Reports on the Night of Aqabah

It is narrated from Abdullah bin Abi Bakr that on the night of al-Aqabah, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Bring out to me twelve of your men who will be guardians over their people, just as the Disciples were guardians for Isa bin Maryam." The guardian of Banu al-Najjar (Ibn Idris said: Banu al-Najjar were the maternal uncles of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)) was Sayyiduna Abu Umamah As'ad bin Zurarah (may Allah be pleased with him). The two chiefs (guardians) of Banu al-Harith bin al-Khazraj were Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Rawahah and Sa'd bin Rabi' (may Allah be pleased with them). The two chiefs of Banu Salimah were Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr bin Haram (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna al-Bara bin Ma'rur (may Allah be pleased with him). The two chiefs of Banu Sa'idah were Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Ubadah and Sayyiduna al-Mundhir bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with them). The chief of Banu Zurayq was Sayyiduna Rafi' bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him). The chief of Banu Awf bin al-Khazraj, who were known by the title al-Qawaqil, was Sayyiduna Ubadah bin al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him). The two chiefs of Banu Abd al-Ashhal were Sayyiduna Usayd bin al-Hudayr and Sayyiduna Abu al-Haytham bin al-Tayyihan (may Allah be pleased with them). And the chief of Banu Amr bin Awf was Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Khaythamah (may Allah be pleased with him).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Uqbah bin Amr al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) promised to meet us at the foot of the pass on the Day of Adha, and we numbered seventy. (Sayyiduna Uqbah said: I was the youngest of them.) The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came to us and said: "Keep your talk brief, for I fear the disbelievers of Quraysh for you." The narrator said: We said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! Ask of us concerning your Lord, ask of us something concerning yourself and ask of us something concerning your companions, and also tell us what reward will be due (to us) from Allah and from you." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I ask of you concerning my Lord that you believe in Him and associate nothing with Him. I ask of you concerning myself that you obey me, and I will guide you to the path of right guidance. And I ask of you concerning myself and my companions that you share your wealth with us in sympathy, and that you protect us from whatever you protect yourselves from. When you do this, then Paradise will be due to you from Allah and from me." The narrator said: So we stretched out our hands and gave allegiance to him (peace and blessings be upon him).

It is narrated from al-Sha'bi that Sayyiduna al-Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) went with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to the Ansar, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Speak, but do not prolong your talk. There are spies set upon you, and I fear the disbelievers of Quraysh for you." Then a man among them spoke, whose kunyah was Abu Umamah, and he was their spokesman on that day, namely Sayyiduna As'ad bin Zurarah (may Allah be pleased with him). He said to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "Ask of us for your Lord, ask of us for yourself and ask of us for your companions. And (tell us) what reward there will be for this." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I ask of you concerning my Lord that you worship Him and associate nothing with Him. I ask for myself that you believe in me and protect me from what you protect yourselves and your sons from. And I ask for my companions that you share your wealth with them in sympathy." The Ansar asked: "When we do all this, what will we receive?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Paradise is due to you from Allah."

It is narrated from Abu al-Tufayl that there was some dispute between Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) and another man from among the people of al-Aqabah. He asked: "I adjure you by Allah (tell me), how many were the people of al-Aqabah?" At this the people also said: "Tell him, for he has asked you." So Sayyiduna Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "We used to be told that they were fourteen." Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "And if you were among them, then they were fifteen. I swear by Allah that twelve of them were at war with Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in this world and the Hereafter. And three were excused, who said: 'We did not hear the caller of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and we did not know what the people intended.'"

It is narrated from Isma'il bin Abi Khalid, who said: I heard Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abi Awfa (may Allah be pleased with him), who was one of the Companions who gave allegiance under the tree, say: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) invoked against the confederate armies, saying: "O Allah, Revealer of the Book, Swift in reckoning, Defeater of the armies! O Allah, defeat them and shake them."

Amr bin Murrah said: I heard Sayyiduna Ibn Abi Awfa (may Allah be pleased with him) say: The Companions who gave allegiance to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) under the tree were one thousand four hundred or one thousand three hundred, and the people of the tribe of Aslam were one eighth of the Muhajirun.

It is narrated from Amir that the first to give allegiance under the tree was Sayyiduna Abu Sinan al-Asadi Wahb (may Allah be pleased with him). He came into the presence of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "I give allegiance to you." He (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "On what do you give allegiance to me?" Abu Sinan said: "On what is in your heart." The narrator said: So he (peace and blessings be upon him) accepted his allegiance. The narrator said: Then another man came to him (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "I give allegiance to you on what Abu Sinan gave allegiance." So he also gave allegiance to him (peace and blessings be upon him). Then the rest of the people gave allegiance to him (peace and blessings be upon him).

It is narrated from Amir that al-Sabiqun al-Awwalun (the first and foremost) are those who took part in the Pledge of al-Ridwan.