Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) stayed in Makkah for seven years. He used to go to the people’s dwellings at ‘Ukaz, Majannah, and during Hajj at Mina. He would say,“Who will give me refuge and who will help me so that I may convey the message of my Lord?”Until a man, who was from Yemen or perhaps from Egypt, came out and said to his people:“Beware of this young man from Quraysh, lest he put you to trial.”The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would walk among the dwellings of the people, and they would point at him with their fingers, until Allah sent us from Yathrib. We gave him refuge and affirmed him. One of us would go out, believe in him, and he (the Prophet) would teach him the recitation of the Qur’an. That person would return to his family, and because of his acceptance of Islam, his family would also accept Islam, until there were some Muslims in every neighborhood of the Ansar. They openly declared Islam, then we gathered together. We said:“How long will we let the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) remain in such a state? Will he keep wandering among the mountains of Makkah, distressed?”So seventy of us set out to go to him. We came to him during Hajj. We agreed with him that we would come to him at ‘Aqabah (the mountain pass) and speak with him. People gathered there one by one or two by two, until when our number was complete, we said:“O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! On what shall we pledge allegiance to you?”He said:“Pledge allegiance to me on obedience and compliance in both active and inactive states, on spending in both hardship and ease, on enjoining good and forbidding evil, and that a person will not fear the blame of any blamer for the sake of Allah, and pledge that you will help me, and when I come to you, you will support me just as you protect your wives and children. In return, you will have Paradise.”We came before you and pledged allegiance to you.

Sayyiduna As‘ad bin Zurarah, who was the youngest among them, took the blessed hand of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said:“O people of Yathrib, come forward. We did not strike the livers of camels (i.e., undertake this journey) except that we have come to know that he is the Messenger of Allah. Now, the departure of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) (towards Madinah) will cause conflict with all the Arabs. As a result, your best men may be killed. Swords may cut you. Either you endure this situation with patience, and your reward will be with Allah, or you show cowardice and become fearful for yourselves (if you intend to do so), then state this, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) will accept your excuse.”They said:“Step aside! By Allah, we will never abandon this pledge.”Then we stood before the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). We pledged allegiance to him. He took the pledge from us and stipulated that if we did so, he would grant us Paradise.