Bukhari

Hadith Commentary:
The details of the Battle of Harrah are as follows: In the year 63 AH, Abdullah bin Hanzalah and several people from Madinah went to see Yazid while he was taking the pledge of allegiance (bay‘ah) for his caliphate from the people. When this delegation from Madinah assessed the situation, they found Yazid unfit for the caliphate. Disgusted by his indecent actions, they returned to Madinah and pledged allegiance to Abdullah bin Zubair radi Allahu anhu for the caliphate. When Yazid learned of this, he appointed Muslim bin Uqbah as the commander and sent a large army to Madinah. This army committed many atrocities against the people of Madinah—killing hundreds of thousands of Companions (Sahabah), Followers (Tabi‘in), commoners and notables, men, women, and even children. This incident took place in a field adjacent to Madinah called Harrah, and thus it became associated with that name.
The meaning of Abdullah bin Zayd’s statement was that they themselves had already pledged allegiance unto death at the blessed hand of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Therefore, there was no need to renew this pledge at the hand of anyone else.
It is understood from this that a pledge (bay‘ah) can be made unto death, by which steadfastness and patience are intended.

Hadith Commentary:
➊
To risk one’s life for the sake of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) is a part of faith, but no one else besides him deserves the honor that one should offer their life for them. Rather, doing so would be to cast oneself into destruction, because if the pledge of allegiance (bay‘ah) to a non-Prophet is made upon death, and later his error becomes clear, then there are two possibilities:
- To remain steadfast upon his pledge.
In this case, death would be contrary to the truth.
- The second possibility is to abandon his pledge.
At that time, death would be upon the abandonment of the pledge.
Both situations are destructive, so at the outset, it is easier not to pledge allegiance, lest death come upon something contrary to the truth or upon the abandonment of the pledge.

➋
It should be clear that Abdullah bin Hanzalah was taking a pledge from the people to fight to the death for Abdullah bin Zubair (radi Allahu anhu), which Abdullah bin Zayd (radi Allahu anhu) refused.
The meaning of this was that we have already pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) upon death with our own hands, so there is no need to pledge allegiance anew at the hand of anyone else.

➌
In this narration, pledging allegiance upon death at the hand of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) was not explicit, so Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) has mentioned a hadith further on in which it is explicitly stated that the pledge of allegiance to the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) was upon death.

Hadith Commentary: This refers to the occasion where the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) took the pledge (bay‘ah) from the Companions (radi Allahu anhum) upon death.

Hadith Commentary:
➊
The purpose of Imam Bukhari rahimahullah in mentioning this hadith is to show that Abdullah bin Zayd radi Allahu anhu was present at the time of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah and that he participated in the Pledge of Ridwan.
➋
Harrah is a plain outside Madinah Tayyibah where a battle took place between the people of Madinah and the army of Yazid.
The people of Madinah had annulled their pledge of allegiance to Yazid.
In this incident, Abdullah bin Hanzalah and all his children were martyred.
➌
Although death is an involuntary act, taking a pledge (bay‘ah) upon this involuntary act means that they will continue to fight in the path of Allah, will not turn their backs and flee, until death comes; in this sense, this pledge is upon a voluntary act.
We have explained its details in the Book of Jihad, and the meaning of pledging upon death is that they will stand firm in the battlefield and confront the enemy.
And Allah knows best.

Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues: The pledge of Ridwan (Bay‘at al-Ridwan) was taken on the condition that no one would flee, and its purpose was precisely this: we will sacrifice our lives, but we will not run away. Therefore, some of the noble Companions, taking the wording into consideration, said, "We pledged not upon death, but upon not fleeing." However, others, considering the outcome, result, and purpose, said, "We pledged upon death," because when one is to stand firm in confrontation and show patience in all circumstances, then its outcome could also be death.