When the Quraysh realized that all their tortures and hardships on Muhammad (PBUH) and his followers did not help and that the number of Muslims was growing, they asked his uncle Abu Talib to hand him over to them. When Abu Talib refused, all the tribes of Makkah decided to boycott the Banu Hashim (Family clan of Muhammad (PBUH)).
The Banu Hashim had to go and stay in Shu’ab Abu Talib, a valley near Makkah. They could not buy anything, speak to anyone or sell to anyone. Sometimes they stayed without food or water for days and they suffered in this place. This boycott lasted from the seventh to the tenth year of Islam.
