Detailed Account

Following Mus'ab's successful mission, the Prophet ﷺ met with a much larger Madinan delegation during the next pilgrimage season. This secret nighttime gathering at Aqabah included 73 men and 2 women from Madinah. Unlike the First Pledge focusing only on moral commitments, this pledge included a commitment to protect the Prophet ﷺ militarily. Before the pledge, Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib (the Prophet's uncle, still not a Muslim) addressed the Madinans with serious questions: 'Do you understand what you're committing to? You're inviting him to a community divided by tribal conflicts and home to powerful Jewish tribes. If you'll abandon him when difficulties arise, better to leave him now where he has some protection.' The Madinans' spokesman Al-Abbas ibn Ubadah emphasized, 'By He who sent you with truth, we will protect you as we protect our families. We accept this matter understanding it means war with all people.' The Prophet ﷺ then outlined the pledge terms: to listen and obey in difficulty and ease, spend in plenty and scarcity, enjoin good and forbid evil, speak the truth fearlessly, and protect him as they would their families. Each person individually clasped the Prophet's ﷺ hand to pledge allegiance. He then selected twelve representatives (naqibs)—nine from Khazraj and three from Aws—as administrative leaders, saying: 'You are guarantors over your people as the disciples were for Jesus, and I am guarantor for my community.' This pledge laid the foundation for the imminent migration, establishing the formal invitation and security guarantees necessary for the Muslim community's relocation.