The two pledges took place during the pilgrimage seasons in 621 CE and 622 CE, respectively, at a location near Mina outside Mecca, known as Aqaba. The context of these meetings is rooted in the Prophet's ongoing efforts to find external tribal support after over a decade of persecution in Mecca. The first pledge involved twelve men, primarily from the Khazraj tribe of Yathrib, who had encountered the Prophet's message and expressed their willingness to accept Islam. The second pledge, occurring a year later, was more substantial, involving seventy-three men and two women from the Aws and Khazraj tribes. This second event is particularly pivotal, as it included commitments to defend the Prophet as they would their own kin, effectively forming the basis of a political alliance and proto-state.

At the time, Yathrib was plagued by persistent intertribal conflict—primarily between the Aws and Khazraj—which had weakened local leadership and created a longing for stable governance. Several Yathribites, having heard of Muhammad’s message and his reputation for honesty and arbitration, sought him as a potential unifier and moral guide.

These pledges not only enabled the Prophet's emigration but also marked the beginning of the Islamic calendar's Year One. The allegiance of the Yathribite Muslims helped secure the survival and spread of Islam, making the pledges of Aqaba a cornerstone in Islamic political and social history.

circa 621 CE

The First Pledge of Aqaba
The first pledge occurred in 621 CE (the eleventh year of Prophethood) when twelve men from the Khazraj tribe met with the Prophet Muhammad secretly at Aqaba during the annual pilgrimage. They pledged to worship only Allah, avoid theft, adultery, and murder, and commit to obedience in righteous matters. While it bore moral and spiritual undertones, this pledge did not include a clause of armed protection. The Prophet sent Mus‘ab ibn ‘Umayr with them to Yathrib to teach Islam, whose efforts contributed significantly to the growing number of converts in the region.

circa 622 CE

The Second Pledge of Aqaba
The second pledge took place a year later, in 622 CE, when a larger group of over seventy Yathribites—seventy-three men and two women—returned for Hajj and secretly met with the Prophet at the same location. This pledge was more comprehensive, including a formal commitment to offer physical protection to the Prophet in case of attack. This pledge had explicit political and military implications, and it signaled the readiness of Yathrib to become the new center of Islam. Following this pledge, preparations began for the emigration (Hijrah), and shortly thereafter, the Prophet migrated to Yathrib, which became al-Madinah al-Munawwarah.

circa

The historical site of the pledges was later commemorated with the construction of Masjid al-Bayah, or the Mosque of the Pledge. Located near Mina in Mecca, the mosque marks the place where the Ansar of Madinah pledged their allegiance to the Prophet. Built originally during the Abbasid period under Caliph Abu Ja‘far al-Mansur in the 2nd century AH, the mosque remains a physical testament to the momentous agreement that paved the way for Islam's establishment in Madinah. Though modest in size and often overlooked by pilgrims, Masjid al-Bayah serves as an important architectural and spiritual symbol of Islam’s foundational history.