The pledge of protection given to Abu Bakr

Narrated Aisha:

(wife of the Prophet) Since I reached the age when I could remember things, I have seen my parents worshipping according to the right faith of Islam. Not a single day passed but Allah's Apostle visited us both in the morning and in the evening. When the Muslims were persecuted, Abu Bakr set out for Ethiopia as an emigrant. When he reached a place called Bark-al-Ghimad, he met Ibn Ad-Daghna, the chief of the Qara tribe, who asked Abu Bakr, "Where are you going?" Abu Bakr said, "My people have turned me out of the country and I would like to tour the world and worship my Lord." Ibn Ad-Daghna said, "A man like you will not go out, nor will he be turned out as you help the poor earn their living, keep good relation with your Kith and kin, help the disabled (or the dependents), provide guests with food and shelter, and help people during their troubles. I am your protector. So, go back and worship your Lord at your home." Ibn Ad-Daghna went along with Abu Bakr and took him to the chiefs of Quraish saying to them, "A man like Abu Bakr will not go out, nor will he be turned out. Do you turn out a man who helps the poor earn their living, keeps good relations with Kith and kin, helps the disabled, provides guests with food and shelter, and helps the people during their troubles?" So, Quraish allowed Ibn Ad-Daghna's guarantee of protection and told Abu- Bakr that he was secure, and said to Ibn Ad-Daghna, "Advise Abu Bakr to worship his Lord in his house and to pray and read what he liked and not to hurt us and not to do these things publicly, for we fear that our sons and women may follow him." Ibn Ad-Daghna told Abu Bakr of all that, so Abu- Bakr continued worshipping his Lord in his house and did not pray or recite Qur'an aloud except in his house. Later on Abu Bakr had an idea of building a mosque in the court yard of his house. He fulfilled that idea and started praying and reciting Qur'an there publicly. The women and the offspring of the pagans started gathering around him and looking at him astonishingly. Abu Bakr was a softhearted person and could not help weeping while reciting Qur'an. This horrified the pagan chiefs of Quraish. They sent for Ibn Ad-Daghna and when he came, they said, "We have given Abu Bakr protection on condition that he will worship his Lord in his house, but he has transgressed that condition and has built a mosque in the court yard of his house and offered his prayer and recited Qur'an in public. We are afraid lest he mislead our women and offspring. So, go to him and tell him that if he wishes he can worship his Lord in his house only, and if not, then tell him to return your pledge of protection as we do not like to betray you by revoking your pledge, nor can we tolerate Abu Bakr's public declaration of Islam (his worshipping)." 'Aisha added: Ibn Ad-Daghna came to Abu Bakr and said, "You know the conditions on which I gave you protection, so you should either abide by those conditions or revoke my protection, as I do not like to hear the 'Arabs saying that Ibn Ad-Daghna gave the pledge of protection to a person and his people did not respect it." Abu Bakr said, "I revoke your pledge of protection and am satisfied with Allah's protection." At that time Allah's Apostle was still in Mecca and he said to his companions, "Your place of emigration has been shown to me. I have seen salty land, planted with date-palms and situated between two mountains which are the two ,Harras." So, when the Prophet told it, some of the companions migrated to Medina, and some of those who had migrated to Ethiopia returned to Medina. When Abu Bakr prepared for emigration, Allah's Apostle ﷺ said to him, "Wait, for I expect to be permitted to emigrate." Abu Bakr asked, "May my father be sacrificed for your sake, do you really expect that?" Allah's Apostle replied in the affirmative. So, Abu Bakr postponed his departure in order to accompany Allah's Apostle and fed two camels which he had, with the leaves of Samor trees for four months.

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ بُكَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ عُقَيْلٍ، قَالَ ابْنُ شِهَابٍ فَأَخْبَرَنِي عُرْوَةُ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ، أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ زَوْجَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَتْ لَمْ أَعْقِلْ أَبَوَىَّ إِلاَّ وَهُمَا يَدِينَانِ الدِّينَ. وَقَالَ أَبُو صَالِحٍ حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عُرْوَةُ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ قَالَتْ لَمْ أَعْقِلْ أَبَوَىَّ قَطُّ، إِلاَّ وَهُمَا يَدِينَانِ الدِّينَ، وَلَمْ يَمُرَّ عَلَيْنَا يَوْمٌ إِلاَّ يَأْتِينَا فِيهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ طَرَفَىِ النَّهَارِ بُكْرَةً وَعَشِيَّةً، فَلَمَّا ابْتُلِيَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ خَرَجَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ مُهَاجِرًا قِبَلَ الْحَبَشَةِ، حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَ بَرْكَ الْغِمَادِ لَقِيَهُ ابْنُ الدَّغِنَةِ ـ وَهْوَ سَيِّدُ الْقَارَةِ ـ فَقَالَ أَيْنَ تُرِيدُ يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ أَخْرَجَنِي قَوْمِي فَأَنَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَسِيحَ فِي الأَرْضِ فَأَعْبُدَ رَبِّي. قَالَ ابْنُ الدَّغِنَةِ إِنَّ مِثْلَكَ لاَ يَخْرُجُ وَلاَ يُخْرَجُ، فَإِنَّكَ تَكْسِبُ الْمَعْدُومَ، وَتَصِلُ الرَّحِمَ، وَتَحْمِلُ الْكَلَّ، وَتَقْرِي الضَّيْفَ، وَتُعِينُ عَلَى نَوَائِبِ الْحَقِّ، وَأَنَا لَكَ جَارٌ فَارْجِعْ فَاعْبُدْ رَبَّكَ بِبِلاَدِكَ. فَارْتَحَلَ ابْنُ الدَّغِنَةِ، فَرَجَعَ مَعَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ، فَطَافَ فِي أَشْرَافِ كُفَّارِ قُرَيْشٍ، فَقَالَ لَهُمْ إِنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ لاَ يَخْرُجُ مِثْلُهُ، وَلاَ يُخْرَجُ، أَتُخْرِجُونَ رَجُلاً يُكْسِبُ الْمَعْدُومَ، وَيَصِلُ الرَّحِمَ، وَيَحْمِلُ الْكَلَّ، وَيَقْرِي الضَّيْفَ، وَيُعِينُ عَلَى نَوَائِبِ الْحَقِّ. فَأَنْفَذَتْ قُرَيْشٌ جِوَارَ ابْنِ الدَّغِنَةِ وَآمَنُوا أَبَا بَكْرٍ وَقَالُوا لاِبْنِ الدَّغِنَةِ مُرْ أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَلْيَعْبُدْ رَبَّهُ فِي دَارِهِ، فَلْيُصَلِّ وَلْيَقْرَأْ مَا شَاءَ، وَلاَ يُؤْذِينَا بِذَلِكَ، وَلاَ يَسْتَعْلِنْ بِهِ، فَإِنَّا قَدْ خَشِينَا أَنْ يَفْتِنَ أَبْنَاءَنَا وَنِسَاءَنَا. قَالَ ذَلِكَ ابْنُ الدَّغِنَةِ لأَبِي بَكْرٍ، فَطَفِقَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ يَعْبُدُ رَبَّهُ فِي دَارِهِ، وَلاَ يَسْتَعْلِنُ بِالصَّلاَةِ وَلاَ الْقِرَاءَةِ فِي غَيْرِ دَارِهِ، ثُمَّ بَدَا لأَبِي بَكْرٍ فَابْتَنَى مَسْجِدًا بِفِنَاءِ دَارِهِ، وَبَرَزَ فَكَانَ يُصَلِّي فِيهِ، وَيَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ، فَيَتَقَصَّفُ عَلَيْهِ نِسَاءُ الْمُشْرِكِينَ وَأَبْنَاؤُهُمْ، يَعْجَبُونَ وَيَنْظُرُونَ إِلَيْهِ، وَكَانَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ رَجُلاً بَكَّاءً لاَ يَمْلِكُ دَمْعَهُ حِينَ يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ، فَأَفْزَعَ ذَلِكَ أَشْرَافَ قُرَيْشٍ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ، فَأَرْسَلُوا إِلَى ابْنِ الدَّغِنَةِ فَقَدِمَ عَلَيْهِمْ، فَقَالُوا لَهُ إِنَّا كُنَّا أَجَرْنَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ عَلَى أَنْ يَعْبُدَ رَبَّهُ فِي دَارِهِ، وَإِنَّهُ جَاوَزَ ذَلِكَ، فَابْتَنَى مَسْجِدًا بِفِنَاءِ دَارِهِ، وَأَعْلَنَ الصَّلاَةَ وَالْقِرَاءَةَ، وَقَدْ خَشِينَا أَنْ يَفْتِنَ أَبْنَاءَنَا وَنِسَاءَنَا، فَأْتِهِ فَإِنْ أَحَبَّ أَنْ يَقْتَصِرَ عَلَى أَنْ يَعْبُدَ رَبَّهُ فِي دَارِهِ فَعَلَ، وَإِنْ أَبَى إِلاَّ أَنْ يُعْلِنَ ذَلِكَ فَسَلْهُ أَنْ يَرُدَّ إِلَيْكَ ذِمَّتَكَ، فَإِنَّا كَرِهْنَا أَنْ نُخْفِرَكَ، وَلَسْنَا مُقِرِّينَ لأَبِي بَكْرٍ الاِسْتِعْلاَنَ. قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ فَأَتَى ابْنُ الدَّغِنَةِ أَبَا بَكْرٍ، فَقَالَ قَدْ عَلِمْتَ الَّذِي عَقَدْتُ لَكَ عَلَيْهِ، فَإِمَّا أَنْ تَقْتَصِرَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ وَإِمَّا أَنْ تَرُدَّ إِلَىَّ ذِمَّتِي، فَإِنِّي لاَ أُحِبُّ أَنْ تَسْمَعَ الْعَرَبُ أَنِّي أُخْفِرْتُ فِي رَجُلٍ عَقَدْتُ لَهُ. قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ إِنِّي أَرُدُّ إِلَيْكَ جِوَارَكَ، وَأَرْضَى بِجِوَارِ اللَّهِ. وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَوْمَئِذٍ بِمَكَّةَ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " قَدْ أُرِيتُ دَارَ هِجْرَتِكُمْ، رَأَيْتُ سَبْخَةً ذَاتَ نَخْلٍ بَيْنَ لاَبَتَيْنِ ". وَهُمَا الْحَرَّتَانِ، فَهَاجَرَ مَنْ هَاجَرَ قِبَلَ الْمَدِينَةِ حِينَ ذَكَرَ ذَلِكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ، وَرَجَعَ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ بَعْضُ مَنْ كَانَ هَاجَرَ إِلَى أَرْضِ الْحَبَشَةِ، وَتَجَهَّزَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ مُهَاجِرًا، فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " عَلَى رِسْلِكَ فَإِنِّي أَرْجُو أَنْ يُؤْذَنَ لِي ". قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ هَلْ تَرْجُو ذَلِكَ بِأَبِي أَنْتَ قَالَ " نَعَمْ ". فَحَبَسَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ نَفْسَهُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ لِيَصْحَبَهُ وَعَلَفَ رَاحِلَتَيْنِ كَانَتَا عِنْدَهُ وَرَقَ السَّمُرِ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ.