Allegiance of Women: Difference between revisions

'''Bayʿat al-Nisāʾ''' (Arabic: {{ia|بيعة النساء}}) or '''pledging allegiance of women''' to [[Prophet Muhammad (s)]] took place after the [[conquest of Mecca]]. Some believe it was the same event as the [[Pledge of al-'Aqaba|first Allegiance of al-'Aqaba]]. The terms of this [[Bay'a|pledge]] are clearly mentioned in the [[Quran 60]]:12 to avoid [[Shirk|idolatry]], [[theft]] and [[adultery]], avoid infanticide (killing their own children), avoid disobeying Prophet Muhammad (s) and assigning other's children to their husbands.

Most of historians believe, the Prophet Muhammad (s) put his hand in a bowl of water and said the terms of the pledge, then the women put their hands in the water and accepted the terms.

[[Bay'a]] means accepting and agreeing to a pledge or leadership of someone which conveys the meaning of loyalty and obedience.<ref>Ibn Manẓūr, ''Lisān al-ʿArab'', under the word "Bay'a".</ref> It was an important costume in pre-Islamic time in [[Hijaz]] among Arabs, which was accepted by [[Islam]]. Women did not play a crucial role in pledges and important affairs in [[age of ignorance]].

According to historical reports, women were present in the [[Pledge of 'Aqaba#Second_Pledge_of_al-.27Aqaba|second pledge of al-'Aqaba]] 13 years after [[Bi'that]].<ref>Ibn Hishām, ''al-Sīra al-nabawīyya'', vol. 1, p. 441; Ibn Saʿd, ''al-Ṭabaqāt al-kabīr'', vol. 8, p. 303.</ref> A number of historical reports mentioned that women of [[Mecca]] also took oath of [[allegiance]] to Prophet Muhammad (s).<ref>Ibn Saʿd, ''al-Ṭabaqāt al-kabīr'', vol. 8, p. 183; Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr, ''al-Istīʿāb'', vol. 4, p. 1800; Ibn al-Athīr, ''Usd al-ghāba'', vol. 6, p. 48; Ibn al-Jawzī, ''al-Muntaẓam fī tārīkh al-umam'', vol. 5, p. 180.</ref> After the [[migration]] of Prophet (s) to [[Medina]], they came to visit him in groups,<ref>Ibn Saʿd, ''al-Ṭabaqāt al-kabīr'', vol. 8, p. 8; Ibn ʿAsākir, ''Tārīkh madīnat Dimashq'', vol. 69, p. 49.</ref> or individually at times,<ref>Ibn ʿAsākir, ''Tārīkh madīnat Dimashq'', vol. 69, p. 50.</ref> to take oath of allegiance, and Prophet (s) sent one of his representatives to make the pledge.<ref>Ibn Saʿd, ''al-Ṭabaqāt al-kabīr'', vol. 8, p. 4; Suyūṭī, ''al-Durr al-manthūr'', vol. 6, p. 209; Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal, ''Musnad Aḥmad'', vol. 6, p. 409.</ref> In addition, women took oath of allegiance alongside men in special occasions. In [[Bay'at al-Ridwan]], a number of Muslim women including [[Umm Salama]], Prophet Muhammad's (s) wife, [[Umm 'Umara]], Umm Muni' and Umm 'Amir Ashhaliyya were present.<ref>Maqrizī, ''Imtāʿ al-asmāʾ'', vol. 1, p. 276; Wāqidī, ''al-Maghāzī'', vol. 2, p. 574.</ref>

==Time of the Pledge==

==Features of the Pledge==

Based on the [[Quran 60]]:12, the terms of the pledge were: to avoid [[Shirk|idolatry]], to avoid theft and adultery, avoid infanticide (killing their own children), avoid disobeying Prophet Muhammad (s) and assigning other's children to their husbands. The last part of this verse says: and they will not disobey you in what is right (Wa la ya'sinaka fi ma'ruf), which has a general concept and it is interpreted differently. Some said it has a general meaning, emphasizing obedience of Prophet Muhammad (s),<ref>Zamakhsharī, ''Tafsīr al-kashshāf'', vol. 4, p. 519; Ṭabrisī, ''Majmaʿ al-bayān'', vol. 9, p. 414; Fayḍ al-Kāshānī, ''al-Aṣfā fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān'', vol. 2, p. 1295.</ref> and some said it meant avoiding being alone with a [[non-mahram]] man.<ref>Ṭabarī, ''Jāmiʾ al-bayān'', vol. 28, p. 52; Ibn Saʿd, ''al-Ṭabaqāt al-kabīr'', vol. 8, p. 8; Abū Ḥayyān Andulusī, ''al-Baḥr al-muḥīṭ fī al-tafsīr'', vol. 10, p. 160.</ref> It is also attributed to [[Jahiliyya]] costumes in [[mourning ceremony|mourning ceremonies]]. Women used to cry loudly and in mourning they hurt their faces and cut their hair. It led to provocation of conflicts and angered men. Some believe the last part of the verse banned women from doing unpleasant deeds.<ref>Ṭabarī, ''Jāmiʾ al-bayān'', vol. 28, p. 52; Qurṭubī, ''al-Jāmiʿ li-aḥkām al-Qurʾān'', vol. 19, p. 73.</ref>

Most of historians believe, when [[Prophet Muhammad (s)]] wanted to make the pledge, he prepared a bowl of water and put his hand in it, then he would read the terms of pledge and asked women to do the same.<ref>Ṭabarī, ''Tārīkh al-umam wa l-mulūk'', vol. 3, p. 62; Ṭabarī, ''Jāmiʾ al-bayān'', vol. 28, p. 51; Qummī, ''Tafsīr al-Qummī'', vol. 2, p. 364; Wāqidī, ''al-Maghāzī'', vol. 2, p. 851; Abū l-Futūḥ al-Rāzī, ''Rawḍ al-Jinān wa Rawḥ al-Janān'', vol. 19, p. 169.</ref> Besides other ways of taking oath of allegiance are mentioned in historical source.