Translation: Ishaaq b. AbdurRaheem Aboo Aamir
On the authority of Ka'b bn Mâlik– may Allâh be pleased with him – who said: 'We slept that night – Night of 'Aqabah – with our people in our dwellings until the two-third of the night. Then we came out of our dwellings for our meeting with the Messenger of Allâh – Sallallâhu alayhi wa sallam – . We then stole out, as sand grouses would, hiding ourselves until we met at a mountain pass by Al-Aqabah. We were about seventy-three men; there were two of our women with us; Naseebah bint Ka'b – may Allâh be pleased with her – and As'mâ bint Amr bn Adiyy – may Allâh be pleased with her –.
When we met at the mountain pass, we waited for the Messenger of Allâh – Sallallâhu alayhi wa sallam – . He then came to us and with him was Al-Abbaas bn Abdil-Muttalib – may Allâh be pleased with him – who that time was still upon the religion of his people only that he loved to be present in an affair of his nephew to ensure his safety.
When he sat, he was the first to speak (that is Al-Abbaas – may Allâh be pleased with him –); he said, 'O assembly of Khazrajis, verily Muhammad is from us as you have known, and we have prevented him from delivering what we see him onto the people. He is indeed of high rank and mighty status with his people in his town but he has refused (to accede to our calling) but he wants to cross over to you. If you therefore see that you will fulfill the terms of what you invite him to then it is upon you what you suffer in that cause! If you know that you will deliver him (to the enemy) and disgrace him after he might have come over to you, then reject him right away because he is surely of high-standing and status with his people in his city.'
Ka'b – may Allâh be pleased with him – said, "We said to him, 'We have heard what you said (O Al-Abbaas), but talk, O Messenger of Allâh; take for yourself and your Lord what you desire.'"
Then the Messenger of Allâh – Sallallâhu alayhi wa sallam – began to talk; he recited the Qur'ân, called to Allâh, induced to Islâm then he said – Sallallâhu alayhi wa sallam – ,' I seek your allegiance that you should prevent me from what you prevent your women and sons.'
Ka'b said – may Allâh be pleased with him –, 'Al-Barâ bn Ma'rûr – may Allâh be pleased with him – took the Prophet's hands – Sallallâhu alayhi wa sallam – and said,' I swear by He Who has sent you with the truth, we shall prevent you from what we prevent our loincloth.' We then make an oath of allegiance to the Messenger of Allâh – Sallallâhu alayhi wa sallam – ; we – by Allâh – were warriors; we have inherited that feat from our grandfathers.
As Al-Barâ – may Allâh be pleased with him – was speaking with the Messenger of Allâh – Sallallâhu alayhi wa sallam – , Abul-Haytham bn At-Tayyihaan – may Allâh be pleased with him – interjected saying: 'O Messenger of Allâh, there is a pact between us and a people – referring to the Jews – and we shall sever it. Perhaps if Allâh grants you victory over your people, will you forsake us?'
He said the Messenger of Allâh – Sallallâhu alayhi wa sallam – smiled and said: 'Your blood is my blood; your death, my death; I am from you and you are from me, I will wage war against whomever wages war against you and I shall make peace with whomever makes peace with you…'
After that the Messenger of Allâh – Sallallâhu alayhi wa sallam – commanded them to bring before him twelve chiefs from them that would represent their people. They produced the chiefs from among themselves; nine from the Khazrajis and three from the Ausis.'
[Ahmad recorded it in his Musnad (number 15515); Al-Albâni – may Allâh bestow mercy on him – graded it authentic in his commentary on Al-Ghazaali's Fiqhus-Seerah (number: 149).]
