8.2.1 First Pledge

Context of the First Pledge

The First Pledge of ‘Aqabah took place during a period when the Prophet ﷺ was actively seeking a new base for Islam beyond Makkah. The opposition of the Quraysh had grown harsh and stubborn, and although the Muslims had begun to build a small but firm community, they still lacked the protection of a united political body.

Every year, the tribes of Arabia would gather in Makkah during the season of Hajj. They came for pilgrimage according to the remnants of the way of Ibrahim عليه السلام, although mixed with shirk and innovations. The Prophet ﷺ used these seasons systematically to call different tribes to Islam and to seek someone who would accept the message and offer protection.

Ibn Ishaq and others narrate that the Prophet ﷺ would go to the tribal encampments and say to them words like: “Who will shelter me, so that I may convey the message of my Lord, for indeed Quraysh have prevented me from conveying the message of my Lord?” Many tribes rejected him. Some feared the political consequences of protecting him against Quraysh. Others rejected the message itself.

It was during these efforts that he encountered a small group from Yathrib, the city that would later be known as Madinah. This meeting, which seemed simple on the surface, became the turning point that prepared the way for the Hijrah and the establishment of the first Islamic state.

Who Were the People of Yathrib?

Yathrib was a city to the north of Makkah, inhabited by two main Arab tribes, Aws and Khazraj, along with several Jewish tribes. For many years, Aws and Khazraj had been locked in cycles of war and revenge. Shortly before the events of the First Pledge, they had fought a destructive battle known as the Battle of Bu‘ath, which exhausted both sides and made many among them long for peace and unity.

The people of Yathrib lived in close contact with Jewish tribes who possessed scripture and religious learning. The Jews would often warn the Arabs of Yathrib that a final prophet was coming, and that they would follow him and defeat the Arabs.

This repeated warning stayed in the memory of some of the Arabs of Yathrib. When they heard the Prophet ﷺ recite the Quran and present himself as the Messenger of Allah, they recognized in his message what they had heard from the Jews about a coming prophet.

Allah alludes to this general reality concerning the People of the Book knowing the Prophet ﷺ from their scriptures:

﴿الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَعْرِفُونَهُ كَمَا يَعْرِفُونَ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ﴾
“Those to whom We gave the Scripture recognize him as they recognize their own sons.”
(Surah Al Baqarah 2:146)

Although this verse speaks primarily about the scholars of the People of the Book, it helps us understand why the people of Yathrib were more prepared than others to accept the coming of a prophet.

The Meeting at ‘Aqabah during Hajj

In the eleventh year of prophethood, during the Hajj season, the Prophet ﷺ met six men from Yathrib. They were from the tribe of Khazraj. The meeting took place at a place called ‘Aqabah near Mina, just outside Makkah. At this stage, it was a simple, quiet conversation, not yet a formal, public pledge.

The Prophet ﷺ spoke to them about Islam, called them to tawhid, and recited portions of the Quran. The Quran they heard was unlike anything they had come across before. It was powerful and clear. It addressed the oneness of Allah, the reality of the Hereafter, and the need for justice and moral purification.

These men were already tired of their tribal conflicts and the injustice that had spread in their city. When they listened to the Quran, they saw in it a solution that could end their divisions and bring them together upon a higher truth.

Some of the earliest sources mention that when they heard his call, they said among themselves that this must be the same prophet whom the Jews had been telling them about. They feared that if they did not hasten to believe, the Jews might accept him first and thereby gain superiority over them.

Allah describes the feeling of those who recognize the truth that they had been waiting for:

﴿الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلِهِ هُم بِهِ يُؤْمِنُونَ ۝ وَإِذَا يُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ قَالُوا آمَنَّا بِهِ إِنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا مِن قَبْلِهِ مُسْلِمِينَ﴾
“Those to whom We gave the Scripture before it, they believe in it.
And when it is recited to them, they say, ‘We believe in it. Indeed, it is the truth from our Lord. Indeed, even before it we were Muslims.’”
(Surah Al Qasas 28:52–53)

Although these verses speak in a more general way, they reflect the attitude of sincere seekers of truth, such as those first men from Yathrib.

The Content of the First Pledge

In the following Hajj season, the twelfth year of prophethood, a larger group of people from Yathrib came to Makkah. Among them were the original six, now Muslims, and others whom they had invited to Islam back home. They had been busy in Yathrib explaining the message, reciting what they remembered of the Quran, and inviting their families and tribes to join them in faith.

This time, twelve men from the people of Yathrib met the Prophet ﷺ at ‘Aqabah and gave him what later came to be known as the First Pledge of ‘Aqabah. The pledge focused on the fundamentals of personal faith and morality. It did not yet include a promise of military protection, nor did it establish a political alliance in the full sense. That would come later, in the Second Pledge.

The text of the pledge is preserved in authentic narrations. One of the most important is the hadith of ‘Ubādah ibn As Samit رضي الله عنه, who was one of those present. He said:

“I was one of the leaders and those present at the First Pledge of ‘Aqabah. We pledged to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ

> عَلَى أَنْ لَا نُشْرِكَ بِاللَّهِ شَيْئًا، وَلَا نَسْرِقَ، وَلَا نَزْنِيَ، وَلَا نَقْتُلَ أَوْلَادَنَا، وَلَا نَأْتِيَ بِبُهْتَانٍ نَفْتَرِيهِ بَيْنَ أَيْدِينَا وَأَرْجُلِنَا، وَلَا نَعْصِيهُ فِي مَعْرُوفٍ

‘that we would not associate anything with Allah, that we would not steal, that we would not commit illegal sexual intercourse, that we would not kill our children, that we would not utter slander, forging it between our hands and feet, and that we would not disobey him in what is right.’

The Prophet ﷺ then said:

> فَمَنْ وَفَّى مِنْكُمْ فَأَجْرُهُ عَلَى اللَّهِ، وَمَنْ أَصَابَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ شَيْئًا فَعُوقِبَ بِهِ فِي الدُّنْيَا فَهُوَ كَفَّارَةٌ لَهُ، وَمَنْ أَصَابَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ شَيْئًا فَسَتَرَهُ اللَّهُ فَهُوَ إِلَى اللَّهِ، إِنْ شَاءَ عَذَّبَهُ، وَإِنْ شَاءَ غَفَرَ لَهُ

‘Whoever among you fulfills this, his reward is with Allah. Whoever falls into something of that and is punished in this world, that will be an expiation for him. Whoever falls into something of that and Allah conceals it for him, then his matter is with Allah, if He wills He will punish him and if He wills He will forgive him.’”

(Sahih al Bukhari and Sahih Muslim)

This hadith shows that the pledge was built on several key points.

First, absolute commitment to tawhid. They were pledging not to commit shirk in any form. This is the foundation of all faith and the first call of every prophet:

﴿وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِي كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولًا أَنِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُوا الطَّاغُوتَ﴾
“And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying], ‘Worship Allah and avoid false gods.’”
(Surah An Nahl 16:36)

Second, they pledged to abandon theft and zina, both of which were common in many parts of pre Islamic Arabia. Third, they agreed to stop the horrific practice of killing children, which existed among some Arabs due to fear of poverty or shame.

Allah had already revealed about such acts:

﴿وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا أَوْلَادَكُمْ خَشْيَةَ إِمْلَاقٍ ۖ نَّحْنُ نَرْزُقُهُمْ وَإِيَّاكُمْ﴾
“And do not kill your children for fear of poverty. We provide for them and for you.”
(Surah Al Isra 17:31)

Fourth, they pledged not to forge slander or spread false accusations. This preserved honor and social trust. Finally, they promised not to disobey the Prophet ﷺ in what is right. This last clause established the principle of obedience to the Messenger within the bounds of what is known to be good and lawful.

The Prophet ﷺ, in return, did not promise them worldly gains. Instead, he promised that whoever fulfilled this pledge would have his reward with Allah. Those who slipped but were punished in this world would find that punishment to be a purification and expiation. Those whose sins remained hidden would have their case left to the will of Allah.

The Number and Identity of the Pledgers

The sources agree that twelve men gave the First Pledge. Most of them were from Khazraj, with a smaller number from Aws. Some of them would later become among the earliest Ansar leaders in Madinah.

Among those named in the longstanding reports were ‘Ubādah ibn As Samit, As‘ad ibn Zurārah, Rāfi‘ ibn Mālik, and others, may Allah be pleased with them all. They returned to Yathrib not as isolated believers, but as a small organized group tied together by a clear covenant.

This group represented the earliest organized Muslim presence in Yathrib. They were few in number, but their hearts were filled with iman and a strong sense of responsibility. The Prophet ﷺ now had a committed group in a city outside Makkah who had accepted his prophethood and pledged to live by the core teachings of Islam.

The Mission of Mus‘ab ibn ‘Umair رضي الله عنه

One of the most important outcomes of the First Pledge was the Prophet’s decision to send a teacher and representative with them to Yathrib. He chose Mus‘ab ibn ‘Umair رضي الله عنه, a young companion known for his strong faith, balanced character, and ability to convey the message with wisdom.

Mus‘ab’s task was to teach the Quran, explain Islam, and lead the new Muslims in worship. He was also to invite others in Yathrib to Islam in a calm and systematic way. For this reason, many scholars refer to him as the first envoy or ambassador of Islam.

Under his patient and wise efforts, Islam began to spread in Yathrib. He lived among the people, recited the Quran to them, and taught them the obligations that had been revealed so far. Households began to accept Islam one after another. Some of the key leaders of Aws and Khazraj became Muslim through his efforts, including Sa‘d ibn Mu‘ādh and Usaid ibn Hudayr رضي الله عنهما, whose Islam greatly strengthened the Muslim presence in the city.

Although the detailed stories of Mus‘ab’s da‘wah in Yathrib belong more directly to the broader topic of the Road to Madinah, it is important here to recognize that his mission was a direct and immediate fruit of the First Pledge. Without that pledge, there would have been no organized basis for sending him and building a community in advance of the Hijrah.

The Nature and Limits of the First Pledge

It is crucial to understand what the First Pledge was, and what it was not. It was a clear, solemn commitment to accept Islam and to live by its moral teachings. It gave the Prophet ﷺ a small but serious group in Yathrib who recognized his authority in matters of religion and obedience in what is right.

However, this pledge did not yet include a promise to defend him by force of arms or to protect him in Yathrib from his enemies. It was, in essence, a pledge similar in spirit to the pledge mentioned in Surah Al Mumtahanah that Muslim women would give, which focused on belief and moral conduct:

﴿يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ إِذَا جَاءَكَ الْمُؤْمِنَاتُ يُبَايِعْنَكَ عَلَىٰ أَنْ لَا يُشْرِكْنَ بِاللَّهِ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَسْرِقْنَ وَلَا يَزْنِينَ وَلَا يَقْتُلْنَ أَوْلَادَهُنَّ وَلَا يَأْتِينَ بِبُهْتَانٍ يَفْتَرِينَهُ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِنَّ وَأَرْجُلِهِنَّ وَلَا يَعْصِينَكَ فِي مَعْرُوفٍ فَبَايِعْهُنَّ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُنَّ اللَّهَ﴾
“O Prophet, when the believing women come to you pledging that they will not associate anything with Allah, nor will they steal, nor commit zina, nor kill their children, nor bring a slander they have forged between their hands and feet, nor disobey you in what is right, then accept their pledge and ask Allah to forgive them.”
(Surah Al Mumtahanah 60:12)

The similarity of wording between this verse and the hadith of ‘Ubādah ibn As Samit is clear. This shows that the essence of the First Pledge was to bind the early believers from Yathrib to the core ethical and religious foundations of Islam, under the authority of the Prophet ﷺ.

Only later, at the Second Pledge of ‘Aqabah, would they agree to take on the heavier responsibility of military protection and full political allegiance.

Spiritual and Historical Significance

Historically, the First Pledge of ‘Aqabah marks the beginning of a new phase in the Seerah. Before it, Islam was centered in Makkah, under severe pressure, with no secure external base. After it, there existed in Yathrib a small but committed Muslim community that was receiving regular teaching and guidance. This community was preparing, perhaps without fully realizing it, to become the core of the future city of the Prophet ﷺ.

Spiritually, the pledge shows how Islam begins by reforming the heart and the individual before building a state or army. The men of Yathrib did not first promise fortresses, numbers, or weapons. They first promised to purify their worship, protect people’s property and honor, end killing of children, and obey the Prophet ﷺ in what is right.

The Prophet ﷺ, in turn, centered his promise on the hereafter. He taught them that the true reward for fulfilling this pledge would come from Allah. If they failed and were punished in this life, that punishment would count as expiation. If Allah concealed their faults, then their case would be left to His will, between fear and hope.

This balance between individual responsibility, moral discipline, trust in Allah, and hope in His mercy is a key lesson that flows directly from the First Pledge. It shows that the path to building a believing society begins with a sincere covenant with Allah based on iman, taqwa, and obedience to His Messenger ﷺ.

The First Pledge of ‘Aqabah was therefore not only an agreement between twelve men and the Prophet ﷺ at a rocky mountain pass near Mina. It was a foundational moment in the emergence of a new community, prepared inwardly by faith and character, before it would be charged outwardly with the responsibilities of protection and governance in the Second Pledge and the Hijrah that followed.