Upon this the Ansar declared...

Upon this the Ansar declared: "We accept the invitation of the Holy Prophet and take the oath of allegiance to him and are prepared to give our wealth and property in this path, even though our elders may be killed". Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib who was holding the hand of the Holy Prophet said: "Speak in low tones because spies have been appointed to keep a watch on us.

Keep your aged persons in the front so that we may talk with them and you should disperse after taking the oath of allegiance and every one of you should return to his own place". The first person who took the oath of allegiance to the Holy Prophet was Bara bin Marur. According to another narration it was Abul Haitham ibn Tayhan and according to still another narration it was As'ad bin Zurara.

Thereafter the remaining seventy persons put their hands in the hand of the Holy Prophet and took the oath of allegiance. Then twelve persons were selected from amongst them as Naqib (guards) and made responsible to look after the affairs of their people. In this way Yathrib i.e. the city which was named Madinatur Rasul (the city of the Prophet) after the Holy Prophet's migration, became the greatest center of Islamic propagation.

The migration of the Muslims to Madina began in the month of Zil-Haj of the thirteenth year of the Holy Prophet's mission, because after the return of the seventy five persons to Madina, who took the second oath of allegiance at Aqaba and the Quraysh having come to know that the tribes of Aws and Khazraj had made a pact with the Holy Prophet and taken the oath of allegiance to him, the persecution of the Muslims by them became severer.

They began abusing and torturing them more than before and life became unbearable for the Muslims in Makkah. They, therefore, sought the Holy Prophet's permission to migrate and the Holy Prophet permitted them to go to Madina and join their brethren, the Ansar, and said to them: "The Almighty Allah has made Yathrib, a place of peace for you and its residents your brothers".

The Muslims proceeded from Makkah to Madina in groups and the Holy Prophet also awaited the Command of his Lord telling him to migrate from Makkah and go to Madina. The Quraysh, too, conspired to kill the Prophet of Allah and drew a plan in this behalf with great precision.