THE COVENANT OF AQABAH
The Second Pledge of Aqaba
It was the 13th year of the Islamic calendar (622 A.D.)
During the Hajj season of this year, Mus’ab bin Umayr رضي الله عنه came to Makkah with 75 people, two of them women, of the Aws and Khazraj tribes. This group went to our Holy Rasulullahﷺ who was sitting at the Kaabah with his uncle Abbas, and made the following offer:
O! Rasulullahﷺ! We are a rather big group. We agree to take you amongst us, to help you, to sacrifice ourselves for your sake, and to protect your inner-being as we do your physical being. Where should we meet with you to further discuss this matter?”
Our Holy Rasulullahﷺ again deemed it suitable to meet at Aqaba.
This meeting was to be held at night and no one else was to know. In fact, in order not to attract any attention, they would leave their encampment in very small groups to go to Aqaba. As instructed, the Muslims from Medina gathered in the valley near Aqaba at nighttime without attracting anyone’s attention and without letting anyone else know.
Our Holy Rasulullahﷺ came with his uncle Abbas Ibn Abd Muthalib who had not become a Muslim yet. Abbas Ibn Abd Muthalib's purpose was to not leave his nephew alone in this important matter and to hear the given promises himself.
At first, Abbas Ibn Abd Muthalib began to speak. He made a speech saying that if the Muslims of Madinah were confident they could protect our Holy Rasulullahﷺ that they should proceed and if they were not confident then they had to abandon this plan at once. However, the Muslims of Madinah wanted our Holy Rasulullahﷺ to speak: They said, “O Messenger of God! You talk, too! Obtain the promise that you want for you and for your Lord from us.”
At that moment As’ad bin Zurarah رضياللهعنه, the leader of the Muslims of Madinah, received permission from our Holy Rasulullahﷺ to speak and said, “O God’s Apostle, every invitation has a way. That way can be either be or difficult! The invitation you make is a difficult one for the people of today to accept. You invited us to your religion and to abandon the religion we used to follow. This was a very difficult task. Despite this, we accepted your invitation. We were a community that protected our homeland with honor and against all kinds of invasion; nobody could dare to dominate us except us let alone a person who abandoned his tribe and whose uncles wanted to surrender him to his enemies.
Although this was very difficult, we accepted your offer on this path! However, unless God bestows the resolve to discover the true path and the hope to reach beneficence, then none of this will appeal to the people. However, we accepted this by avowing with our tongues, testifying with our hearts, and reaching out our hands. We testify to you by knowing and believing all that you bring from God. We testify to our Lord and your Lord. God’s powerful hands are upon our own hands. Our blood is with your blood, our hands are you with your hands. We will protect you as we protect ourselves, our children, and our wives. If we break our promise, then let us be grief-stricken people who have broken God’s promise.”
As’ad bin Zurarah رضياللهعنه completed the final portion of his speech:
“O God’s Apostle! Take whatever promise from us that you desire for yourself and for the sake of God.”
Our Holy Rasulullahﷺ first recited some verses from the Holy Quran. Afterward, he listed the conditions he wanted for himself and His Lord’s sake:
My request for the sake of God, the Exalted, is that you;
“Worship Him without associating any partners to Him, you perform your salah (daily prayers) and pray your zakat (alms.)
“As for myself;
“Testify that I am God’s Messenger and protect me as you would yourselves, your children, and your wives.” (9)
This time Abdullah bin Rawahah received permission to speak; he said, “O God’s Apostle! If we fulfill what you say, then what is in it for us?”
Our Holy Rasulullahﷺ replied, “Paradise.”
Happiness brightly shone in their eyes as they all testified and said, “In that case, this is a rewarding and beneficial exchange.”
Afterward, they asked our Holy Rasulullahﷺ, “How should we pledge our allegiance to you?”
Our Holy Rasulullahﷺ answered, “You must promise me that you will testify to there being no god but Allah and that He sent me as His Apostle, to pray your solah (daily prayers), to pay your zakat (alms,) to obey me in times of joy and sorrow, to completely submit to my commands, to help me in every way, and when I go there, to protect me from the same things from which you would protect yourselves, wives, and children!”
Twelve Representatives
Upon this, our Holy Rasulullahﷺ declared, “Choose 12 individuals from among yourselves who will stand by me in every matter as the representatives of their tribes. Moses also had 12 representatives from the Sons of Israel.”
The Muslims of Madina chose nine representatives from the Khazraj tribe and three from the Aws.
The chosen individuals from the Khazraj were as follows:
1) Abu Umama As'ad bin Zurara,
2) Sa'd bin Rabi',
3) Rafi' bin Malik,
4) Abdullah bin Rawaha,
5) Abdullah bin Amr,
6) Bara' bin Ma'rur,
7) Sa'd bin Ubada,
8) Ubada bin Sâmit, 9) Mundhir bin Amr.
The representatives chosen for the Aws were:
1) Usaid bin Khudayr,
2) Sa'd bin Haythama,
3) Abu'l-Haytham Malik bin Tayyihan.
All of these representatives were the leading figures of Madinah, esteemed individuals, and literate scholars.
Our Holy Rasulullahﷺ said to these representatives, “Just as the disciples vouched for Isa (Jesus,) Son of Mary, against their tribes, you too are the disciples of yourselves. And I am the disciple of the immigrants from Makkah.”
They confirmed by saying, “Yes.”
Furthermore, after the 12 representatives were chosen, our Holy Rasulullahﷺ appointed As’ad bin Zurarah as the head of the 12 representatives.
These representatives spoke to the groups they represented, explained the importance of the allegiance, and prepared their respective groups to also pledge their allegiance to our Holy Rasulullahﷺ.
Afterward, our Holy Rasulullahﷺ extended his holy hand. The Muslims of Madinah all pledged their allegiance one by one. Only the two women did not give their hands but he accepted them as having pledged.
In a sense, this allegiance was an alliance made between the Muslims of Madinah and Makkah.
The Polytheists Sense Things!
The Allegiance took place in the darkness of the night in a secluded place that nobody other than those invited could see.
Despite this, as soon as the allegiance was complete, they all heard a sound: “O Quraysh! Muhammad and the Madinans who have left the religion of their fathers, have gathered and agreed to wage war on you!”
Where could this voice that tore the silence of the night be coming from? Concern and worry overcame everyone.
This voice resembled the voice of Munabbih bin Hajjaj. Our Holy Rasulullahﷺ commanded: “Immediately return to your camps!”
At that time, Abbas bin Ubada said, “O God’s Apostle, if you would like, as soon as morning comes, we can sharpen our swords, tread upon the community of Mina, and slay them.”
However, our Holy Rasulullahﷺ was commanded to use his sword of patience, he declared,
“No, no. We are not yet commanded to act in this way. Everyone, return to your spots.”
Upon this, the Muslims of Madinah returned to their camps.
When the morning came, the polytheists began to investigate this incident whose purpose was yet unknown to them. At first, they asked the polytheists of Madinah. However, they swore they were uninformed of this matter, “Such a thing did not happen. We do not know of such a thing.”
The Muslims of Madinah thought silence was the best way, and for that reason, they did not say one word.
This time, the polytheists went to Abdullah bin Ubai bin Salul and asked him. He said, “That is a grand work. Such a thing must not have happened. These must be empty words. The tribe did not consult with me. When I was in Yathrib they did not do anything without first consulting with me.”
The polytheists then determined that the polytheists of Madinah knew nothing about this matter.
If our Holy Rasulullahﷺ had not said, “Do not let anyone else know about this incident” and if the Muslims of Madinah had not concealed this matter from their polytheist compatriots, then, of course, this matter would have been heard by the polytheists of Makkah and great trouble would have befallen upon the Muslims.
When the Season of Hajj came to a close, the Muslims of Madinah set off to return to their homeland.
A short time after the Muslims of Madinah had left, the polytheists learned what had happened. They immediately planned to keep a close watch on the Muslims from Madinan. However, it had been a long time since they had left; thus, they were only able to capture two people: Sa’d bin Ubada and Mundhir bin Amr. These two individuals had somehow stayed behind when the caravan set off. Much later, Mundhir was able to find a way and escape from their hands. The polytheists only brought Sa’d bin Ubada to Makkah. They took their anger and resentment out on him by torturing and subjecting him to all kinds of cruelty. At last, Hazrat Sa’d bin Ubada was released from this torture when he received the protection of two polytheists he had known from long before and who had been his guests in Madinah.
Madinah Muslims who returned to their homeland were looking forward to welcoming muhajirins and Rasulullahﷺ!
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