The Pledge of ‘Aqabah
Fatwa No: 87846

Question

Twelve people secretly pledged loyalty to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, in Mina a year before the Hijrah (Emigration) on the following terms:
- To worship no other God but Allaah The Almighty
- To commit neither theft, adultery nor child murder
- To utter no monstrous falsehoods
- To bring forth no illegitimate offspring
- To not disobey in matters just or reasonable
This alliance is called the Alliance of Women, why?

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

 

This is called the Allegiance of Women because the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, accepted the allegiance of women.  Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {O Prophet! When believing women come to you to give you the Bai'ah (pledge), that they will not associate anything in worship with Allaah, that they will not steal, that they will not commit illegal sexual intercourse, that they will not kill their children, that they will not utter slander, intentionally forging falsehood (i.e. by making illegal children belonging to their husbands),} [Quran, 60:12]

So, if the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, accepted the pledge of allegiance of anyone on the clauses mentioned in the above verse, the scholars of Prophetic biography would mention that saying, “The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, had accepted his pledge of allegiance as he accepted that of women, “Allegiance of Women”, including the first allegiance in ‘Aqabah.”

Allaah Knows best.

Related Fatwa