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1. Pakistan International School Jeddah
Cambridge Curriculum Section (CCS)
Session: 2023 - 2024
1st
Term
Subject: Islamic Studies
Topic: Prophet Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬
-
4
Grade: 6
Week: 13
Time duration :40 min.

3. Students will be able to know
about the events that led to the
formation of the second Pledge of
al-Aqabah and the status of the
Muslims of Madinah.
Learning Objective

4. In the last chapter, we learnt that ten people from Madinah had come for the
first Pledge of Aqabah and Mus’ab ibn Umayr accompanied them to teach them
the religion. He did a wonderful and successful job in Madinah that the next
year 75 people returned to Makkah to meet with the Messenger ‫ﷺ‬ . Seeing the
swelling numbers of Muslims in Madinah encouraged the Messenger ‫ﷺ‬ to shift
his base there. Hence, the second Pledge of Aqabah was drawn up. These
Pledges were important since we know how the Messenger ‫ﷺ‬ was being
persecuted in Makkah and the Quraysh were coming in the way of the spreading
of the religion. It was important to shift to Madinah so that the Muslims could
worship Allah in peace and learn about Islam in a safe place. Moreover, Islam
could be taught to the visitors and the neighbouring areas without the Quraysh
hindering them.
EXPLANATION

6. The Second Pledge took place a year after the first one, which was concluded in
the twelfth year of Prophethood. That year during the hajj season, many of the
people of Yathrib, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, came to Makkah. The
Muslims had decided that they would not leave the Messenger of Allah (‫ﷺ‬) in
Makkah to be expelled and persecuted. Seventy-three men and two women ,
Nusaybah bint Ka'b and Asmaal bint Amr, contacted him in secret and agreed to
meet him in secret at night in the mountain pass that is next to Jamrat ai-
Aqabah.
Allah's Messenger (‫)ﷺ‬ came out at night, took his uncle AI-Abbas ibn Abd al-
Muttalib with him and reached the mountain pass of Aqabah. The believers
from Madinah were waiting for him. When they expressed their desire to take
Allah's Messenger (‫)ﷺ‬ to Madinah, AI-Abbas rose to say, “O assembly of the
people of Madinah! You all know the position that Muhammad holds among us.
The Second Pledge of Aqabah

7. We have protected him as much as we could. He is honoured and respected
among his people. He refuses to join anyone but you. If you think you can fulfil
what you promised to do for him while inviting him and you can defend him
against his enemies, then assume the burden that you have taken. But if you are
going to surrender him and betray him after taking him away with you, then
leave him right away because he is already respected and well-protected in his
own place.
Al-Abbas demanded an unwavering pledge for the support and protection of the
Prophet (‫ﷺ‬ ). He warned them that if they were not sure that they could keep the
terms of the pledge and provide effective protection for him should he migrate
to their city, they should not take the pledge!
The Second Pledge of Aqabah

8. The Prophet (‫ﷺ‬ ) then rose to speak. He recited some verses of the Qur’an,
called people to Allah, exhorted them to embrace Islam and said, “1 give you
my pledge that you will protect me from whatever you protect your women and
children.”
AI-Baraa' ibn Ma'roor, who was the spokesman for the group, said, “Yes, by the
One Who has sent you with the truth, we will most certainly protect you from
what we protect our women and children. So take our pledge, O Messenger of
Allah! By Allah, we are skilled fighters and reliable in war; this is a trait passed
down to us from our ancestors.”
Then Abu AI-Haytham ibn At-Taihan, an elderly Muslim from Madinah,
interrupted AI-Baraa' saying, “There are agreements between us and them (i.e.
the Jews) which we would then sever. Do you think if we support you and Allah
makes you victorious, you would return to your people and leave us?”
The Second Pledge of Aqabah

9. The Prophet (‫ﷺ‬ ) then rose to speak. He recited some verses of the Qur’an,
called people to Allah, exhorted them to embrace Islam and said, “1 give you
my pledge that you will protect me from whatever you protect your women and
children.”
Allah's Messenger (‫ﷺ‬ ) smiled and said, “NO, But your blood is my blood, your
war is my war. I am of you and you are of me; I fight whom you fight and I
make peace with whom you make peace.”
Then they asked, “Messenger of Allah! What would be our reward if we fulfil
our pledge?” “Paradise,” he replied. Then all the members of the delegation
stretched their hands for the pledge whose principles were as follows:
The Second Pledge of Aqabah

10. Principles of Second Pledge of Aqabah

11. They all swore allegiance and AI Baraa' ibn Ma'roor ( RA ) was the first to
extend his hand to the Prophet (‫ﷺ‬ ). The two women took the pledge orally, as
the Prophet (‫ﷺ‬ ) never shook hands with a strange lady. Allah's Messenger (‫ﷺ‬ )
appointed twelve deputies who would be responsible for the affairs of the rest.
They were given the duties of providing leadership and guidance for their
respective groups. The duty of the deputy was manifold (means multiple): he
was the leader of the prayer, the teacher of the Qur'an, the arbiter (means a
person who settles a dispute or has ultimate authority in a matter )in disputes,
the adviser and commander on the battleground. They had the example of
Mus'ab ibn Umayr (RA) and his leadership to guide them.
The Second Pledge of Aqabah

12. Nine of them were from the Khazraj and three were from the Aws. The Muslims
of Madinah now made the pledge to support and defend the Prophet (‫ﷺ‬ ) at any
cost. They were prepared to go to war if that was necessary to defend him. It is
however very important to note here that the pledge of going to war was purely
defensive. Warfare would be defensive in the sense that it would be used for
defending the Prophet (‫ﷺ‬ ) if someone attacked him. There was no hint in the
pledge to wage an offensive war against the Quraysh or anybody else. You will
learn later, lnshaa Allah , that Allah's Messenger (‫ﷺ‬ ) asked special permission
of the Ansaar (Helpers) - the people of Madinah - when he had to fight the
Quraysh in the battle of Badr, which took place after the Prophet's emigration to
Madinah.
The Second Pledge of Aqabah