Valley of Abu Talib

Abu Talib had a fair idea of the intrigues of Quraish who were forcing him to give up supporting and backing up Mohammad. He invited the families of Bani Ilashim and Bani Mutlib and requested them to support him in his Herculean task of protecting and supporting his nephew.

In the wake of Arab traditions they had to agree to this proposal and all the family members agreed except his brother Abu Lahub who decided to take side with Quraish.

The infidels could not like Hamra and Omar's embracing of Islam, the promise of support by Bani Hashim and Bani Mutlib had also offended them. Their request to King Najashi was also turned down. The infidels assembled and pledged to cut off all their links and ties with Bani Hashim and Bani Mutlib. No trading or any other relation with these families would be allowed until they handover Mohammad to them for killing him. All the chieftains of Quraish signed this agreement and it was posted on the wall of Ka'aba, Holy prophet and all the Muslims were driven out of Makka. Bani Hashim and Bani Mutlib did not sever from their pact of supporting Mohammad and they also left Makka along with other Muslims. Those who opted to remain with the Holy Prophet included even those relatives who had not embraced Islam. Abu Talib's pride and vanity did not allow him to leave his nephew alone.

The valley in which Holy Prophet took refuge was the property of Abi Talib. Each one of the ten tribes of Quraish owned a valley or a pass located in the nearby hills of Makka and when any stranger would request protection from a tribe he was provided shelter in the valley owned by that tribe. Now it was the irony of the situation that the owner of the valley had to take refuge in that valley where he used to arrange the stay of weary and needy people approaching him for this purpose.

Quraish had disallowed even the sale of basic requisites and to top it all the Valley of Abi Talib was not located on trading route of any caravan so that they could have traded the provisions. In these circumstances Muslims had to live in beleaguered and tormented state.

When the Muslims were living in exile, nephew of Khadija tried to supply few provisions to his aunt. The people of Quraish were on the watch, they apprehended him and besides confiscating the provisions beaten him so badly that he could not leave the bed for three days. This incident made few elders of Makka to attempt for reconciliation between Muslims and Quraish and requested them to allow Mohammad and his followers to come back to Makka. Quraish replied that Mohammad could return to Makka only when he would have given up his religion and he couldn't agree to it then let him wait for his death there. We would not allow him to put his foot in Makka.

Holy Prophet and his followers withstood the hardships for three years. Muslims had no household goods.

Khadija, one of the richest ladies of Makka had only two utensils: one an earthen drinking bowl and a cooking pot. In the later days the howl also broke down.

Besides suffering other torments the tragedy suffered by the Muslims was the expiry of Khadija. She fell ill due to prolong scarcity and dearth of necessities of life and since the facility of treatment and the necessary medicines were also not available the wife of Holy Prophet breathed her last in 619 AD. Muslims remember that year as the Year of Sorrow' (Aam-ul-Huzn).

At the time of her death. Khadija was 65 years of age and The Holy prophet  was fifty years. Since there wasn't any arrangement of coffin therefore the burial was made by wrapping her in her shawl. Only two days after Khadija's death the other shock faced by Muslims was the death of Abu Talib uncle and guardian of the Holy Prophet. He was 86.

Those were the days when the termite ate away the words of the Notice of Boycott that was put on the wall of Ka'aba leaving the Name of God. Seeing that termite had eaten away all the words written on the notice of boycott of Muslims except the Name of God a fear gripped the people of Quraish and few men known for their sanity started agitating against that cruel decision of boycotting Muslims and demanded to abrogate the agreement and allow the Muslims to come. Nobody except Abu Jehal opposed this suggestion and Muslims returned the city from their exile in the valley. When the Muslims came back they had grown very weak due to suffering from hunger and thirst. Their skins had burnt due to the heat and the sun and their faces were showing the bones and they had become skinny.

One day Abi Lahub invited all the people of Bani Hashim including Holy Prophet on a banquette. And. in front of all the people gathered there. Abi Lahub asked Holy Prophet.

"May I ask you about your grandfather Abdul Mutlib before all these people of Bani Hashim that in view of your statement all those, who do not believe in God as you suggest, would go to hell what do you think. Abdul Mutlib is in the Hell or is he in the Paradise?" Responding to this query Holy Prophet recited this verse from the Holy Quran.

"The Prophet and those who follow him must not respite for infidels even if they are their near relatives." (Sura Tuba, V: I 14)

Abi Lahub then asked Holy Prophet about Abi Talib.

"And what about my brother Abi Talib? Has he been granted forgiveness or not?"

Holy Prophet (MUM) replied that till leaving this world he had not accepted faith and he had not converted to faith leaving the religion of his forefathers therefore his case also rests with God Almighty.

Then Abi Lahub asked about few other elders of their tribe who were amongst the ancestors of the Holy Prophet as well that whether they would be forgiven or not? In reply to this Holy Prophet said. "God's verdict is final and there cannot be any change or alteration in that."

Hearing this Abi Lahub the chief of the tribe inquired from the people gathered there that doesn't it give him the right to expel and outcast Mohammad from Bani Hashem Tribe? All those who were present there univocally said. "The Chief of the Tribe has the power to cast him out from the tribe." Abi Lahub announced then and there. "We have out cast Mohammad from our tribe and now on we won't have anything to do with him."

In those days if anybody was condemned and outcast from his tribe, he would lose his civil rights to this extent that he had no right to appeal in any tribal court.

In Arabia anybody expelled from his tribe had no right to survive and was an open prey to anybody.