Irtaqiارتقِ

Worksheet: The Boycott and the Year of Sorrow

Six A4 pages: three worksheet pages, a colouring page, a pattern to colour and the answers. Print them all or choose a part.

Tip: in the print window choose “Save as PDF” to keep a copy.

Irtaqi · Seerah for kids
Chapter 9 · Worksheet

The Boycott and the Year of Sorrow

Shut out by Makkah, then two great losses

NameClassDate

?The Big Question

How do you keep going when the people who protect you are gone?

Write your first answer now. You will come back to it at the end.

1Put the story in order

Number the parts of the chapter from 1 to 6, in the order they happen.

  1. The Year of Sorrow
  2. Khadijah
  3. Abu Talib
  4. A Love That Did Not Fade
  5. A Written Agreement
  6. Years in the Valley

2Match the words

Write the letter of the right meaning next to each word.

  • Boycott مُقَاطَعَة
  • Shi'b شِعْب
  • Am al-Huzn عَامُ الحُزْن
  • A An organised refusal to deal with people, to put pressure on them.
  • B “The Year of Sorrow”: the name later writers gave to the year Khadijah and Abu Talib died.
  • C A narrow valley or mountain pass. The Shi'b of Abu Talib was a valley in Makkah.
irtaqischool.com/worksheet/b1-c09Page 1 of 6
Irtaqi · Seerah for kids
Chapter 9 · Worksheet

The Boycott and the Year of Sorrow

Shut out by Makkah, then two great losses

3True or false?

Circle T for true or F for false. Correct the false ones on the line.

  1. The boycott only hurt the Muslims of Banu Hashim.

    TF
  2. After Khadijah died, the Prophet ﷺ still sent gifts of meat to her friends.

    TF
  3. Abu Talib said “La ilaha illa Allah” before he died.

    TF
  4. Jibril brought Khadijah greetings of peace from her Lord.

    TF
  5. Historians say the boycott lasted about three years.

    TF

4Quick quiz

Circle the best answer.

  1. What did the boycott agreement say?

    • AThat the Muslims must leave Makkah
    • BNo marriage and no trade with the two clans until they handed over the Prophet ﷺ
    • CThat the Ka'bah would be closed
  2. What good news did Jibril bring for Khadijah?

    • AThat she would become rich
    • BGreetings from her Lord, and a house in Paradise with no noise and no tiredness
    • CThat she would live a long life
  3. How did the Prophet ﷺ keep remembering Khadijah?

    • AHe never spoke about her
    • BHe spoke of her often and sent gifts to her friends
    • CHe built a house for her
  4. What does Surah al-Qasas 28:56 teach?

    • AThat we should stop inviting people
    • BThat only Allah guides hearts, even when we love someone very much
    • CThat Abu Talib became a Muslim
irtaqischool.com/worksheet/b1-c09Page 2 of 6
Irtaqi · Seerah for kids
Chapter 9 · Worksheet

The Boycott and the Year of Sorrow

Shut out by Makkah, then two great losses

5From the Qur'an: read, copy, understand

إِنَّكَ لَا تَهۡدِي مَنۡ أَحۡبَبۡتَ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَهۡدِي مَن يَشَآءُۚ وَهُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِٱلۡمُهۡتَدِينَ ٥٦

“You surely cannot guide whoever you like, O Prophet, but it is Allah who guides whoever He wills, and He knows best who are fit to be guided.”

Surah al-Qasas 28:56 · meaning in plain English

Copy the verse carefully in Arabic:

What does this verse teach you?

6Think and write

Why do you think the Prophet ﷺ kept sending gifts to Khadijah's friends years after she died?

Surah al-Qasas 28:56 says only Allah guides. How should this change the way we invite friends or family to Islam?

?Back to the Big Question

How do you keep going when the people who protect you are gone?

Has your answer changed? Write it again using what you learned.

irtaqischool.com/worksheet/b1-c09Page 3 of 6
Irtaqi · Seerah for kids
Chapter 9 · Colouring page

The Boycott and the Year of Sorrow

Shut out by Makkah, then two great losses

Imagined scene: A Written Agreement

Colour the place where this part of the story happened. No people are shown.

irtaqischool.com/worksheet/b1-c09Page 4 of 6
Irtaqi · Seerah for kids
Chapter 9 · A pattern to colour

The Boycott and the Year of Sorrow

Shut out by Makkah, then two great losses

Eight-pointed stars like these decorate mosques and books across the Muslim world. Choose three colours and repeat them.

irtaqischool.com/worksheet/b1-c09Page 5 of 6
Irtaqi · Seerah for kids
Chapter 9 · Answers for the teacher

The Boycott and the Year of Sorrow

Shut out by Makkah, then two great losses

1Story order

  1. A Written Agreement
  2. Years in the Valley
  3. Khadijah
  4. A Love That Did Not Fade
  5. Abu Talib
  6. The Year of Sorrow

2Words

  • Boycott → A
  • Shi'b → C
  • Am al-Huzn → B

3True or false

  1. False. It hit the whole clan, believers and non-believers alike.
  2. True. Aishah remembered it (Bukhari 3818).
  3. False. His last words were that he was on the religion of Abd al-Muttalib (Bukhari 3884).
  4. True. With the good news of a house in Paradise made of hollow pearl (Bukhari 3820).
  5. True. The two clans stayed in the Shi'b of Abu Talib under the boycott.

4Quiz

  1. B · No marriage and no trade with the two clans until they handed over the Prophet ﷺ
  2. B · Greetings from her Lord, and a house in Paradise with no noise and no tiredness
  3. B · He spoke of her often and sent gifts to her friends
  4. B · That only Allah guides hearts, even when we love someone very much

Questions 5 and 6 have no single right answer. Look for answers that use details from the chapter.