Detailed Account

During the next pilgrimage season, the original six Muslims from Yathrib returned with six more converts: two from Aws (including the influential Mu'adh ibn al-Harith) and four more from Khazraj. They met the Prophet ﷺ secretly at night at Aqabah near Mina, away from the Makkan polytheists. There, they pledged allegiance in what became known as the 'First Pledge of Aqabah' or the 'Pledge of Women' (because it focused on moral obligations without mention of armed defense, similar to the later pledge taken by women). The twelve men pledged to: 1) Worship only Allah, associating no partners with Him; 2) Avoid theft; 3) Avoid adultery/fornication; 4) Not kill their children (referring to the pre-Islamic practice of female infanticide); 5) Not fabricate slander; 6) Not disobey the Prophet ﷺ in any good matter. The Prophet ﷺ promised them Paradise if they fulfilled these commitments. After the pledge, he selected As'ad ibn Zurarah as their leader and, at their request, sent Mus'ab ibn Umayr back with them—the first ambassador of Islam—to teach Quran and spread the message in Yathrib. This pledge represented a crucial diplomatic achievement, establishing a formal relationship with a receptive community outside Makkah where Islam could potentially flourish. Unlike his interactions with other tribes focused on protection and preaching opportunities, this agreement laid groundwork for a future Islamic society with defined moral principles. The pledge's content emphasized ethical reformation before political or military considerations, demonstrating the Prophet's ﷺ priority of building moral foundations before institutional structures.