Tyrants in history in particular and disbelievers at large boycotted, persecuted, forced to migrate and even killed prophets as history shows.
Yes, the events you described for Prophet Muhammad are well-documented in historical and religious accounts from Islamic tradition, with broad consensus among historians that they occurred as part of the early challenges faced by the Muslim community in Mecca.
- Socio-economic boycott: Around 616-619 CE, the Quraysh tribe imposed a boycott on Muhammad’s clan, Banu Hashim, isolating them in the valley of Shi’b Abi Talib and prohibiting trade or marriage with them to pressure them into abandoning Islam. 1 7 This lasted about three years and caused significant hardship, including starvation.
- Pelted with stones: In 619 CE, after facing rejection in Mecca, Muhammad traveled to the nearby city of Ta’if to seek support but was mocked, chased, and stoned by the locals, including children, until he bled and had to flee. 2 4 8
- Forced to migrate: In 622 CE, due to escalating persecution and threats to his life from the Quraysh, Muhammad and his followers migrated from Mecca to Medina (known as the Hijra), marking the start of the Islamic calendar and a turning point for the religion. 9
Similar instances of persecution, boycotts, rejection, or forced migration have occurred to other prophets in Abrahamic religious histories (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), often as a result of opposition to their messages. Here are some examples based on biblical and Quranic accounts, which are treated as historical narratives in these traditions:
- Abraham: He faced opposition from his idolatrous community in Ur (modern-day Iraq) for preaching monotheism, leading to his forced departure and migration to Canaan (Genesis 11-12; also emphasized in Islamic sources as leaving due to threats). 14
- Moses: As a young man, he killed an Egyptian overseer abusing a Hebrew slave and fled Egypt to Midian to escape Pharaoh’s retribution (Exodus 2). Later, he returned to lead the Israelites out of slavery amid intense opposition, including plagues and pursuit by Egyptian forces. 14 23
- Noah: He was mocked, ridiculed, and threatened by his people for building the ark and warning of a flood, facing social isolation and rejection for over a century before the deluge (Genesis 6-9; Quran 71 emphasizes the boycott-like shunning).
- Elijah: He was persecuted by King Ahab and Queen Jezebel for challenging Baal worship, forcing him to flee into the wilderness and hide in caves to avoid assassination (1 Kings 18-19). 22
- Jeremiah: Known as the “weeping prophet,” he was imprisoned, thrown into a muddy cistern, and publicly humiliated by Judean leaders for prophesying Jerusalem’s destruction, facing constant threats and isolation (Jeremiah 20, 37-38). 17 21
- Jesus: He encountered rejection from religious authorities, was forced to flee as an infant to Egypt to escape King Herod’s massacre (Matthew 2), and later faced arrest, trial, and crucifixion amid accusations of blasphemy (Gospels). Early followers also migrated to Abyssinia to escape Meccan persecution in Islamic accounts of early Christianity. 16 19
These patterns of rejection and exile are recurring themes in prophetic stories across Abrahamic texts, often portraying prophets as outsiders challenging societal norms. 21 22 28