136 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD"'- ASI~. b. Wmar b. Qatada related to us that when this group met to pledge
allegiance to the Messenger of God (SAAS), d-'Abbss b. Wb~da b. Nadla
al-Ansari, of the Banii Saim b. 'Awf, said, '0 Khazraj, do you know what it is
you are pledging this man?' 'Yes,' they replied.
"He continued, 'You are pledging to go to war against all kinds of people. If
you think that if you suffered great losses to your wealth and had your leaders
killed, you would give him up, then do it now or suffer the punishment of this
life and the next. If you think you will keep faith with hi in what he has called
upon you to do, despite loss of wealth and your leaders being killed, then do
accept him. For he is, by God, the best in this world and the next.'
"They replied, 'We will take him regardless of loss of wealth or the death of
our leaders. But what will we receive in return for this, 0 Messenger of God, if
we keep faith with you?'
"'Paradise,' he replied.
"'Then hold out your hand,' they asked.
"He did so and they pledged allegiance to him.
"<- Asim. b. Wmar b. Qatada commented, 'AlLCAbbas h. 'Ubsda only said this to
emphasize the pact they were making.'
"'Abd Allah b. Abii Bakr claimed that alLCAbbbbas had only said that to delay the
pledge of allegiance that night in the hope that 'Abd All& b. Ubayy b. Saliil,
leader of the Khazraj would attend so that the action of the group would be even
stronger. God knows best which of these is true."
Ibn Ishaq stated, "The Bana d-Najjzr claim that Abii Um%na Ascad b. Zurzra
was the first who touched his hand in allegiance. The Bana 'Abd al-Ashhal, how-
ever, claim that it was Aba al-Haytham b. al-Tayyihan."
Ibn Ishaq also said, "Ma'bad b. Ka'b related to me from his brother 'Abd
Allah, from his father Ka'b h. Maik, who said, 'The first man to touch the hand
of the Messenger of God (SAAS) was al-Bara' b. Ma'riir. Then all the rest
pledged allegiance to him."'
Ibn al-Athir stated in his work al-GhZba (The Jungle), "The Banii Salama
claim that the first who pledged allegiance to him that night was Ka'b b. Mxlik."
It is established in the ~ahih collection of al-Bukhiiri and in that of Muslim,
from a hadith of al-Zuhri, from 'Abd d-Rahmzn b. 'Abd Allah b. Ka'b, from his
father, from Ka'b b. Mdik in his hadith when he absented himself from the battle
of Tabiik. He stated, "I was present with the Messenger of God (SAAS) on the
night of al-'Aqaba when we pledged ourselves to Islam, and I would not rather
have wimessed the battle of Badr than it, even though at Badr there were more
men involved."
Al-Bayhaqi stated, "Abii al-Husayn b. Bashrsn informed us, quoting 'Amr b.
al-Sammsk, quoting Hanbal h. Ishsq, quoting Ahii Nukym, and Zakariyya' b.
Aha Za'ida, from 'Arnir alSha'bi, who said, "The Messenger of God (SAAS)
went off with his uncle alLCAbb& to meet 70 of the an@r at d-'Aqaba, beneath a