Then Mus’ab returned to Makkah. Some of the Muslims of the Ansar went out for hajj with their people, the Mushriks, who were making the pilgrimage. They made a pledge with the Messenger 􀁕 at al-’Aqabah in the middle days of tashreeq (4 days, starting from 10th Dhil-Hijjah).

They came to the Prophet 􀁕 and he 􀁕 met them, and they consisted of 73 men and 2 women. He 􀁕 had only his uncle with him. As’ad b.

Zurarah said; “‘Al-’Abbas, the uncle of the Messenger 􀁕, was the first one to speak. He said; ‘O people of Khazraj. You have called Muhammad to that which you have invited him. Muhammad is the most dignified of people from his clan. By Allah! Those amongst us who believed in him, as well as those who did not, protected him because of lineage and honour. Muhammad has rejected all the people in favour of you. If you are a people of power, patience, experience in war and ready to face alone the enmity of all the arabs, who will fight you united; then decide what you want and carry it out, and do not disperse except after you agreed publicly and unanimously, for verily, the best speech is the speech that is honest.’ They said; ‘We have heard what you have said, but speak O Rasool of Allah and choose for yourself and your Lord what you like.’ The Messenger 􀁕 spoke, he recited the Qur’an and invited the people to Allah and encouraged them to embrace Islam. As regards his Lord, he stipulated that they worship Him and associate none with Him. Then he said; ‘I invite your allegiance, on the basis that you protect me as you would protect your women and children.’” [Ibn Hisham]. As’ad b.

Zurarah Al-Bara’ b. continues to narrate; “Ma’rur took his hand to give the pledge and said; ‘Yes, by the One Who sent you in truth a Prophet, we shall protect you as we protect our women and children. Thus we give our allegiance, O Rasool of Allah. By Allah we are men of war and people of arms, which we have inherited, to leader from leader.’ While Al-Bara’ was speaking, Abul-Haythami Ibnul-Tayhan interrupted him and said; ‘O Rasool of Allah, we have ties with other men (meaning the Jews) and if we sever them, perhaps when we have done that and Allah will have given you victory, you will return to your people and leave us?’ The Rasool of Allah 􀁕 smiled and said; ‘No, blood is blood, and blood is only paid for by blood. I am of you and you are of me. I will fight against those whom you fight, and make peace with whom you make peace.’” [Sira of Ibn Hisham] As’ad b. Zurarah continued to narrate; “Hence they said, ‘We gave pledge to him 􀁕 that we would be ready for any loss to our wealth, or slaughter of our noble ones., Then al-Bara said; ‘Stretch forth your hand, O Rasool of Allah.’ Then all seventy of them placed their hands on the hand of the Prophet 􀁕, and give him the bai’ah. When the people gave the bai’ah and had finished, Shaytan screamed at al-’Aqabah with the most distant voice and could be heard, ‘O people of al-Akhashib (meaning the Quraysh), would you like that Mohammed and the Sabians (who turned away from their deen) gather on your fight?’ Allah’s Messenger 􀁕 said; ‘Bring out to me twelve leaders that they may take charge of their people’s affairs like the Hawariyyoon (disciples) of ‘Isa b. Maryam – And I am responsible for my people.’ They produced the nuqabaa (chiefs from both tribes). This is how the bai’ah took place in this atmosphere of pure Imaan. To the point that al-’Abbas b. ‘Ubadah said to the Messenger 􀁕; ‘By the one who sent you in truth! If you so wish, tomorrow we shall turn against the people of Mina with our swords.’ The Messenger 􀁕 said; ‘We have not been commanded to do this, so go back to your riding camels.’” [Sirah Ibn Hisham] The hajj season came to an end, and the people left Makkah, which had become enraged when the news about the bai’ah reached them. Ibn Sa’d reported in his “at-Tabaqaat” on the authority of ‘Urwah who narrated from ‘Aishah, that they said; “When the seventy people left Rasool Allah 􀁕, he felt that Allah 􀀬 had made for him a protection, and a people of war, readiness and support. However the test increased upon the Muslims. So the companions of the Rasool of Allah 􀁕 complained of this, so he 􀁕 gave them permission to make Hijrah. Then the Messenger 􀁕 informed them that he had been informed of the land they would be migrating to; this was Yathrib (Madinah), and whosoever wanted to leave then let him go there. He 􀁕 said; ‘I saw in my sleep that I was emigrating from Makkah to a land of palm trees. My mind went to al-Yamamah or Hajar, but it appeared to be the town of Yathrib’” [Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim] Indeed, the attempts to attain the Nusrah from the tribes, and the first and second bai’ah, all indicate that the Messenger 􀁕 wanted an entity that had power and protection to support this deen. The matter was not restricted just to carrying the da’wah and enduring harm. It went to the point where there should be a power by which the Muslims could defend themselves. Rather it extended much further than this, to the point of establishing the nucleus which would be the cornerstone and main support in establishing the Islamic State, and the application of Islam in society, which would carry the universal message to mankind and carry alongside it the force that would protect Islam and remove from its way all the material obstacles that stand in the way of its propagation. The Hijrah took place and it involved the abandonment of wealth, homeland, spouse and family. The Hijrah to Madinah was completely different to the Hijrah to Abysinnia.

The Hijrah to Abysinnia was emigration of individuals fleeing for their deen and for the fear of being tortured. Allah 􀀬 made the Hijrah an escape for the Muslims who had been oppressed in Makkah, so that they may change their circumstances and not be under the hammer (of oppression); rather their souls may take rest and prepare to again carry the da’wah in a strong and active manner. It did not form one of the steps of the method where the muhajiroon would work to carry the da’wah from abroad, and through cooperation with the regimes to whose lands they emigrated to, so as to overthrow the regime in their land of origin.