The death of Abu Talib and Khadija

In the tenth year of the prophethood, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)'s uncle Abu Talib, who had always supported him, and his wife Khadija, with whom he had shared a happy life for twenty-five years, passed away (10 Ramadan / April 19th 620) only three days apart from one another. Their deaths saddened the Prophet and the Muslims greatly. Thus, this year is known as the sanatu'l-huzn (the year of sadness). After the death of Abu Talib, Abu Lahab, the leader of the Hashemites, who had not accepted the prophethood of Muhammad before, now consented to take the Prophet under his protection due to the insistence of his sisters. However, after some time, he changed his mind due to the influence of Ukba ibn Abu Muayt and Abu Jahil. Thus, after returning from Taif, the Prophet was able to enter Mecca only under the protection of other Quraish idolaters.