The Pledges of Aqabah
بيعتا العقبة
Summary
Delegations from Yathrib (Madinah) met the Prophet (peace be upon him) at Aqabah during the Hajj season. The First Pledge (621 CE) involved twelve men who pledged to worship Allah alone. The Second Pledge (622 CE) involved seventy-three men and two women who pledged to protect the Prophet as they would their own families.
Details
The people of Yathrib were from the tribes of Aws and Khazraj, who had been engaged in prolonged civil war. Six men from Khazraj first met the Prophet in the 11th year and recognised the truth of his message. They returned the next year with twelve men (First Pledge of Aqabah), after which the Prophet sent Mus'ab ibn Umayr as the first ambassador of Islam to teach them. The Second Pledge was a military pledge — the people of Madinah promised to protect the Prophet and fight for Allah's cause. This laid the foundation for the Hijrah.