بيعة العقبة الأولى
The First Pledge of Aqaba
Dhul Hijjah, 1 BH (621 CE)
Aqaba, near Mina العقبة – منى
During the Hajj season, twelve men from Madinah (six from the Aws and six from the Khazraj) met the Prophet ﷺ at Aqaba (near Mina) and pledged allegiance to him. They promised not to associate anything with Allah, not to steal, not to commit unlawful relations, not to kill their children, not to slander, and not to disobey the Prophet ﷺ in any matter of good.
Why this matters
This pledge, known as the 'Pledge of Women' because it did not include the obligation of military support, was the first formal alliance between the Prophet ﷺ and the people of Madinah. It opened the door for Islam to take root in a new city and would ultimately lead to the Hijrah. The Prophet ﷺ sent Mus'ab ibn Umayr as the first ambassador and teacher of Islam to Madinah.
Hadith references
Sahih al-Bukhari, #4
Narrated by: Ubadah ibn as-Samit
“We pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on the basis that we would not associate anything with Allah, would not steal, would not commit adultery, would not kill our children, would not bring any slander we had fabricated, and would not disobey him in any good deed.”