Wakati Mjumbe wa Allah ﷺ alipotumwa na Allah, watu walimdharau yeye na Ujumbe wake. Quraysh hapo mwanzo walimpuuza, wakidhani kwamba wito wake haungekuwa zaidi ya maneno ya watawa na wahenga, na kwamba watu hatimaye wangerudi kwenye imani ya baba zao na mababu zao.

When the Messenger (pbuh) was sent by Allah, people belittled him and his Message. The Quraysh ignored him at first thinking that his call would be no more than the talk of monks and sages and that people would eventually return to the faith of their fathers and ancestors.

Hii ndiyo sababu hawakujali sana kumhusu. Kila alipopita karibu nao, walikuwa wakisema: “Huyu hapa mwana wa ‘Abd al-Muttalib anayezungumzwa kutoka mbinguni.” Baada ya muda, hata hivyo, walitambua tishio la harakati zake, wakaamua kupigana naye. Mwanzoni walitumia tu njia ya kudharau na kumdhihaki madai yake ya unabii. Kisha wakafuatisha kwa kumpa changamoto ya kufanya miujiza kama ushahidi wa Ujumbe wake. Walikuwa wakisema: Kwa nini Muhammad ﷺ asiyageuze al-Safa na al-Marwa kuwa dhahabu? Kwa nini kitabu kilichoteremshwa kwake hakishuki kutoka mbinguni kikiwa tayari kimeandikwa? Kwa nini Jibril, ambaye Muhammad ﷺ anaendelea kuzungumzia, hajitokezi kwao? Kwa nini hafufui wafu? Kwa nini haondoi milima inayouzunguka Makka? Kwa nini hachimbi chemchemi yenye maji mazuri zaidi kuliko Zamzam, ilhali anajua watu wake wanahitaji maji sana? Kwa nini Mola wake asiwatabiria bei za bidhaa za baadaye ili wapate kuzinunua?

This is why they did not bother with him. Whenever he passed by them they would say, “Here is the son of ‘Abd al-Muttalib who is spoken to from the heavens.” After a while however, they realized the threat of his campaign and decided to fight him. At first they simply resorted to degrading and ridiculing his claims of prophecy. They followed this by challenging him to perform miracles as a proof of his Message. They would say: Why does Muhammad not transform al-Safa and al-Marwa into gold? Why does the book revealed to him not descend from the sky already written? Why does Jibreel, whom Muhammad keeps talking about, not appear to them? Why does he not bring life to the dead? Why does he not remove the mountains which surround Makkah? Why does he not dig a source more fresher than Zamzam, knowing that his people badly need water? Why does his Allah not forecast the future prices of goods so that they can bid for them?

Kampeni ya kumchafua Mjumbe wa Allah ﷺ iliendelea kwa muda fulani. Kuraishi walitoa matusi, dhihaka na kejeli, lakini yeye ﷺ hakudhoofika wala kupotoka kutoka katika njia yake, na aliendelea kuwaita watu kwenye Uislamu, akiyakejeli masanamu yao, na kuonyesha upumbavu na akili fupi za watu waliokuwa wakiyaabudu na kuweka matumaini yao juu yake.

The smear campaign against Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) went on for some time. The Quraysh lashed out insults, abuse and sarcasm, but he (pbuh) never waned nor deviated from his path and went on inviting people to Islam, ridiculing their idols and demonstrating the idiocy and shallow minds of the people who worshipped them and built their hopes on them.

Jambo hili lilikuwa limekuwa zito mno kwa Quraysh kulivumilia, hivyo wakatumia njia yoyote ile ili kumshinikiza Mtume ﷺ aache Ujumbe wake, lakini juhudi zao hazikuzaa matunda. Njia tatu kuu ambazo Quraysh walitumia kupambana na Da'wah ni hizi:

This became far too much for the Quraysh to bear, and thus they resorted to any means necessary to pressure him (pbuh) into renouncing his Message, to no avail. Three of the major methods which the Quraysh used to fight the Da’wah were:

1. Mateso.

1. Torture.

2. Propaganda ya ndani na nje.

2. Internal and external propaganda.

3. Kususia

3. Boycott.

Mtume wa Allah (ﷺ) pia alipatwa na mateso, licha ya ulinzi wa familia yake, na pia wafuasi wake. Kabila la Quraysh lilitumia aina zote za mateso, nao wakawa wataalamu wa ufundi huu mbaya. Familia ya Al-Yasir wote walifanyiwa aina za kutisha za mateso ili waache dini yao, lakini jambo hilo liliwafanya wawe na azma zaidi na kuwa imara zaidi. Mtume wa Allah (ﷺ) alipita karibu nao walipokuwa wakiteswa, akawaambia, "Subirini, enyi Al-Yasir! Malipo yenu ni Peponi. Hatima yenu iko kwa Allah." Hapo Sumayyah, mke wa Yasir, akasema, "Naiona, ee Mtume wa Allah."

Torture befell the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), despite his family’s protection, and his followers. The Quraysh resorted to all types of torture and they became experts at this malignant craft. The family of Al-Yasir were all subjected to horrific types of torture in order to make them abandon their Deen, but this only made them more determined and steadfast. Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) passed by them while they were being tortured and said to them, “Hold on Al-Yasir! Your reward is Jannah. Your destiny is with Allah.” Upon this Sumayyah, wife of Yasir said, “I can see it, O Messenger of Allah.”.

Mateso aliyofanyiwa Mjumbe wa Allah ﷺ na Maswahaba zake yaliendelea bila kukoma kwa muda fulani, hadi Maquraish walipogundua kwamba yote hayo yalikuwa bure. Hivyo walitumia njia nyingine ya kupambana na Da'wah, ambayo ilihusisha kashfa na propaganda dhidi ya Uislamu na Waislamu ndani ya Makka na pia nje ya nchi, kama vile Abyssinia. Njia hii ilitumika katika aina na namna zake zote, kuanzia hoja, mijadala, kejeli na kampeni ya kuchafua. Kashfa ilielekezwa dhidi ya 'Aqeedah ya Kiislamu yenyewe, na moja kwa moja dhidi ya Mjumbe wa Allah ﷺ. Maquraish walimsingizia uongo ﷺ na kumshutumu kwa uwongo. Walipanga na kufanya njama nyingi ili kumdhalilisha ﷺ.

The torture of Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) and his Sahabah went on unabated for some time until the Quraysh realized that it was all in vain, so they resorted to another method in order to fight the Da’wah, which consisted of libel and propaganda against Islam and the Muslims within Makkah as well as abroad, such as in Abyssinia. This method was used in all its types and forms, ranging from arguments, debates, mockery and a smear campaign. Libel was used against the Islamic ‘Aqeedah itself, and directly against the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). The Quraysh lied about him (pbuh) and accused him falsely. They planned and schemed many ways to discredit him.

Quraysh walipanga kwa makini jinsi bora ya kuidhoofisha Uislamu, hasa wakati wa msimu wa Hija. Walienda mbali hadi kushauriana na al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah ili kubuni njia za kumsingizia Mjumbe wa Allah ﷺ. Walilenga kile wanachopaswa kuwaambia Waarabu waliokuja Makkah kwa ajili ya Hija. Baadhi walipendekeza watangaze kwamba yeye ni Kahin (mtabiri wa bahati). Al-Walid alikataa wazo hili kwa kueleza kwamba Muhammad ﷺ hakuwa na miguno isiyo na akili wala maneno ya mashairi yenye mizani na kafia za Kahin. Wengine walidai kwamba ni mshairi, lakini walijua ushairi katika aina zake zote na mizani zake, hivyo wakakataa dai hilo pia. Wengine walipendekeza kwamba amepagawa na pepo. Al-Walid pia alikataa hili, kwa kuwa mwenendo wa Muhammad ﷺ haukuwa wa mtu aliyepagawa. Bado wengine walianza kumshutumu kwa uchawi, lakini al-Walid alikataa wazo hili akisema kwamba Muhammad ﷺ hakuzifanya sanaa za siri zinazofanywa na wachawi, kama vile desturi maarufu ya kupuliza juu ya mafundo.

The Quraysh carefully prepared how best they could discredit Islam especially in the Hajj season. They went so far as to confer with al-Walid ibn al- Mughirah in order to formulate ways to libel the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). They focused on what they should tell the Arabs coming to Makkah for Hajj. Some suggested that they should announce that he was a Kahin (fortune-teller). Al- Walid rejected this by pointing out that Muhammad (pbuh) was devoid of the unintelligent murmuring and rhymed speech of the Kahin. Some claimed that he was a poet, yet they knew poetry in all its forms and metres and so rejected this claim too. Others suggested that he was possessed. Al-Walid also rejected this for Muhammad’s behavior was not that of a possessed man. Still others started accusing him of sorcery, al-Walid rejected this idea saying that Muhammad (pbuh) did not practice the secret arts performed by sorcerers, such as the well known ritual of blowing on knots.

Baada ya mjadala mrefu, Maquraishi walikubaliana kumshtaki kwamba ni mchawi mwenye Sihr al-Bayan (uchawi wa maneno). Baadaye walitawanyika miongoni mwa makundi ya mahujaji, wakiwaonya Waarabu dhidi ya kumsikiliza Muhammad ﷺ na kumuonyesha kama mchawi wa maneno. Walisema kwamba ujumbe wake unamtenganisha mtu na ndugu yake, au na baba yake, au na mke wake, au na familia yake. Hata hivyo, propaganda hii haikufanikiwa, na ujumbe wa Uislamu uliendelea kuteka akili za watu. Kisha Maquraishi walimwendea al-Nadr ibn al-Harith na kumpa jukumu la kuendesha kampeni dhidi ya Mtume wa Allah ﷺ. Kila alipoitisha mkutano ambao watu walialikwa, akiwakumbusha Allah na jinsi Alivyowaonya vizazi vilivyopita, al-Nadr ibn al-Harith alisimama na kusimulia hadithi kuhusu wafalme wa Uajemi na dini yao. Alitangaza, "Muhammad ni mwenye hadithi bora kwa kipi kuliko mimi? Je, yeye hasimulii hadithi za zamani kama ninavyofanya mimi?" Maquraishi walieneza hadithi na uvumi wa aina hiyo kwa upana. Waliwaambia watu kwamba anachosema Muhammad ﷺ si kutoka kwa Allah, bali alifundishwa na kijana Mkristo aliyeitwa Jabr. Uvumi huu ulienea miongoni mwa watu hadi Allah (SWT) alipojibu kwa kuteremsha aya ifuatayo:

After a lengthy debate, the Quraysh agreed to accuse him of being a sorcerer possessing the Sihr al-Bayan (magic of words). Afterwards, they dispersed among the congregations of pilgrims warning the Arabs against listening to Muhammad (pbuh) and depicting him as a magician of speech. They said that his Message separated a man from his brother, or from his father, or from his wife, or from his family. However, this propaganda did not work, and the Message of Islam continued to grip the minds of the people. The Quraysh then approached al-Nadr ibn al-Harith and assigned to him the task of campaigning against the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). Whenever he (pbuh) held a meeting to which people were invited, reminding them of Allah and His admonishment of bygone generations, al-Nadr ibn al-Harith arose and narrated stories about the kings of Persia and their religion. He proclaimed, “In what respect is Muhammad a better story-teller than I? Does he not expound tales of the past the same as I do?” Quraysh spread such stories and gossip widely. They told people that what Muhammad (pbuh) was saying was not from Allah but was instead taught to him by a Christian youth named Jabr. This rumor spread among the people until Allah (swt) replied by revealing the following verse,

Na hakika Sisi tunajua kwamba wao husema: "Hakika anayemfundisha ni mtu tu." Lugha ya yule mtu wanayemrejea ni ya kigeni, ilhali hii ni lugha ya Kiarabu iliyo wazi.” [An-Nahl, 16:103].

“And indeed We know that they say: “It is only a human being who teaches him (Muhammad)”. The tongue of the man they refer to is foreign, while this is a clear Arabic tongue.” [An-Nahl, 16:103].

Upinzani dhidi ya Uislamu na mateso dhidi ya Waislamu viliendelea katika Peninsula ya Arabia. Quraysh walipopata habari kwamba baadhi ya Waislamu, wakiogopa kulazimishwa kuacha Uislamu, walikuwa wamehama kwenda Abyssinia, walituma wajumbe wawili walio na azma kubwa kuwafuata, ili kuwachafulia Waislamu jina kwa matumaini kwamba Negus angewafukuza katika ufalme wake na kuwarudisha. Wajumbe hao wawili walikuwa ‘Amr ibn al-’As ibn Wa’il na ‘Abdullah ibn Rabi’ah. Walifika Abyssinia na kuwapa zawadi majenerali wa Negus ili kuwasaidia kumshawishi Negus awakabidhi wakimbizi Waislamu. Waliwaambia: “Baadhi ya vijana wapumbavu miongoni mwa watu wetu wamekimbilia katika nchi ya Mfalme, wameacha Dini yetu lakini hawajakubali yenu, bali wamezua Dini ya kubuni ambayo sisi wala ninyi hatuijui chochote. Wakuu wetu wametutuma kwenu ili tuwarudishe. Basi wakabidhini kwetu, kwa maana watu wao wenyewe wana busara ya kina zaidi na wanajua zaidi kasoro zao.” Pia waliweka sharti kwamba Mfalme asiwazungumze Waislamu, wakihofia wanayoweza kumwambia. Majenerali walikutana na Negus na kumshauri akabidhi Waislamu kwa watu wao wenyewe.

The libel against Islam and the persecution of the Muslims continued in the Arabian Peninsula. When the Quraysh heard that some Muslims, being afraid of forced apostasy, had emigrated to Abyssinia they sent two determined envoys after them to discredit the Muslims in the hope that the Negus would expel them from his kingdom and have them sent back. The two envoys were ‘Amr ibn al-’As ibn Wa’il and ‘Abdullah ibn Rabi’ah. They reached Abyssinia and offered presents to the generals of the Negus to help them convince the Negus to extradite the Muslim refugees. They said to them, “Some foolish fellows from our people have taken refuge in the King’s country, they have forsaken our Deen and not accepted yours, but have brought into being an invented Deen which neither we nor you know anything about. Our nobles have sent us to you to return them. So surrender them to us, for their own people have the keenest insight and know most about their faults.” They also stipulated that the King should not speak to the Muslims, fearing what they might say to him. The generals met with the Negus and recommended that he surrender the Muslims to their own people.

Negus aliwaita Waislamu na kuwataka wasimulie wenyewe wanachosema. Walipofika, aliwauliza, "Je, ni dini gani hii ambayo mmewaacha watu wenu kwa ajili yake, bila kuingia katika dini yangu wala nyingine yoyote?" Ja'far bin Abi Talib alimjibu kwa kueleza ujinga wao kabla ya Uislamu, na kulinganisha hali hiyo na nafasi yao mpya chini ya uongozi wake. Alisema, "Ndipo watu wetu walitushambulia. Walipotushinda, walitutendea dhulma, wakatuzuia kati yetu na dini yetu, ndipo tukaja katika nchi yako, tukikuchagua wewe juu ya wengine wote, kwa matumaini kwamba hatutadhulumiwa tukiwa pamoja nawe." Negus alimwambia Ja'far, "Je, unayo pamoja nawe chochote katika kile alichokileta Mtume wenu kutoka kwa Allah ili unisomee?" Ja'far akasema, "Ndiyo," kisha akasoma Surat Maryam tangu mwanzo hadi mahali ambapo Allah (SWT) anasema,

The Negus summoned the Muslims and demanded to hear what they had to say for themselves. When they came he asked them, “What is this Deen for which you have forsaken your people without entering into my Deen or any other?” Ja’far ibn Abi Talib answered him by explaining their ignorance before Islam and comparing it to their new position under its guidance. He said, “Thereupon our people attacked us. So when they got the better of us, they treated us unjustly and came between us and our Deen, we came to your country, having chosen you above all others, but we hope that we shall not be treated unjustly while we are with you.” The Negus said to Ja’far, “Do you have with you anything from what your Messenger brought from Allah to read to me?” Ja’far said, “Yes,” and recited Surah Maryam from the beginning until where Allah (swt) says,

Kisha akamwashiria. Wakasema: "Tutawezaje kuzungumza na mtu ambaye bado ni mtoto mchanga kitandani?" Yeye (Isa) akasema: "Hakika mimi ni mja wa Allah. Amenipa Kitabu na kunifanya kuwa nabii. Amenifanya kuwa mwenye baraka popote nilipo, na ameniamuru kusali na kutoa Zakat maadamu niko hai. Na amenifanya kuwa mwema kwa mama yangu, wala hakunifanya mwenye kiburi, mwenye bahati mbaya. Na amani iwe juu yangu siku nilipozaliwa, siku nitakapokufa, na siku nitakapofufuliwa kuwa hai!" [Maryam, 19:29-33].

“Then she pointed to him. They said: “How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle? He (Jesus) said: Verily! I am a slave of Allah, He has given me the Scripture and made me a prophet; And He has made me blessed wheresoever I be, and has enjoined on me prayer, and Zakat, as long as I live. Andmade dutiful to mother, and made me not arrogant, unblest. And “Salam” (peace) be upon me the day I was born, and the day I die, and the day I shall be raised alive!” [Maryam, 19:29-33].

Walipomsikia haya, maulamaa wa Kikristo walisema: "Haya na yale ambayo Bwana wetu Isa (Yesu) Masihi alileta yanatoka chanzo kimoja." Mfalme wa Habeshi (Negus) akasema: "Kwa kweli, haya na yale ambayo Musa alileta yanatoka sehemu moja. Nyinyi wawili mnaweza kuondoka, kwa Allah, sitawaachia wala hawatasalitiwa." Wajumbe hao wawili wakaondoka kwenye Jumba la Kifalme na kuanza kufikiria njia nyingine ya kutimiza kazi yao. Siku iliyofuata, 'Amr bin al-'As alirudi kwa Negus na kumwambia: "Waislamu wanasema mambo mabaya sana kuhusu Isa, mwana wa Maryam. Waite na uwaulize kuhusu hilo." Akafanya hivyo, na Ja'far akajibu: "Tunasema kumhusu yale ambayo Nabii wetu ﷺ alileta, akisema kuwa yeye ni mja wa Allah na Mtume Wake, na roho Yake, na neno Lake alilomtupia Maryam bikira aliyebarikiwa." Negus akachukua fimbo kutoka chini, akachora mstari ardhini kwa fimbo hiyo, akamwambia Ja'far: "Hakuna zaidi ya mstari huu kati ya dini yenu na yetu," kisha akawaacha wajumbe hao wawili wakiwa mikono mitupu.

When the patriarchs heard this they said, “This and what our Lord ‘Isa (Jesus) the Messiah brought are from the same source.” The Negus said, “Of a truth, this and what Musa brought, come from the same niche. You two may go, for by Allah, I will never give them up and they shall not be betrayed.” The two envoys left the Royal Palace and began to think of another way to fulfill their task. The next day ‘Amr ibn al-’As went back to the Negus and said to him, “The Muslims say dreadful things about ‘Isa, son of Maryam, send for them and ask them about it.” He did so and Ja’far replied, “We say about him that which our Prophet brought, saying, he is the slave of Allah and His Messenger, and His spirit, and His word, which He cast into Maryam the blessed virgin.” The Negus took a stick from the ground, drew a line in the soil with it and said to Ja’far, “There is nothing more than this line between your Deen and ours”, and he discharged the two envoys empty-handed.

Hatimaye, mbinu zote na njia zote za propaganda dhidi ya Da'wah ya Kiislamu zilishindwa. Nguvu tupu ya ukweli iliyodhihirika katika yale aliyokuwa akiyalingania Mtume wa Allah ﷺ iliyashinda uvumi wote, uongo na propaganda zote, na nuru ya Uislamu ikaondoa kila jaribio la kuudharau. Kwa hiyo, Quraysh wakaamua kutumia njia ya tatu, nayo ni kususia. Walikubaliana kumtenga kabisa Mtume wa Allah ﷺ pamoja na familia yake, wakaandika hati ambayo walikubaliana wasifanye biashara na Banu Hashim na Banu 'Abd al-Muttalib, wasiozeshe wanawake wao wala kuwaozesha wanawake wao kwao, wasinunue chochote kutoka kwao wala kuwauzia chochote. Walipokwisha kukubaliana masharti haya waliyaandika katika waraka na kuutundika ndani ya Ka'bah ili kuwakumbusha agano lao. Walitarajia kwamba sera hii ya vikwazo ingeleta matokeo waliyoyataka, na kwamba ingekuwa na athari zaidi kuliko propaganda au mateso.

Ultimately, all the ways and means of propaganda pronounced against the Islamic Da’wah failed. The sheer force of truth reflected in what the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was calling for, defeated all rumors, lies and propaganda, and the light of Islam dissipated all attempts at discrediting it. Therefore, Quraysh resorted to a third method, which was the boycott. They agreed to completely isolate the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and his family and they drew up a document in which they decided not to deal with Banu Hashim and Banu ‘Abd al-Muttalib, neither to marry their women nor give their own women to them in marriage, neither buy anything from them nor sell anything to them. When they had agreed on these conditions they wrote them in a deed and hung it inside the Ka’bah to remind them of their covenant. They anticipated that this policy of sanctions would bring the desired effect and that it would be more efficient than either propaganda or torture.

Bahasha ya kususia iliendelea kwa miaka miwili hadi mitatu, huku Quraysh wakitumaini kwamba Banu Hashim na Banu ‘Abd al-Muttalib wangemwacha Muhammad ﷺ, kwamba Waislamu wangeacha imani yao, na hatimaye Muhammad ﷺ angebaki peke yake mikononi mwao. Walitarajia kwamba vikwazo hivyo vingemfanya Muhammad ﷺ aache wito wake wa Uislamu, au kwamba tishio ambalo wito wake ulilileta kwa Quraysh na Dini yao lingetoweka. Hata hivyo, mbinu hii iliongeza tu azimio la Mtume wa Allah ﷺ na kuwafanya Masahaba wake kuwa na bidii zaidi katika kueneza Da'wah. Kususia kulishindwa kuzuia kuenea kwa Ujumbe wa Uislamu ndani na nje ya Makkah. Habari za kususia zilimfikia Waarabu walio nje ya Makkah, na wito huo ukaenea miongoni mwa makabila mengi. Uislamu ukawa mada ya majadiliano kote katika Rasi ya Arabia.

The boycott continued for two to three years, all the while the Quraysh were hoping that Banu Hashim and Banu ‘Abd al-Muttalib would abandon Muhammad (pbuh), that the Muslims would renounce their faith, and that eventually Muhammad (pbuh) would be left all alone at their mercy. They hoped the sanctions would either lead to Muhammad (pbuh) abandoning his call for Islam, or to the threat that his call posed to the Quraysh and their Deen disappearing. However, this technique only strengthened the Messenger of Allah’s resolve and made his Sahabah more diligent in pursuing the Da’wah. The boycott failed to put a halt to the spread of the Message of Islam inside and outside Makkah. News of the boycott reached the Arabs outside Makkah and the call spread among many tribes. Islam was a subject of discussion all over the Arabian Peninsula.

Lakini kususiwa na kufa njaa kuliendelea bila huruma, na hati ambayo Quraysh waliiandika iliendelea kutekelezwa. Familia ya Mtume ﷺ na Maswahaba walipata njaa na dhiki, wakaishi kwa riziki chache walizozipata kutoka kwa wenye huruma. Faraja yao pekee ilikuwa wakati wa miezi mitukufu, ambapo Mjumbe wa Allah ﷺ alikuwa akienda Al-Ka'bah na kuwaalika watu kwenye Dini ya Allah, akiwaeleza thawabu zake na kuwaonya kuhusu adhabu yake; baadaye ilimbidi arudi kwenye bonde la mlimani. Hili liliwapatia Mtume wa Allah ﷺ, familia yake na Maswahaba wake huruma ya Waarabu, baadhi yao wakiitikia wito na kuukubali Uislamu, na wengine wakiwapelekea chakula na kinywaji kwa siri. Hisham bin 'Amr alijulikana kuwa alikuwa akileta ngamia waliobeba chakula usiku; alipofika kwenye mdomo wa bonde alimwachia mnyama, akampiga kofi ubavuni na kumtuma aingie bondeni hadi walipokuwa Waislamu. Nao walichukua chakula, wakamchinja ngamia na kumla.

However, the boycott and starvation went on relentlessly and the document which the Quraysh drew up remained enforced. The Messenger’s family and the Sahabah suffered hunger and deprivation and subsisted on meager provisions which they obtained from sympathizers. Their only respite was during the sacred months, when the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) used to go to the Ka’bah and invite people to the Deen of Allah, telling them of His rewards and warning them about His punishment, then afterwards he had to return to the mountain valley. This earned Allah’s Messenger (pbuh), his Family and his Sahabah the sympathy of the Arabs, some of whom responded to the call and embraced Islam, while others sent food and drink to them secretly. Hisham ibn ‘Amr was known to have brought camels laden with food at night and on reaching the mouth of the valley he would release the animal, give it a slap on its side, and send it into the valley to where the Muslims were. They would take the food, slaughter the camel and eat it.

Waislamu walipaswa kuvumilia kususiwa kwa takriban miaka mitatu, wakati ambapo maisha yakawa magumu sana, hadi Allah (SWT) alipotuma msaada Wake na hatimaye kuvunja mzingiro huo. Vijana watano kutoka Quraysh, Zuhayr ibn Abi Umayyah, Hisham ibn ‘Amr, al-Mut’im ibn ‘Adi, Abu al-Bakhtari ibn Hisham na Zama’ah ibn al-Aswad, walikutana pamoja. Walizungumza kuhusu hati hiyo na adhabu zake, na kama Waquraysh wengi wa wakati ule, walionyesha chuki yao dhidi yake. Hatimaye walikubaliana kuumaliza kabisa suala lote la kususiwa kwa dhulma kwa kuhakikisha linafutwa.

The Muslims were to endure the boycott for about three years, during which life became extremely harsh, until Allah (swt) sent His relief and finally broke the siege. Five young men from Quraysh, Zuhayr ibn Abi Umayyah, Hisham ibn ‘Amr, al-Mut’im ibn ‘Adi, Abu al-Bakhtari ibn Hisham and Zama’ah ibn al-Aswad gathered together. They talked about the document and its sanctions and they, like many of the Quraysh at that time, expressed their resentment towards it. At length they agreed to resolve the whole issue of the unjust boycott by securing its annulment.

Siku iliyofuata, walikwenda Al-Ka'bah, na Zuhayr akazunguka mara saba. Akiwaelekea watu waliokuwepo, akasema, "Enyi watu wa Makkah, je, tunakula na kujivika nguo wakati Banu Hashim wanaangamia, wasiweze kununua wala kuuza? Kwa Allah (SWT) sitapumzika mpaka hati hii ya kususia imeraruliwa." Abu Jahl, aliyekuwa karibu, akapaza sauti, "Unasema uongo, kwa Allah hati hii haitaraulika." Wakati huo, Zama'ah wengine wanne, Abu al-Bakhtari, al-Mut'im na Hisham, waliokuwa wametawanyika miongoni mwa umati, wakapiga kelele kumuunga mkono Zuhayr. Abu Jahl alitambua kwamba jambo hilo lilikuwa limepangwa mapema, kwa hiyo akahofia matokeo mabaya na akarudi nyuma. Al-Mut'im alipokwenda kuiraruwa hati hiyo, aligundua kwamba mchwa weupe walikuwa tayari wameila isipokuwa maneno 'Kwa jina lako, Ee Allah'.

The next day, they went to the Ka’bah and Zuhayr went around it seven times. Addressing the crowd who were present, he said, “O people of Makkah, are we to eat and clothe ourselves while Banu Hashim perish, unable to buy or sell? By Allah (swt) will not rest until this damn boycotting document is torn up.” Abu Jahl, who was nearby, exclaimed, “You lie, by Allah it shall not be torn up.” At this point the other four Zama’ah, Abu al-Bakhtari, al-Mut’im and Hisham, who had dispersed among the crowd, shouted back in support of Zuhayr. Abu Jahl realized that it was a matter which had been arranged beforehand, so he feared the worst and backed off. When al-Mut’im went to tear up the document he discovered that white ants had already eaten it except for the words ‘In your name, O Allah’.

Mtume wa Allah ﷺ pamoja na Masahaba zake kisha walianza kurejea Makka, na vikwazo vya kususia hatimaye vikaondolewa. Baada ya hapo, Mtume wa Allah ﷺ aliendelea kuifuatilia da'wah yake, na idadi ya Waislamu iliendelea kuongezeka kwa kasi, jambo lililoonyesha kushindwa kwa mbinu zote ambazo Quraysh walizitumia katika jaribio lao la kuizima Ujumbe wa Uislamu. Makafiri waliendelea na juhudi zao za kuingilia kati baina ya Waislamu na Dini yao, na za kumlazimisha Mtume wa Allah ﷺ aachane na da'wah yake, ambayo kwa msaada wa Allah ilienea kila mahali licha ya vikwazo vyote na mateso.

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and his Sahabah then proceeded to return to Makkah and the embargo was finally lifted. Thereafter, Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) continued to pursue his call and the number of Muslims continued to grow steadily, marking the failure of all the methods the Quraysh employed in their attempt to suppress the Message of Islam. The Kuffar continued in their attempts to come between the Muslims and their Deen and to make Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) renounce his Da’wah which, with Allah’s help, became widespread despite all obstacles and hardships.