Technical note / Criticism of the text: What is mentioned here, that Rifa'ah bin Rafi' was a "naqib" (chief representative), is a "gharib" (strange) statement, because what is well known is that the office of naqib belonged to Rifa'ah's father "Rafi' bin Malik" (may Allah be pleased with him). This was stated explicitly by Ka'b bin Malik, Jabir bin Abd Allah, Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri, Abd Allah bin Abi Bakr bin Muhammad bin 'Amr bin Hazm, and elders from the people of 'Asim bin 'Umar bin Qatadah. Therefore there is "shudhudh" (irregularity) in the text here. And Allah knows best.

Technical note / Identification of narrator: "Abu 'Ulathah" is Muhammad bin 'Amr bin Khalid al-Harrani. "Ibn Lahi'ah" is Abd Allah bin Lahi'ah, and "Abu al-Aswad" is Muhammad bin Abd al-Rahman, known as "Yatim 'Urwah" ('Urwah's orphan).

Reference / Source: This narration was recorded by al-Tabarani in "al-Mu'jam al-Kabir" (4516), and from him by Abu Nu'aym in "Ma'rifat al-Sahabah" (2709), through Abu 'Ulathah with this same chain.

Details of the narration: Among those who mentioned that the office of naqib belonged to Rifa'ah's father "Rafi' bin Malik" is Ka'b bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him), as al-Tabarani narrated in "al-Mu'jam al-Kabir" (4453 and 19/174) and al-Bayhaqi in "Dala'il al-Nubuwwah" (2/444) with a "hasan" chain.

Corroborating chains and supporting reports: It is also narrated from Jabir bin Abd Allah (may Allah be pleased with him) in Ibn Abi 'Asim's "al-Ahad wa al-Mathani" (1822) with a chain that is "la ba'sa bihi" (acceptable) in the category of supporting reports (shawahid).

Reference / Source: Imam al-Zuhri said the same, as recorded by al-Fakihi in "Akhbar Makkah" (2547) and Ibn Abi 'Asim in "al-Ahad wa al-Mathani" (1823).

Reference / Source: 'Asim bin 'Umar bin Qatadah narrated it from elders of his people (see: Abu Nu'aym's "Ma'rifat al-Sahabah" 2639). Likewise Abd Allah bin Abi Bakr bin 'Amr bin Hazm narrated it too (see: Ibn Abi Shaybah's "al-Musannaf" 14/597).

Important point / Research: Ibn Ishaq and al-Zuhri did not mention Rifa'ah bin Rafi' among the participants of the Pledge of al-'Aqabah at all, let alone as a naqib. However, Ibn al-Jawzi in "al-Muntazam" (3/40), Ibn al-Athir in "Usd al-Ghabah" (2/73), al-Nawawi in "Tahdhib al-Asma' wa al-Lughat" (169), Ibn Kathir in "al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah" (11/150) and Ibn Hajar in "al-Isabah" (2/489) stated with certainty that he was present at al-'Aqabah.

Details of the narration: In a narration alluded to by Ibn Abi Khaythamah in "al-Tarikh al-Kabir" (third part, no. 3027) and by Ibn Hibban (after no. 7224), Mu'adh bin Rifa'ah bin Rafi' narrates from his father that: "His father and grandfather were both among the people of al-'Aqabah..."