The First ‘Aqabah Pledge


We have already spoken about six Madinese who embraced Islam in the pilgrimage season in the eleventh year of Prophethood. They promised to communicate the Message of Islam to their townsfolk.

The following year, on the occasion of the pilgrimage, there came a group of twelve disciples ready to acknowledge Muhammad as their Prophet. The group of men comprised five of the six who had met the Prophet PBUH the year before, the sixth who stayed away was Jabir bin ‘Abdullah bin Reyab, the other seven were:

1. Mu‘adh bin Al-Harith, Ibn ‘Afra, from Khazraj.

2. Dhakwan bin ‘Abd Al-Qais, from Khazraj.

3. ‘Ubadah bin As-Samit, from Khazraj.

4. Yazeed bin Tha‘labah, from Khazraj.

5. ‘Al-‘Abbas bin ‘Ubadah bin Nadalah, from Khazraj.

6. Abul Haitham bin At-Taihan, from Aws.

7. ‘Uwaim bin Sa‘idah, from Aws.

They avowed their faith in Muhammad PBUH as a Prophet and swore: "We will not worship any one but one Allah; we will not steal; neither will we commit adultery, nor kill our children; we will not utter slander, intentionally forging falsehood and we will not disobey you in any just matter." When they had taken the pledge, Muhammad PBUH said: "He who carries it out, Allâh will reward him; and who neglects anything and is afflicted in this world, it may prove redemption for him in the Hereafter; and if the sin remains hidden from the eyes of the men and no grief comes to him, then his affair is with Allâh. He may forgive him or He may not."[]

The Muslim Envoy in Madinah:

After the Pledge (in the form of an oath had been taken) the Prophet PBUH sent to Yathrib (Madinah) Mus‘ab bin ‘Umair Al-‘Abdari - may Allah be pleased with him -, the first Muslim ‘ambassador’ to teach the people there the doctrines of Islam, give them practical guidance and make attempts at propagating the Islam among those who still professed polytheism.