The Revolution of the Prophet

Seventy representatives of the people of Madinah took this oath of allegiance. We can tell under what precarious conditions they did so from the account of one of their number, Ka’b ibn Malik. He speaks of how they surreptitiously joined a regular party of pilgrims belonging to their tribe, pretending they were also going on a pilgrimage. Near Makkah, the Muslims pretended to have fallen asleep when the others put up camp. However, when a third of the night had elapsed, they rose quietly from their beds to keep their appointment with the Prophet, proceeding to rendezvous “like birds, creeping silently in the undergrowth.”63 What an extraordinary time it must have been when, with the Prophet rejected by the world, a few individuals arose, eager to follow him. At that time, the Prophet had no place in his hometown; he had been chased out of Ta’if with a volley of stone-throwing and abuse; no tribe was willing to grant him protection. Yet, under such adverse conditions, the people of Madinah recognized the truth of his prophethood and responded to his call. When the Ansar64 went forward to swear allegiance, one rose and asked: “Do you know what your oath of allegiance will entail? It will entail the destruction of your properties and homes.” “We know,” they replied, “and it is an oath entailing the destruction of our properties and homes that we are entering.” They then asked the Prophet: “What will be our reward if we are faithful till the end?”