The second pledge of Aqabah

In the thirteenth year of the Prophet’s mission, many pilgrims from Yathrib made their way to Makkah, Muslims and pagans alike. The Muslims wanted to meet with the Prophet , and invite him to move to Yathrib. The harrassment, abuse and fear that overshadowed the Prophet and his followers in Makkah had dismayed the Muslims of Yathrib, who resolved to offer the Prophet their loyal protection if he moved there. They arranged a secret meeting with him late one night at Aqabah after the Hajj.

To keep their meeting a secret from the Makkan pagans, the seventy-three Muslims from Yathrib sneaked out to Aqabah, some in pairs, some alone, to make what was to be known as the Second Pledge of Aqabah. All but eleven were from the Khazraj tribe. Two women were present as well – Nasiba bint Ka’b from Banu Najjar and Asma bint Amr from Banu Salamah. The Prophet was accompanied by his uncle, Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib, who, though not a Muslim at the time, was concered about his nephews welfare. Abbas began by saying, “The Prophet has both security and honour in Makkah. If you cannot guarantee to protect him in Yathrib, then let him remain in Makkah.”

Baraa bin Marur spoke for the Muslims of Yathrib: “We are determined to offer our loyalty to the Prophet and sacrifice ourselves for him, and we are willing to make a covenant to this effect.”

The Prophet recited some verses from the Qur’an and had the men from Yathrib take the following oath: “We will worship none but Allah, and we will never Associate any partner with Him.”

“We will obey the Prophet.” “We will give of our wealth freely in prosperity and in poverty.” “We will counsel others to do good deeds and instruct them to refrain from evil.” “We will serve Allah, even when others show contempt.” “We will protect the Prophet as we protect our women and children.”

Additionally, according to Ubada, the Yathrib Muslims also pledged not to disobey those in authority. Baraa bin Manur took the Prophet’s hand and said, “I swear by the One Who has sent you with the Truth, we shall certainly protect you as we do our families. By Allah! We are sons of battle and weapons are our toys. This is what we have inherited from our ancestors.” Abul Haytham bin Al-Tayhan then said, “O Prophet! We are bound to our people by a covenant, and by pledging loyalty to you, we are about to cut off our old ties. If success comes to you and you conquer Makkah, will you return to Makkah and then leave us defenseless?”

The Prophet smiled and said, “No! Blood is blood, and destruction is destruction. I am of you, and you are of me. I will wage war against those who make war upon you, and be at peace with those who are at peace with you.”

“You know what you are all agreeing to,” Abbas warned. “All of you are pledging to go to war. So, what will you do if if you lose all your wealth and property, and all your leaders are killed? Will you abandon the Prophet? If so, let him stay here in Makkah, because if you forsake him it will be a disgrace in this world and the next. However, if you stand by him even in the face of destruction, you will find a reward in this world and the next.” The Yathrib Muslims listened to Abbas and then vowed that they would support the Prophet no matter how great the risks involved. Someone then asked the Prophet , “Tell me, O Prophet! What we will get in exchange for all this?”

“Paradise,” the Prophet replied simply. “Give us your hand,” the people said. Asad bin Zurara then took the Prophet’s hand in his and addressed the gathering: “O people of Yathrib, after a long journey we have found the Prophet of God. Taking his hand means incurring the enmity of all the Arabs, the deaths of our chiefs in his defense, and the clash of swords. If you are prepared for this, take the Prophet’s hand, and with Allah lies the reward. If, however, you have any reservations, forsake him now.”