(Friday Sermon - January 25, 2019 )
Background and Participation in Battles
Hazrat Jabir(ra) bin Abdullah bin Riab is counted among the first six Ansar to have accepted Islam in Mecca. Hazrat Jabir participated alongside the Holy Prophet(sa) in all battles, including the battles of Badr, Uhud and Khandaq. (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 431, Jabir bin Abdillah(ra) Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990)
A Ray of Hope Shines in Medina
Prior to the first pledge of initiation at Aqabah, a group of six individuals from among the Ansar met the Holy Prophet(sa). The six companions were As’ad bin Zuraarah, Auf bin Harith, Rafay bin Malik bin Ajlaan, Qutba bin Aamir bin Hadida, Uqbah bin Aamir bin Nabi and Jabir bin Abdullah bin Riab. All of them entered the fold of Islam. When they returned to Medina, they mentioned the Holy Prophet(sa) to the people of Medina (Usdul Ghaba, Vol.1, p. 492, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003) the details of which have already been presented whilst mentioning Uqbah bin Aamir Nabi. I will briefly mention this here.
When these people departed from the Holy Prophet(sa), they said while they were leaving that the civil wars had made them very weak. “There is a lot of discord between us. We will go to Yathrib [earlier name for Medina] and preach the message of Islam to our brothers. It is very possible that Allah the Exalted may unite us once again through your message and through our preaching. Furthermore, once we unite, we will be prepared to support you in every manner.” Hence, they left and Islam started to spread through them in Yathrib.
In relation to the apparent circumstances and provisions of the people of Yathrib, the Holy Prophet(sa) spent this year in Mecca in fear and hope, anticipating to see the result of these six individuals who testified to the truthfulness of the Holy Prophet(sa) and pledged initiation to him; . The reason for this was that in other places, the Holy Prophet(sa) was not only rejected, but he was fiercely opposed. The chiefs of Mecca and Ta’if had ferociously rejected the mission of the Holy Prophet(sa) and other tribes under their influence were also rejecting this, one after the other. Hence, as a result of their pledge in initiation, a ray of hope was formed in Medina.
However, there was no reassurance for this as well. Who was able to say that these six believers, who formed this ray of hope, would be able to bear difficulties and hardships in case the enemy stood up against them as well? Nevertheless, they went [to Medina] and preached. However, in the meantime, the opposition and enmity from the people of Mecca was also increasing by the day and they were certain that this was time to destroy Islam. The reason for this was that if Islam started to move and spread outside of Mecca, it would become difficult to destroy it. Therefore, the people of Mecca began to oppose them to the greatest extent possible. However, despite this, the Holy Prophet(sa) and his sincere companions, who had pledged initiation to him and had become Muslims, remained firm on their stance like solid rocks. Nothing could move them from Islam, its teachings or from the unity of God. In any case, this was an extremely critical time for Islam. There was hope and fear to see the result of these individuals going to Medina.
The First Bai‘at at Aqabah
The following year, another delegation from Medina came on the occasion of Hajj [Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca]. Upon this, the Holy Prophet(sa) very passionately came out of his home, went to Aqabah, in the direction of Mina and looked here and there. Suddenly, his eyes fell on a small delegation from Yathrib, who immediately recognised him when they saw him. They came forward and met the Holy Prophet(sa) with great love and devotion. Six of them were the same individuals, who had previously pledged initiation, rather, five of them were the same individuals, who had previously pledged initiation and returned [to Medina]. Seven individuals were new, who belonged to the tribes of Aus and Khazraj.
On this occasion, the Holy Prophet(sa) took them into a valley away from people and this delegation of twelve individuals informed the Holy Prophet(sa) of the circumstances of Yathrib. All of them formally pledged initiation at the hand of the Holy Prophet(sa). This very pledge was the foundation stone for the establishment of Islam in Yathrib. The words on which the Holy Prophet took their pledges were as follows:
“We will believe God to be One; we will not associate partners with Him; we will not steal; we will not commit adultery or fornication; we will refrain from murder; we will not accuse others of anything, and we will obey you in every virtuous deed.”
After the Bai‘at, the Holy Prophet(sa) said:
“If you remain true to this pledge in honesty and steadfastness then you shall receive paradise. However, if you show weakness, then your matter is with Allah the Exalted, for He shall do what He wills.” (Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad(ra), pp. 222-224)
In any case, these people then not only fulfilled their oath, but they did so in the most excellent manner. From the incidents after this, we are aware of how Islam managed to spread in Medina.