Why did Muhammad lose protection in Mecca after the death of Abu Talib?

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Medina, Saudi Arabia: Prophet's Mosque — Muhammad The Prophet's Mosque, showing the green dome built above the tomb of Muhammad, Medina, Saudi Arabia.

Following the death of his uncle Abū Ṭālib around 619 CE, Muhammad lost his protection in Mecca because the leadership of his clan, the Hāshim, passed to another uncle, Abū Lahab.

Unlike Abū Ṭālib, who had maintained the clan's support for Muhammad despite the opposition of other Meccan tribes, Abū Lahab withdrew this protection. This shift meant that Muhammad was no longer shielded by the traditional kinship ties that had previously prevented his opponents from attacking him without fear of retribution. Consequently, he became vulnerable to direct hostility and was no longer safe in Mecca, which prompted him to seek a new, more hospitable environment for his followers, eventually leading to the Hijrah to Medina.12