This Seerah lecture covers the pivotal moment when Islam began to take root outside of Makkah — the first and second pledges of Aqabah. In the eleventh year of the prophetic mission, twelve people from the city of Yathrib (later renamed Madinah) traveled to meet the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) during the pilgrimage season. Ten were from the Khazraj tribe and two from the Aws — former enemies now united under the banner of Islam for the first time in their history.
The Seeds of the Hijrah
What began with six curious individuals the previous year grew into a formal covenant. These twelve converts placed their hands in the hand of the Prophet and pledged their allegiance to the new faith. The following year, the movement grew dramatically — seventy-two men and two women made the dangerous nighttime journey to secretly pledge their loyalty, promising to protect the Prophet just as they would protect their own families. This second pledge of Aqabah laid the foundation for the historic migration to Madinah.
“If Abbas did not know them, then Allah knew them. If Abbas did not recognize them, then Allah and His Messenger did indeed recognize them.”
Key Lessons from Aqabah
- Islam united the warring Aws and Khazraj tribes — former enemies who had fought a devastating five-year civil war came together under one faith
- The Prophet promised Paradise to each of the seventy-two who took the second pledge of Aqabah
- The highest-ranked Ansar (helpers of Madinah) are those who attended these early pledges
- True dawah requires patience — it took years of quiet groundwork before these conversions bore fruit
“Never before had the Aws and the Khazraj come together for anything. Now for the first time we see what this new religion of Islam will do — it will cement bonds and unite those who were once divided.”
