The Message of Islam — Page 24
24 adherence of Umar ra, and Hamza ra, uncle of the Prophet saw, to Islam. But these conversions did not bring about any change in the attitude of the Meccans. Umar ra was treated in the same man- ner as the rest of the Muslims. Indeed, the persecution grew more bitter and intense. Aiming to starve them out, a complete boycott of the Muslims together with all members of the Prophet’s family was instituted. They were blockaded within a narrow defile belonging to Abu Talib. All contact with them for any purpose whatever was for- bidden. This imposed great hardship, particularly on children and old people. This terrible situation continued for nearly three years, when some leading Meccans reacted against the savagery and inhumanity of their fellow citizens, and let it be known that they would invite the Prophet saw and his Companions ra to come out of their place of confinement and go about their business as before. Thus was the blockade lifted. But the privation and hardship endured during the blockade had gravely affected the health of both Khadijah ra and Abu Talib. Khadijah ra died within a few days, and Abu Talib’s end came a month thereafter. The death of his faithful and beloved wife left the Prophet saw bereft of his prin- cipal source of earthly comfort and consolation, and the death of his uncle exposed him to greater ill-treatment and persecution. In dozens of ways, his opponents made it almost impossible for him to leave his house to carry his message to any section of the people of Makkah or to those who might be on a visit there. In this situation, the Prophet saw decided to carry his message to Taif, a town about sixty miles south-east of Makkah, which was also a resort of pilgrimage and was more pleasantly situated than