The Difficult Years
💔 The Difficult Years — The Year of Sorrow
﴿ And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient. ﴾
— [Al-Baqara: 155]
📖 Introduction
Three Years of Siege... Then the Year of Sorrows
After the failure of all of Quraysh's attempts to stop the message...
They resorted to a new weapon: total economic and social blockade!
Then came the Year of Sorrow (619 CE)...
The year in which the Prophet ﷺ lost his two fundamental pillars:
- Abu Talib: The protector and support
- Khadija: The wife and comfort
⛔ The Total Boycott — The Siege of Abu Talib's Valley
📅 Timeline
| Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Beginning | Muharram, 7th year of prophethood (617 CE) |
| End | Muharram, 10th year of prophethood (619 CE) |
| Duration | Three complete years |
| Location | Shi'b Abi Talib (narrow valley in the mountains of Mecca) |
📜 The Text of the Pact — The Boycott Document
Quraysh gathered and wrote a pact which they hung inside the Kaaba:
Clauses of the Unjust Pact:
- No marriage: Neither marry from them nor give in marriage to them
- No selling: Sell nothing to them
- No buying: Buy nothing from them
- No association: Do not sit with them or mix with them
- No mercy: Accept no reconciliation from them ever
- No respite: Until they hand over Muhammad ﷺ to be killed!
| Signatories | Tribe |
|---|---|
| Abu Jahl | Banu Makhzum |
| Abu Lahab | Banu Hashim (traitor!) |
| Abu Sufyan | Banu Umayya |
| And others | Rest of Quraysh |
👥 The Besieged
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Banu Hashim | The entire clan of the Prophet ﷺ (Muslims and non-Muslims) |
| Banu al-Muttalib | His cousins |
| The Leader | Abu Talib (did not convert but protected his nephew!) |
| The Exception | Abu Lahab sided with Quraysh against his own clan! |
🥀 The Suffering — Three Years of Hunger and Cold
📜 Scenes from the Siege
First Scene — The Deadly Hunger
The valley is besieged... no food enters...
Children cry from hunger...
Their screams were heard from outside the valley!
Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas narrates:
"I saw myself stepping on dry dung and camel skin, taking it, roasting it over fire, and eating it!"
Second Scene — The Night Smuggling
Some men of Quraysh took pity...
They smuggled food at night!
Hakim ibn Hizam (Khadija's nephew):
He secretly carried wheat to his aunt Khadija!
One night, Abu Jahl caught him:
Abu Jahl: You carry food to Banu Hashim? By Allah, I will not leave you until I disgrace you in Mecca!
Abu al-Bakhtari came:
Abu al-Bakhtari: What do you want with him? He's carrying food to his aunt! Let him pass!
They fought... and Abu al-Bakhtari won!
Third Scene — The Leaves of Trees
The food completely ran out...
They ate the leaves of trees!
They ate tanned skins!
Three years... and the Prophet ﷺ was patient!
📊 Summary of Suffering
| Type of Suffering | Details |
|---|---|
| Hunger | No food except what was smuggled |
| Thirst | Limited water |
| Cold | Harsh winter without sufficient cover |
| Heat | Burning summer without sufficient shade |
| Illness | Weakened immunity, hunger-related diseases |
| Isolation | No contact with anyone |
| Humiliation | Hearing the mockery of enemies |
🕊️ The Annulment of the Pact — The Termites Eat the Injustice
📜 The Scene — The Miracle
After three years...
Allah revealed to His Prophet ﷺ:
"The termites have eaten everything unjust in the pact!"
Only "Bismika Allahumma" (In Your Name, O Allah) remained!
The Prophet ﷺ informed his uncle Abu Talib...
Abu Talib went to Quraysh:
Abu Talib: My nephew has informed me that Allah sent termites upon your pact. They left no name of Allah except that they preserved it, and erased the injustice and severing of ties!
If he speaks truth... return from your boycott!
If he lies... I will hand him over to you!
Quraysh: You are fair!
📜 Opening the Pact
They went to the Kaaba...
They brought down the pact...
They opened it...
And it was eaten except for "Bismika Allahumma"!
Quraysh was shocked!
But they did not believe!
They said: This is Muhammad's magic!
👥 Those Who Annulled the Pact
Men from Quraysh refused the injustice and demanded the annulment of the pact:
| Name | Tribe | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Hisham ibn 'Amr | Banu 'Amir | The initiator |
| Zuhayr ibn Abi Umayya | Banu Makhzum | Son of 'Atika bint 'Abd al-Muttalib |
| Al-Mut'im ibn 'Adi | Banu Nawfal | Would later give protection to the Prophet ﷺ |
| Abu al-Bakhtari | Banu Asad | Defended Hakim |
| Zam'a ibn al-Aswad | Banu Asad | Refused the injustice |
Hisham ibn 'Amr stood and said:
"O people of Quraysh! We eat and clothe ourselves, while Banu Hashim perish, unable to buy or sell?"
"By Allah, I will not sit until this unjust pact is torn up!"
💔 The Year of Sorrow — 619 CE
📅 Timeline
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Death of Abu Talib | Rajab, 10th year of prophethood |
| Death of Khadija | Ramadan, 10th year of prophethood |
| The Gap | Only two months! |
⚰️ The Death of Abu Talib — Loss of the Protector
📋 Identity Card
| Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | 'Abd Manaf ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib |
| Nickname | Abu Talib |
| Relation | Paternal uncle of the Prophet ﷺ |
| Wife | Fatima bint Asad |
| Children | Talib, 'Aqil, Ja'far, 'Ali |
| Age at Death | Over 80 years |
🛡️ Abu Talib's Protection — 42 Years of Care
| Period | Protection |
|---|---|
| Childhood | Took him in after the death of 'Abd al-Muttalib (age 8) |
| Youth | Took him on his trading journeys |
| Marriage | Helped him marry Khadija |
| Prophethood | Protected him from Quraysh for 10 full years |
| The Siege | Entered the valley with him despite his disbelief |
📜 The Scene — The Final Moments
Abu Talib on his deathbed...
Quraysh surrounds him: Abu Jahl, 'Abdullah ibn Abi Umayya...
And the Prophet ﷺ sitting near his head!
The Prophet ﷺ (with passion): O my uncle! Say: La ilaha illa Allah... a word with which I will plead for you before Allah!
Abu Jahl: O Abu Talib! Will you abandon the religion of 'Abd al-Muttalib?
The Prophet ﷺ: O my uncle! La ilaha illa Allah!
Abu Jahl: Will you abandon the religion of 'Abd al-Muttalib?
The dialogue repeated...
And Abu Talib hesitated...
Until his last words were:
"He is upon the religion of 'Abd al-Muttalib!"
And he died!
The Prophet ﷺ wept and said:
"I will certainly seek forgiveness for you as long as I am not forbidden from doing so!"
📜 The Revelation of Verses
Then Allah revealed:
﴿ Indeed, you do not guide whom you like, but Allah guides whom He wills. And He is most knowing of the [rightly] guided. ﴾
— [Al-Qasas: 56]
And He revealed:
﴿ It is not for the Prophet and those who have believed to ask forgiveness for the polytheists, even if they were relatives, after it has become clear to them that they are companions of Hellfire. ﴾
— [At-Tawba: 113]
💔 The Impact of the Death
After the death of Abu Talib...
Quraysh dared to harm the Prophet ﷺ!
What they would not do while his uncle was alive!
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"Quraysh did nothing to me that I hated until Abu Talib died!"
| Before Abu Talib's Death | After Abu Talib's Death |
|---|---|
| Tribal protection | No protection |
| Relative respect | Direct humiliation |
| Verbal threats | Physical attacks |
| Boycott | Personal harm to the Prophet ﷺ |
⚰️ The Death of Khadija — Loss of Comfort
📋 Identity Card
| Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Khadija bint Khuwaylid ibn Asad |
| Title | Mother of the Believers, the Pure |
| Lineage | Qurayshite from Banu Asad |
| Marriage | 15 years before prophethood |
| Duration of Marriage | 25 years |
| Children | Al-Qasim, 'Abdullah, Zaynab, Ruqayya, Umm Kulthum, Fatima |
| Age at Death | 65 years |
💎 Khadija's Rank — Pioneer of All Good
| Primacy | Details |
|---|---|
| First to believe | First believer ever |
| First to pray | Prayed behind the Prophet ﷺ |
| First to support | Stood by him from the first moment |
| First to spend | Gave all her wealth to the cause |
| First to console | "Never, by Allah! Allah will never disgrace you!" |
📜 The Scene — The Final Farewell
Khadija on her sickbed...
25 years of love and support...
The Prophet ﷺ sitting beside her...
Khadija (in a weak voice): O Messenger of Allah... take care of yourself...
The Prophet ﷺ: O Khadija... you are the mistress of the women of Paradise!
💬 The Good News from Allah
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"Jibril came to me and said: O Muhammad! Here is Khadija coming to you with a vessel containing food or drink. When she arrives, convey to her greetings of peace from her Lord and from me, and give her glad tidings of a house in Paradise made of hollow pearl, where there will be no noise nor fatigue!"
— [Sahih al-Bukhari]
| Good News | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Greetings from Allah | An honor no one else received! |
| Greetings from Jibril | Great privilege |
| House of hollow pearl | Hollow pearl in Paradise |
| No noise | No clamor (rest after trials) |
| No fatigue | Reward for her patience |
😢 A Love Without End
Years after Khadija's death...
The Prophet ﷺ always mentioned her!
Aisha said:
"I was never jealous of any woman as I was of Khadija! And I never saw her!"
"But the Prophet ﷺ used to mention her often, and sometimes he would slaughter a sheep then cut it into pieces and send them to Khadija's friends!"
"Sometimes I would say to him: It's as if there was no woman in the world except Khadija!"
"He would say ﷺ: She was this and that... and I had children from her!"
💔 Khadija and the Siege
Khadija suffered from the siege while elderly...
From Quraysh's noblewoman of wealth...
To a besieged, starving woman in the valley!
Three years of hunger and cold...
Weakened her body... until she died months after the siege!
🌑 The Darkest Moments — The Prophet ﷺ Alone
😢 After the Double Loss
In just two months...
The Prophet ﷺ lost:
- The External Protector: Abu Talib
- The Internal Support: Khadija
He became alone as never before!
📜 Quraysh's Audacity
After the death of Abu Talib...
The Prophet ﷺ was walking in Mecca...
A man from Quraysh came...
And threw dirt on his noble head!
The Prophet ﷺ entered his home with dirt on his head...
One of his daughters rose to wash the dirt while crying...
The Prophet ﷺ: Do not cry, my daughter! Allah will protect your father!
📊 Quraysh's Crimes after Abu Talib's Death
| Crime | Perpetrator |
|---|---|
| Throwing dirt on his head | A thug from Quraysh |
| Throwing garbage in front of his house | His disbelieving neighbors |
| Camel entrails on his back while prostrating | Abu Jahl and his companions |
| Public mockery | Common Quraysh |
| Death threats | Chiefs of Quraysh |
💡 Lessons from the Difficult Years
🎯 For the Contemporary Muslim
| Lesson | Application |
|---|---|
| Trial is a rule | Every believer will be tested |
| Patience is the key to relief | Three years then relief came |
| Allah helps His allies | The termites ate the pact |
| Do not despair | After sorrow came Al-Isra wal-Mi'raj! |
| Means do not replace Decree | Abu Talib's protection ended with his death |
📊 Comparison: Before and After the Year of Sorrow
| Before the Year of Sorrow | After the Year of Sorrow |
|---|---|
| Abu Talib protects | No human protector |
| Khadija consoles | No comfort |
| Some security | Constant danger |
| Hope in Quraysh | Despair of Quraysh |
| Mecca is a homeland | Mecca is a prison |
❓ Questions for Reflection and Review
- How many years did the siege of the valley last? Who were the besieged?
- What were the clauses of the boycott pact?
- How was the pact annulled? What proof of the Prophet's ﷺ truthfulness?
- Why was this year called "the Year of Sorrow"?
- What were Abu Talib's last words? Why did he not embrace Islam?
- What good news did Khadija رضي الله عنها receive?
- How did the Prophet's ﷺ situation change after the death of his uncle and wife?
📝 Lesson Summary
| Event | Impact |
|---|---|
| Siege of the Valley (3 years) | Hunger, isolation, and patience |
| Annulment of the Pact | Miracle of the termites |
| Death of Abu Talib | Loss of tribal protection |
| Death of Khadija | Loss of emotional support |
| Quraysh's Audacity | Beginning of a new phase of harm |
| Divine Wisdom | Preparation for the Hijra and Isra |
✨ And from the Womb of Trial... Hope is Born
After the Year of Sorrow...
Came Al-Isra wal-Mi'raj!
Allah's consolation for His Prophet ﷺ
﴿ For indeed, with hardship comes ease. Indeed, with hardship comes ease. ﴾
— [Ash-Sharh: 5-6]