerned about the Prophet (saw), who had informed his uncle that he had agreed with the a group from Yathrib that they would protect him personally together with banu Hashim and banu Abdul Mutwalib. Anxious to defend his nephew and people against a war, Al-Abbas sought to make sure that among this group from Yathrib he would find real helpers and allies.

Consequently, he was the first one to open the discussion. He said, “O men from Khazraj, Muhammad’s eminence and prestige among us are

known to you. We have protected him even against those of his own people who think as highly of him as we do. Among us, he stands strong and secure. But he insists on joining your party. If you find yourselves capable of fulfilling toward him what you have promised, then you may proceed. but if you would betray him and send him over to his enemies once he has joined your party, you had better now say so and leave him alone.”

After hearing this speech of Abbas, the men from Yathrib said, “We have heard what you said, o Abbas.” And turning to the prophet (saw), they continued, “O prophet of God, speak out and choose for yourself and your Lord what you desire.” Thereafter, they continued with the discussion.

Terms of the second covenant They then asked Prophet Muhammad (saw) about the principles over

which they would take a pledge. The Prophet (saw) answered, a) To listen and obey the Prophet (saw) in all sets of circumstances b) To spend in plenty as well as in scarcity. c) To always enjoin good and forbid evil. d) They would fear none while in the cause of Allah’s service. e) To protect the Prophet (saw) as they protect themselves, their

spouses and their children. The following day, a large delegation of the Makkan leaders set out for

the camp of the Yathribians to protest against the treaty. The Madinan polytheists were not aware of the secret meeting. In fact, they refuted the allegations denouncing them as invalid. The Makkans became convinced by the arguments of the Madinans. However, they were not fully satisfied and kept investigating the matter. It was not after the Madinans pilgrims had left the city that they realized the truth of the matter.

The second pledge of Aqaba was a great landmark in Islamic history. It

turned out to be an anchor on which the fragile body of Islam finally

rested, after being suppressed for thirteen years in the confused era of

paganism. Furthermore, the significance of these pledges of allegiance is

that both were important in preparation for the migration of the Prophet

(saw) and Muslims to Madina.