The Second Pledge of ‘Aqbah
In the 13th year of prophethood, a group
of 62 people from the tribe of Khazraj and 11 from that of Aws
came for hajj. These 73 men and two women among them were
evidence of Yathrab being a fertile and appropriate ground for
the spread of Islam. It is obvious that not all those who had
been influenced by the teachings of Islam had come for hajj;
this showed that the group that did come had left behind a
sizeable number of likeminded people. This was the period when
the enmity of the Quraysh for the Prophet (sws) was at its
peak and this news was also spreading to Yathrab. The
connection between Yathrab and the Prophet (sws) was that one
of the earliest companions, Mus‘ab bin ‘Umayr (rta) had been
assigned to teach the Qur’an to people in Yathrab.
Occasionally, people would come from Yathrab to meet the
Prophet (sws), accept Islam at his hands and to learn more, as
recorded by Ibn Kathir with reference to Musnad of Ahmad.
Thus, they were well aware of the conditions in Makkah and the
problems faced by the Prophet (sws) and his companions. They
also knew that the Prophet (sws) no longer had the protection
of his tribe, Banu Hashim, and was living under the protection
of others in Makkah. In Yathrab, they consulted amongst
themselves: how much longer could the Prophet (sws) live under
these dangerous conditions without any help and support? They
decided to take him under their protection. The group of 75
had already accepted Islam. They had not gone to meet the
Prophet (sws) to accept Islam, but as per details of the
meeting, wished to bring the Prophet (sws) to Yathrab for
this. Hence, biographies of the Prophet (sws) do not indicate
any activity of theirs related to their acceptance of Islam.
On the contrary, the time of meeting with the Prophet (sws)
was decided during their stay in Mina and was kept a secret.
Further care was taken in deciding that people would arrive in
twos and threes to the assigned hill, and if anyone went to
sleep or was left behind, he would be ignored so as to ensure
that the Quraysh would get no inkling of the meeting.
According to Ibn Hisham, the Prophet (sws)
came to the meeting place, accompanied by his uncle ‘Abbas ibn
‘Abd al-Mattalib, who had not accepted Islam until then. He
started the discussion by saying: “O’ group from Khazraj! The
status of Muhammad (sws) amongst us is well known to you. We
have kept him protected from our nation so that he may not be
harmed by those who hold different opinions from his. If he
now wishes to go with you, and if you will abide by the
promises which you make and can protect him from his enemies,
then accept this responsibility. But if you believe that after
he goes with you, you will forsake him, then, end this matter
here and now, because he is safe amongst his people and in his
city.” The group said that they understood his stance, and
requested the Prophet (sws) to speak and take action according
to what he thought would be best for himself and his God.
Ibn Kathir has quoted Jabir (rta) with
reference to Imam Ahmad, saying that ‘Abbas was present at
that time, and that when the Prophet (sws) was taking promises
of allegiance, he was holding his arm.
Upon reflection, it appears that some difficulties arise in
accepting the presence of ‘Abbas ibn Muttalib. For example, no
role of ‘Abbas is seen from the time of the beginning of
prophethood until this moment, in demonstrating any concern
for his nephew; whereas his other uncle, Hamzah (rta) accepted
Islam as a point of honour and stood against its enemies
openly at all times. ‘Abbas was also present in the meeting in
which the Quraysh had decided to kill the Prophet (sws). When
the Battle of Badr took place, ‘Abbas not only participated in
it, but also promised to feed the entire army for a day. He
was involved in all battles of the Quraysh against the Prophet
(sws) and accepted Islam only close to the time of Islam’s
conquest of Makkah. Secondly, Abbas was, at that time, a non
Muslim, and this meeting was being held secretively. What
could have been the wisdom of having him present? An
appropriate person would have been Abu Bakr (rta) or Hamzah (rta),
who had accepted Islam at the Prophet’s hand and were very
loyal to him. Thirdly, ‘Abbas addressed the Khazraj, whereas
those present included people from both the tribes of Khazraj
and Aws. If he was addressing all people of Yathrab, why did
he distinguish between Aws and Khazraj? It was also not true
that Banu Hashim gave protection to the Prophet (sws) in those
times. It has been stated above that the Prophet (sws) no
longer had their protection but was living in Makkah with
protection from Mut‘am ibn ‘Adi. The speech as quoted seems to
indicate as if all matters related to migration had been
settled and the Prophet (sws) had agreed to go to Yathrab, and
that all this was known to ‘Abbas.
The fact was that the group from Yathrab
had come to invite him. It was discussed and the Prophet (sws)
gave his views, but did not agree until the end; he could not
have done so without a decision from God. Messengers do not
take decisions to migrate without God’s approval. The Prophet
(sws) had already been instructed to wait for God’s
instructions with patience and not to be hasty like the Fish
Prophet (Yunus (sws)). In view of all these considerations,
the narrative quoted above is doubtful. ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib
was neither present at the occasion of the allegiance of
‘Aqbah, nor did he make any speech. There was a gentleman
named ‘Abbas bin ‘Ubadah (rta) amongst the Yathrab group, who
may have made this speech, which was attributed to ‘Abbas ibn
‘Abd al-Muttalib due to an error. The former’s speech is
mentioned later, and it is similar in content to the speech
quoted earlier. This ‘Abbas belonged to the tribe of Khazraj
and it is understandable that he may have addressed his tribe
in his speech.
When members of the group requested the
Prophet (sws) to address them and to tell them what his
expectations from them were, he answered that he called them
towards God. They were to worship Him only and not attribute
anyone as a partner to Him. He recited the Qur’an and asked
them to follow its teachings.
When the members invited him to come to
Yathrab, he said that if they were to protect him and his
family in the same way as they did their wives and sons, he
would take them up on their promise. This was the time when
other migrant Muslims could have been included, but narratives
do not indicate any references to this. However, the manner in
which the people of Yathrab (Ansar) welcomed them, appears to
be a fulfillment of the promise made in ‘Aqbah. The fact is
that a messenger of God does not migrate alone: he is
accompanied by other followers of his faith when he moves to
another place. Bara’ ibn al-Ma‘rur took hold of the Prophet’s
hand and said that they were brought up in the midst of
battles; they knew well the arts of archery and fencing. They
had been taught by their elders and would take all measures to
protect him.
At that moment, relationships between the
Aws and the Khazraj and the Jews also came under discussion.
Abu al-Haytham ibn al-Tahyan said: “O’ Prophet, we have
existing agreements between the Jews and us. We will need to
end these and cut off our relations with the Jews. If we do
this and God grants you victory, would there be a possibility
that you return to your people and leave us?” The Prophet (sws)
smiled and said: “No. This shall not be the case. This shall
be a friendly agreement. We shall be one entity, whether in
taking revenge for blood, or forgiving it. Our responsibility
shall be combined. I shall be from you, and you shall be from
me. Whoever fights with you will have to fight with me.
Whoever you reconcile with, I shall be reconciled with them.”
The Jewish tribes with whom the Aws and
the Khazraj had agreements were: the Banu Nadir, the Banu
Qurayzah and the Banu Qaynuq‘a. They were ready to cancel
their agreements. Other Jews were those who belonged to the
tribes of Aws and Khazraj themselves. The manner in which the
Prophet’s response has been quoted in narratives shows that
the issue of combined responsibility may have referred to the
second category of Jews. Thus, they might have discussed a
policy to deal with those Jews and to accept their separate
identity. The Prophet (sws) may have reassured them that they
would be considered along with the Muslims of Aws and Khazraj.
It is possible that the narratives have not retained all the
points of his speech.
Banu Salim’s ‘Abbas ibn ‘Ubadah al-Khazraji
informed his people about the inherent dangers of the future
in very clear terms. He said: “O! Khazraj; do you know what
the reality of this allegiance is? As a consequence of this,
you will be required to fight with all people, white or black.
In this struggle, if you can remain committed to your promise
despite losing your wealth and possessions and your honourable
men, only then take this step; and if you do so, it will be
good for you both in this world and the next. But, if you
start thinking that the loss of your wealth is a hardship and
the killing of your good men a great loss, and that it would
be better that you leave the Prophet (sws), then it would be
better if you do not take this oath now, because the other
option will be a great disgrace for you, both in this world
and the next.”
The speeches of several representatives
from Yathrab and their request of clarity from the Prophet (sws)
show that the consequences of their invitation must have been
thoroughly debated and the members of the group declared it to
be their unanimous desire. Possibilities of battles after the
Prophet’s migration were discussed and the Aws and the Khazraj
both promised their firm commitment to defend him with their
lives. Their relations with the Jews were also discussed. The
Prophet (sws) gave his promise that these would be respected
and he would accept the decisions taken by the Aws and the
Khazraj. He further vowed not to leave them. At the end, they
left the final decision to him. The Prophet (sws) asked them
to listen to and obey him under all conditions: happiness or
sorrow; prosperity or hardships; poverty or well being. The
group asked about the benefits to them if they were to follow
his instructions. He said: Paradise. The group agreed and
asked him to hold out his hand to take the oath. He took their
allegiance to listen to and obey him, but did not promise to
migrate at this stage. This oath of allegiance is called the
second allegiance of ‘Aqbah.
After this, in order to organize matters
in Yathrab, the Prophet (sws) set up a group of 12 men as its
leaders. Their assigned responsibilities included explaining
the obligations of their faith to the rest; correcting their
day to day matters and ensuring that they adhered to the
allegiance. The people of Yathrab had accepted the Prophet (sws)
not only as their religious, but also as their political
leader. They returned after promising to obey him at all
costs.
Of the 12 leaders, nine were from the
Khazraj and three from the Aws. These were:
The Tribe of Khazraj: As‘ad ibn Zurarah (rta);
Sa‘d ibn al-Rabi‘ (rta); ‘Abdullah ibn Rawahah (rta); Rafay‘
ibn Malik (rta); Abu Jabir ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (rta); Bara’ ibn
al-Ma‘rur (rta); Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubadah (rta); Mundhir ibn ‘Amr (rta);
‘Ubadah ibn Samit (rta).
The Tribe of Aws: Usayd ibn Hudayr (rta);
Sa‘d ibn Khaythamah (rta); Rafa‘ah ibn ‘Abd al-Mundhir (rta).
After taking the oath, all of them went
to their tents. The Quraysh heard of the meeting and tried to
extract information from the people inside the tents. All of
them expressed their ignorance. When they were returning to
Yathrab, the Quraysh got hold of Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubadah (rta) and
brought him to Makkah. He was threatened and bullied and told
that if they protected the Prophet (sws), they would earn the
enmity of the Quraysh and would be responsible for the
consequences.
The Prophet (sws) and his companions had
found a strong sense of relief in this allegiance. Here was a
land that was offering them a warm welcome. Many people there
were of their own faith and now held the same hopes and
aspirations. The Prophet (sws) would not face the resistance
there, which he had experienced in Makkah. Thus there were
definite indications for the spread of Islam there.
The Prophet’s maternal relations also
lived in Yathrab. The Dar al-Hijrah, which had been shown to
him in his dream had saline soil, was located between two
rocky places and had tall plenty of date palm trees. Yathrab
met these signs far more than either Yamamah or Hijr.
Yathrab’s selection at the time of the taking of the oath of
‘Aqbah, as a definite alternative to Makkah, greatly lightened
the burden on the Prophet’s heart.
Permission to People of the Faith to
Migrate
After the oath was taken in ‘Aqbah, the
Quraysh made life for Muslims even more difficult. Worried,
the latter would come to the Prophet (sws) and ask for
permission to leave Makkah . He would ask them to be patient
and to wait for instructions from God. One day, he met his
companions with happiness on his face and told them that he
had been told definitively that the signs he had seen in his
dream about the Dar al-Hijrah were those of Yathrab. Hence
they should prepare to migrate and, as they become ready, they
should go and meet their Muslim brethren of the Aus and the
Khazraj who would be waiting to welcome them. Muslims, in
singles or in groups began to migrate as per this instruction.
In general, the Quraysh did not bar them from migrating, since
they thought it would be better if they were rid of these
thorns which were giving them so much trouble. There were
occasional incidents of Muslims being hassled due to the
mistaken sense of honour of the Quraysh.
According to biographers, the first
person to migrate was Abu Salamah ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abd al-Asad
Makhzumi (rta). He was the same courageous man who had
migrated first to Abyssinia. When he had returned to Makkah,
he was disowned by his tribe. When he searched for protection,
Abu Ṭalib agreed, but Abu Lahab was angered by his brother
taking responsibility for a Muslim from another family, at
which Abu Ṭalib told him that he was his nephew. Things
changed after Abu Ṭalib’s death and Abu Salamah again looked
for protection. As soon as he became aware of the allegiance
of ‘Aqbah, and of the fact that conditions were favourable for
Muslims in Yathrab, he packed up and put his son Salamah and
his mother on a camel. He was stopped by his wife’s family,
the Banu Mughirah who refused to allow their daughter to
leave. When the Banu Makhzum came to know of this, they also
arrived to claim Salamah. Umm Salamah’s husband left on his
own; the child was taken into the Banu Makhzum’s custody and
Umm Salamah (rta) was left alone. She would shed tears for her
son and husband and wait for the latter to return. One year
passed in this suffering. Then one of her relatives took pity
on her and he sorted out matters between the two families. The
child was returned to the mother and they were given
permission to leave Makkah. She mounted a camel and started
her journey to Makkah alone. She was met on the way by ‘Uthman
ibn Ṭalhah, who expressed surprise at her traveling by
herself. He accompanied her all the way to her husband in
Yathrab and then went back to Makkah.
‘Umar (rta) made a plan with Abu Jahal’s
brother, ‘Ayyash bin Abi Rabi‘ah (rta) and Hisham ibn Abi al-A‘la’s
(rta) to migrate. Hisham (rta) was locked up in his house by
his family and he could not reach the meeting place. ‘Umar (rta)
and ‘Ayyash (rta) travelled together and reached Yathrab. Abu
Jahal and his brother Harith ibn Hisham went after them
immediately and told ‘Ayyash (rta) that his mother had vowed
that she would not comb her hair and would sit in the sun
continuously, until he returned. As the love for his mother
rekindled in his heart, ‘Ayyash (rta) got ready to leave with
his brothers. ‘Umar (rta) tried to convince him that this was
a mere ruse to get him back, but he did not agree. On the way,
his brothers bound him with ropes, took him to Makkah and
locked him in a house. Abu Jahal told the people in Makkah to
give the same treatment to their stupid family members, as he
had to his silly brother.
After the Prophet (sws) migrated, he
placed the matter of ensuring the release of the two
companions who were incarcerated in Makkah, before his other
companions. Walid ibn Walid ibn Mughirah (rta) offered his
services. He went to Makkah, located the whereabouts of then
two companions and brought them to Yathrab.
When Suhayb ibn Sanan (rta) started on
his journey to Yathrab, he was stopped. The idolaters told him
that when he had come to Makkah, his hands were empty; Now
that he was leaving, he had a lot of goods. They would not
allow him to leave. He asked if they would let him go if he
were to return all the wealth. They answered in the
affirmative. He gave up whatever he was carrying and migrated
empty handed.
Throughout this period, the Prophet (sws)
remained in Makkah and continued to pray:
And say: “My
Lord! Cause me to enter a sound entrance and to exit a sound
exit and grant me from Yourself a supporting authority.”
(17:80)
When Abu Bakr (rta)
requested for permission to migrate, he said: “Wait. Let me
also get instructions to migrate.” He asked if he would travel
with him and was answered in the affirmative. Thus, Abu Bakr (rta),
too, started to prepare for migration.
(Translated by Nikhat
Sattar)
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