Cikin ƙasa da makonni huɗu, an samu abubuwa huɗu masu muhimmanci sosai: musulunta Hamzah, musulunta ‘Umar, ƙin da Muhammad (Peace be upon him) ya yi na yin sulhu ta kowace irin hanya, sannan yarjejeniyar da Banu Muttalib da Banu Hashim suka rubuta don kare Muhammad ﷺ da kuma kāre shi daga duk wani yunƙurin cin amana na kashe shi. Masu bautar gumaka sun ruɗe, ba su san mene ne za su bi ba don kawar da wannan cikas mai taurin kai da rashin sassauci, wanda ya zama kamar zai rushe dukkan al’adunsu na rayuwa gaba ɗaya. Sun riga sun san cewa idan suka kashe Muhammad ﷺ, jini zai zubo a cikin kwararun Makkah, kuma tabbas za a hallaka su. Saboda wannan mummunan hasashe, sai suka karɓi wata hanya ta daban, mara adalci, wadda ba za ta kai ga kisan kai ba, amma duk da haka suka yi hakan da ƙyar.

Four events of special significance occurred within less than four weeks — the conversion of Hamzah, the conversion of ‘Umar, Muhammad’s (Peace be upon him) refusal to negotiate any sort of compromise and then the pact drawn up between Banu Muttalib and Banu Hashim to immunize Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and shield him against any treacherous attempt to kill him. The polytheists were baffled and at a loss as to what course they would follow to rid themselves of this obstinate and relentless obstacle that had appeared to shatter to pieces their whole tradition of life. They had already been aware that if they killed Muhammad (Peace be upon him) theblood would surely flow profusely in the valleys of Makkah and they would certainly be exterminated. Taking this dreadful prospect into consideration, they grudgingly resorted to a different iniquitous course that would not imply murder.

Mushrikan Makkah sun yi taro a wani wuri da ake kira Wadi Al-Muhassab, suka kafa ƙawance mai adawa da Banu Hashim da Banu Al-Muttalib. Suka yanke shawarar cewa ba za su yi kasuwanci da su ba, ba kuma za a yi auratayya da su ba. Alaƙar zamantakewa, ziyara har ma da magana da Muhammad ﷺ da magoya bayansa za su tsaya, har sai an mika musu Manzon Allah ﷺ domin a kashe shi. Takardar shelarsu, wadda ta tanadi matakai marasa tausayi a kan Banu Hashim, wani mushiriki mai bautar gumaka, Bagheed bin ‘Amir bin Hashim, ne ya rubuta ta, sannan aka rataye ta a cikin Ka‘bah. Manzon Allah ﷺ ya yi addu'ar la'ana a kan Bagheed da Allah, daga baya kuma hannunsa ya gurgunce.

The pagans of Makkah held a meeting in a place called Wadi Al-Muhassab, and formed a confederation hostile to both Bani Hashim and Bani Al-Muttalib. They decided not to have any business dealings with them nor any sort of inter-marriage. Social relations, visits and even verbal contacts with Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and his supporters would discontinue until the Prophet (Peace be upon him) was given up to them to be killed. The articles of their proclamation, which had provided for merciless measures against Bani Hashim, were committed to writing by an idolater, Bagheed bin ‘Amir bin Hashim and then suspended in Al-Ka‘bah. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) invoked Allâh’s imprecations upon Bagheed, whose hand was later paralysed.

Abu Talib cikin hikima da natsuwa ya lura da halin da ake ciki, sai ya yanke shawarar janyewa zuwa wani kwari a gefen gabashin garin Makkah. Banu Hashim da Banu Al-Muttalib, waɗanda suka bi sawunsa, aka kulle su a cikin wata kunkuntar hanya (Shi‘b na Abu Talib), tun daga farkon watan Muharram na shekara ta bakwai da fara aikin Muhammadﷺ, har zuwa shekara ta goma, wato tsawon shekaru uku. Kewaye ce mai shaƙewa. Kusan an hana samun abinci, kuma mutanen da aka kulle sun fuskanci wahala mai tsanani. Masu bautar gumaka suna sayen duk wani abinci da ya shiga Makkah, don kada ya isa ga mutanen Ash-Shi‘b, waɗanda suka kai ga cin ganyen itace da fatun dabbobi. Ana iya jin karan yara ƙanana da yunwa ke azabtarwa a fili. Ba abin da ya isa gare su sai, a wasu lokuta kaɗan, ƙananan kayan abinci da wasu Makkawa masu tausayi suka yi fasa-ƙwaurin kawo musu. A lokacin "watannin da aka haramta" — lokacin da yaƙe-yaƙe ke tsayawa bisa al'ada, sukan fita daga inda aka kulle su su sayi abinci daga wajen Makkah. Ko a lokacin, ana tsada kayan abincin ba bisa ƙa'ida ba, har hakan ya sa halin kuɗinsu ba zai iya kai su ga samunsa ba.

Abu Talib wisely and quietly took stock of the situation and decided to withdraw to a valley on the eastern outskirts of Makkah. Banu Hashim and Banu Al-Muttalib, who followed suit, were thus confined within a narrow pass (Shi‘b of Abu Talib), from the beginning of Muharram, the seventh year of Muhammad’s mission till the tenth year, viz., a period of three years. It was a stifling siege. The supply of food was almost stopped and the people in confinement faced great hardships. The idolaters used to buy whatever food commodities entered Makkah lest they should leak to the people in Ash-Shi‘b, who were so overstrained that they had to eat leaves of trees and skins of animals. Cries of little children suffering from hunger used to be heard clearly. Nothing to eat reached them except, on few occasions, some meagre quantities of food were smuggled by some compassionate Makkans. During ‘the prohibited months’ — when hostilities traditionally ceased, they would leave their confinement and buy food coming from outside Makkah. Even then, the food stuff was unjustly overpriced so that their financial situation would fall short of finding access to it.