IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS) Volume 22, Issue 6, Ver. 4 (June. 2017) PP 49-57 e-ISSN: 2279-0837, p-ISSN: 2279-0845. www.iosrjournals.org DOI: 10.9790/0837-2206044957 www.iosrjournals.org 49 | Page Investigating the Reasons for Imposing the First Sanction in History and the Factors contributing to its Failure Bahman Zeinali 1 , Neda Khodadadi 2 1 (Assistant professor of History department, University of Isfahan, Iran) 2 (Master of science student of History department, University of Isfahan, Iran) Abstract: The Meccan boycott of the Muslims and the Hashemites was the first multilateral and targeted policy of sanctions in history that was put to action in 617AD by the idolaters. Muhammad's declaration of prophecy in 610 AD was the greatest monotheistic (Tawhid), intellectual revolution, which went public in 613 AD after three years of secret invitation to Islam. When the invitation and the intentions of Islam were revealed, Islam and Muslims were met with a wave of backlash. One of these backlashes was that of their boycotting of the BanūHāshimites and Muslims in Mecca, which was aimed to separate the Muslims from the prophet, and to discourage the BanūHāshim from protecting Muhammad. This policy could not achieve its purpose and failed in 620 AD due to the insight and management of Prophet Muhammad and the diligent collaboration of the Muslims and the Hashemites despite severe conditions. Using the original sources and a descriptive-analytical method, this study attempts to answer these questions: What was the main reason behind the imposition of the boycott by the idolaters? And what policies were adopted by Prophet Muhammad against the said boycott? The results suggest that the root cause of opposition against the new religion and the policy of sanctions was the threat posed by Islam against the economic and social interests of the idolaters. The prophet paved the way for neutralization and collapse of their sanctions by devising a plan based on resistance economy, immigration to the Valley of Abu Talib, managing the BanūHāshimites and the Muslims, as well as taking advantage of the sacred months. Keyword:- BanūHāshim, idolaters,Islam, policy of sanctions,Prophet Muhammad (A.S.). I. INTRODUCTION 1.1. Statement of Problem: Muhammad’s Prophet Hood was the greatest revolution in the history of mankind, where through him, God revealed the last and most complete religious commandments to humans so as to guide them. With the support of the Qur'an and Muhammad's insight and plans, he, who was the example of a perfect man, began his struggle on the path of guidance of the world from Hejaz, which was at the height of its ignorance and perversion. The 23 years of his mission were all dedicated to the guidance of people who at the time were enslaved by ignorance and oppression of tyrants, or as Ali, the Amir-Ol-Mo'menin, puts it: “… and signs of destruction had appeared” 1 . This 23-year period (13 years in Mecca and 10 years in Medina) were the era of patience, resistance, struggle, and jihad; the Prophet and his faithful companions never stopped trying and gave their all until the last breath for the promotion of Islam. One of the hardest periods for Muslims and their supporters within BanūHāshim was living in the Valley of Abu Talib in the seventh till the tenth years of Muhammad's mission. When the hostile plots of the idolaters failed to block the expansion of Islam, they decided to boycott the Muslims and their Hashemite supporters. With the adoption of this agreement by the heads of Quraysh and their allies in Mecca, the Muslims and Hashemites were deprived of many of their social rights and were forced to live in a canyon near Mecca called the Valley of Abu Talib for three years. During these three years, the residents of the valley resisted despite severe economic, social, and especially mental pressure; all of which were impossible without the competent management of Muhammad, the brave cooperation and leadership of the BanūHāshim, and the endurance of those targeted by the boycott. 1 Allah sent the Prophet after the mission of other Prophets had stopped and the people were in slumber for a long time. Evil was rising, all matters were under disruption and in flames of wars, while the world was devoid of brightness, and full of open deceitfulness. Its leaves had turned yellow and there was absence of hope about its fruits and its water had gone underground. The minarets of guidance had disappeared and signs of destruction had appeared. It was stern to its people and frowned in the face of its seeker. Its fruit was vice and its food was carcass. Its inner dress was fear and outer cover was sword (Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 89).