All of the information provided by Ibn Ishaq is consistent with the events that took place during the period beginning with the Quraysh's alliance against the Banu Hashim and Banu Muttalib, their decision to boycott them, the recording of this decision in that oppressive document, and their besieging them in the Shiʿb Abi Talib, up until the moment that ill-fated document was torn up. For this reason, Imam Shafiʿi said: "Whoever wishes to learn the science of Maghazi (the campaigns of the Prophet), is like a child of Ibn Ishaq."
Ibn Ishaq said: The Quraysh had besieged the Banu Hashim and Banu Muttalib in the neighborhood specified in the boycott document they had drawn up against them. Later, a group from the Quraysh attempted to annul this boycott document. No one had shown as much excellence and success in this endeavor as Hisham b. ʿAmr b. Harith b. Habib b. Nasr b. Malik b. Hisl b. Amir b. Luʾayy. He was a maternal brother of Nadle b. Hisham b. ʿAbd Manaf. Hisham had connections with the Banu Hashim and was an honorable man among his people. At night, he would bring a camel loaded with provisions to the neighborhood where the Banu Hashim and Banu Muttalib were besieged, remove the halter from the camel's head at the entrance, strike its side, and let it go. When the camel entered the neighborhood, those inside would take the provisions and send the camel back. He would then load it with wheat and repeat the process in the same way.
Afterwards, he went to Zuhayr b. Abi Umayya b. Mughira b. ʿAbdullah b. ʿAmr b. Makhzum and said to him: O Zuhayr! How can you be at ease while you eat food, wear clothes, and marry women, but your maternal uncles cannot trade or arrange marriages? How can you accept this situation? By Allah, if you had wished for Abu Jahl's maternal uncles to fall into such a state, he would not have agreed with you!
Zuhayr replied to him:
Woe to you, O Hisham! What can I do? I am only one man. By Allah, if I had another man with me, I would attempt to annul that document.
— You have found one man.
— Who is that man?
— Me.
— Then find us a third man! Hisham went to Mutʿim b. ʿAdiyy and said to him:
— O Mutʿim! How can you be content to see two clans of the sons of ʿAbd Manaf perishing before your eyes and agree with the Quraysh on this matter? By Allah, if their relatives were in this situation, they would be more eager than you to annul this document!
— Woe to you, what can I do? I am only one man.
— Now you have found a second man.
— Who is that?
— Me.
— Then find us a third man.
— I have found one.
— Who is that?
— Zuhayr b. Abi Umayya.
— Then find us a fourth man.
Thereupon, Hisham went to Abu’l-Bakhtari and said to him what he had said to Mutʿim b. ʿAdiyy. Abu’l-Bakhtari said to him:
— Can you find someone to help me in this matter?
— Yes.
— Who is that?
— Zuhayr b. Abi Umayya and Mutʿim b. ʿAdiyy. And I am with you as well.
— Then find us a fifth man.
Thereupon, Hisham went to Zamʿa b. Aswad b. Muttalib b. Asad and spoke with him, explaining that those under boycott were his relatives and had rights over him. He said:
— Is there anyone else involved in this matter you are inviting me to?
— Yes.
After saying this, he listed the names of those he had spoken with. Then they agreed to meet at night at a place in the upper part of Mecca called Hatm al-Hajun. They gathered there at night and agreed to tear up the boycott document. Finally, they tore up the document. At the decision stage, Zuhayr said:
— I will be the first to begin this matter. I will be the first to speak about it.
In the morning, they went to the meeting place by the Kaʿba. Zuhayr b. Abi Umayya, dressed in a robe, came and circumambulated the Kaʿba seven times. Then he turned to the people and said:
"O people of Mecca! We eat food and wear clothes, but the Banu Hashim are on the verge of perishing. They cannot trade with anyone. By Allah, I will not sit down until this unjust boycott document is torn up!"
Abu Jahl, who was standing in a corner of the Masjid al-Haram, said:
— By Allah, that document will not be torn up. But Zamʿa b. Aswad said:
— By Allah, you are a great liar. When you wrote it, we did not consent to its writing.
Abu’l-Bakhtari also said:
— Zamʿa has spoken the truth. When this document was written, we did not consent to or accept what was written in it.
Mutʿim b. ʿAdiyy said:
— Both of you have spoken the truth. Whoever says otherwise is lying. We seek refuge in Allah from this document and disavow what is written in it.
Hisham b. ʿAmr said similar things.
Abu Jahl said:
— This is a matter that was decided at night and discussed elsewhere.
While these conversations were taking place, Abu Talib was also present in a corner of the Masjid al-Haram. Mutʿim b. ʿAdiyy got up, entered the Kaʿba to tear up the boycott document, and saw that a worm had eaten it. Only the part that said "In Your Name, O Allah" remained. The person who wrote the document was Mansur b. Ikrima. It is said that his hands became paralyzed.
Ibn Hisham said:
According to what some scholars have narrated, the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Abu Talib: "O Uncle! Allah has sent a worm against the Quraysh's document. It left the name of Allah intact, but destroyed the writings concerning oppression, boycott, and slander." Abu Talib asked him: — Did your Lord inform you of this? — Yes.
— By Allah, no one shall enter upon you anymore. After saying this, he got up and went to the Quraysh and said to them:
— O people of Quraysh! My nephew Muhammad has informed me of such and such. Come, look at your boycott document... If it is as he said, then cease this boycott you are imposing on us and do not harm us. But if what Muhammad said is false, I will hand him over to you!
The Quraysh said, We are content with what you have said, and made a pact with Abu Talib. Then they went and looked at the document and found it as the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) had described. This only increased their evil and wickedness.
At that time, a group from the Quraysh did all they could to tear up the document, and finally they tore it up.
Ibn Ishaq records that after the document was torn up and its rulings annulled, Abu Talib recited the following laudatory poem about the group who strove to destroy it:
"Look, did not Allah's grace reach our sailors (the Emigrants who went to Abyssinia by sea), even though they went far away? Allah is merciful to people.
Let them be informed that the boycott document has been torn up.
Everything that Allah does not approve of is annulled.
Part of that document is slander, part is sorcery,
But never has a sorcery risen to the sky until the end of time.
One who is not abased called others to it.
Its evil revolves over his head.
It is an event sufficient as a cause for sin.
Because of it, arms and necks will be cut.
So much so that the joints of the people of Mecca will tremble with fear.
From fear of evil, they will flee, and the one who works will be left to his own state.
He will busy himself with his work,
Sometimes going to Tihama, sometimes to Najd.
Whoever among the residents of Mecca is born with honor and strength, our honor within Mecca is many times greater.
We were born there, when people were few,
We never left it, always did good and were praised.
When the hands of those who drew the gambling arrows trembled,
We fed people until they abandoned their virtues.
May Allah grant good to the group gathered at Hajun.
They turned to a wise and upright deed.
They sat at Hatm al-Hajun like kings.
They were even more honorable and noble.
Every noble person like a falcon helped them,
While people walked heavily in layers of armor,
They are courageous in the face of great deeds.
Those deeds are like burning embers in the hand of the one who undertakes them.
When a noble is charged with lowly tasks,
His face turns purple from displeasure,
They are from the sons of Luʾayy b. Ghalib.
The strap of his sword is long, half his leg is exposed.
For his sake, rain is sought from the clouds and happiness is attained.
He is generous, noble, a master son of a master. He encourages others to host guests.
He gathers guests, his ashes are abundant.
He does good for the children of the tribe.
When we traveled through the lands,
Every good person insisted on this peace,
Those of high renown, with lofty banners, and later praised,
They agreed at night on what they agreed,
Then in the morning,
They came quietly while people were asleep and accomplished the task.
Then they returned content to Sahl b. Baydaʾ.
Abu Bakr and Muhammad rejoiced at this.
When the tribes participated in resolving our matter,
We had long desired this as well.
We have never adopted injustice.
We reach those we wish, but do not force anyone.
O family of Qusay, is there any sorrow in your hearts?
Do you know what will happen tomorrow?
You and I are just as someone said,
"O Mount Aswad, if you could speak,
Surely you would have some explanations with you?"
Al-Suhayli said: At the end of this poem, it is mentioned that a man was killed at Mount Aswad, but his killer was unknown. The relatives of the murdered man came and stood by the mountain and called out: "O Mount Aswad, if you could speak, surely you would have some explanations. O Mount Aswad, if you could speak, you would tell us who the killer was."
Al-Waqidi said: When I asked Muhammad b. Salih and ʿAbd al-Rahman b. ʿAbd al-ʿAziz when the Banu Hashim left the Shiʿb Abi Talib, they replied: In the tenth year of the mission, that is, three years before the Hijra.
I also say: In that year, after leaving the Shiʿb Abi Talib, the Messenger of God's uncle Abu Talib and his wife Khadija bint Khuwaylid passed away. Further explanation regarding this will come later.