Thursday, August 13, 2026

From the Hardships of Taif to the Light of Madinah: The Acceptance of Islam by Jinns and the First Pledge of Aqabah ﷺ

Toughest day

After many years, once Sayyidatuna ‘Aisha (رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهَا) asked the Final Messenger of Allah (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم): “Is there any other day for you that is tougher than even the day of the Battle of Uhud?” The Beloved Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) replied: “Yes, O ‘Aisha! The day when I invited the chief “Abd Ya’leel” to Islam in Taif was even tougher than the day of the Battle of Uhud for me. He did not accept the invitation of Islam and the people of Taif stoned me. I kept walking in this grief and sorrow with my head lowered, to the extent that I reached “Qarn al-Tha’alib”, where I regained my breath. Having reached there, when I raised my head, what I saw was that a cloud has shaded me. Sayyiduna Jibraeel (عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام) called me from that cloud, and said: “Allah Almighty has heard the reply of your nation and now, the angel of mountains is present in your esteemed court so that he may carry out your command.” Then, the angel of mountains gave Salaam to me and humbly said: “O Muhammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم)! Allah Almighty has sent me to you so that whatever you command, I fulfil it. If you tell me to turn both, Mount Abu Qubays and Mount Qa’iqa’an, upside down onto these disbelievers, then I will do so.” Having heard this, the Beloved Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) replied: “No, but rather, I am hopeful that Allah Almighty will create such people from their offspring who will only worship Allah Almighty and not commit polytheism.”¹

Referance:

¹ Sharh Zurqaani Alal-Mawahib, vol. 2, p. 51

JINNS Embraced Islam

Upon returning from the journey of Ta`if, the Final Messenger of Allah (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) stayed at a place called “Nakhlah”. When he (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) was reciting the Holy Quran during Tahajjud Salah at night, a group of jinns from Nasaybayn came to him and became

Muslim after listening to the Holy Quran. Then those jinns returned to their nation and preached to them. So, many big groups of jinns in Makkah embraced Islam.¹

Referance:

¹ Al-Mawahib-al-Ladunniyah, vol. 1, p. 137-138, summarised

In the Holy Quran, Allah Almighty has mentioned this account in the initial verses of Surah Jinn.

Light of Islam in Sacred Madinah

To the north of Makkah was a city, namely “Yathrib”, which became “Madinah”² at a later stage. After the arrival of the Beloved Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) there, its name became “Madinah”. At the time of the declaration of Prophethood, there were two tribes there, “Aus” and “Khazraj”, and some Jews were also living with them.

Referance:

² The full name of Madinah is “Madina al-Nabi”. The foundations of this city are based on Islam. Masjid al-Nabawi and the blessed shrine of the Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) are situated here. Now, the size of this city is almost 589 square kilometres. This city is located at a distance of almost 342 kilometres from Makkah, whereas nowadays, it is the travel of 450 kilometres by road. The Final Messenger of Allah (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) spent approx. 10 years of his apparent life here. This city is the coolness of the eyes of the devotees of the Prophet.

Though these people were idol worshippers, but they had learnt from the Jews that very soon, the Final Messenger of Allah (صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم) would arrive. It was as if they were waiting for the arrival of the Beloved Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم), so that they could adorn their fortune by believing in him.

In the 11ᵗʰ year of the declaration of Prophethood, the Beloved Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) went to Mina in order to invite the tribes who were coming on the occasion of Hajj to Islam. There is a ravine in Mina where Masjid al-‘Aqabah¹ is located today.

The Beloved Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) was present there when six people from the tribe of Khazraj came to him. The Beloved Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) asked them about their names and lineages. Then, he (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) recited a few verses of the Holy Quran to them and then invited them to Islam, resulting in them being greatly impressed.

Upon their return, they said to each other: “Surely, he is the Final Messenger about whom the Jews keep talking. Therefore, let it not be the case that Jews embrace Islam before us.” Having said this, they all became Muslim and went to Madinah, where they also invited their family members and relatives to Islam.

Referance:

¹ ‘Aqabah means ravine in Arabic.

Bayat al Aqabah al-Oula¹

In the next year, i.e. in the 12ᵗʰ year of the declaration of prophethood, on the occasion of Hajj, 12 more people from Madinah secretly embraced Islam in the ravine of Mina and pledged allegiance to the Beloved Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم). In the history of Islam, this Bay’ah [i.e. pledge] is called “Bay’at al-‘Aqabah al-Oula” (i.e. the First Bay’ah of ravine).

This Bay’ah is called Bay’at al-‘Aqabah because this Bay’ah was pledged on the mountain of Mina, near ‘Aqabah, which is also called Jamra al-‘Aqabah.²

They requested the Beloved Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) to provide them with a teacher who could teach them the commandments of Islam. The Beloved Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) sent Sayyiduna Mus’ab bin Umair (رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهُ) with them to Madinah. In Madina, he went to people’s houses, inviting them to Islam, as a result of which, numerous people started embracing Islam on daily basis, to the extent that gradually, Islam started to spread everywhere.

Referance:

¹ The first pledge of ‘Aqabah

² Faizan-e-Siddeeq-e-Akbar, p. 199

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