secure him—and, by Allah, so will everyone else among us, whether he shares his belief or not. Yet all people have rejected Muhammad except you. If, then, you are truly men of strength, endurance, and strategic insight in war, and if you possess the independence (1) required to face the hostility of the whole Arab nation—for it will strike at you with a single bow—then examine the matter carefully and consult among yourselves, for the best speech is the most truthful.

They fell silent, and ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAmr ibn Ḥarām spoke, saying:

“We are a people of war, heirs to it from forefather after forefather. We shoot arrows until they are spent, then we thrust with spears until they splinter, and finally we advance with swords until the swifter of us meets his fate.”

He said, “You are indeed men of war. Do you have shields?”

They replied, “Yes—complete ones.”

Al-Barāʾ ibn Maʿrūr added, “We have heard what you have said. By Allah, had there been anything in our hearts other than what we have declared, we would have said so. What we seek is loyalty, honesty, and the sacrifice of our very lives for the sake of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.”

The Prophet ﷺ then accepted their pledge of allegiance while al-ʿAbbās clasped his hand, confirming the pledge (2).

Zakariyyā reported from al-Shaʿbī, who said:

The Prophet ﷺ set out with al-ʿAbbās, for al-ʿAbbās was a man of sound judgment. Al-ʿAbbās said to the seventy, “Let your spokesman speak, and let him be brief, for you are under surveillance.”

Asʿad ibn Zurārah said, “Ask your Lord whatever you wish; ask also for yourself and for your Companions, and then inform us of what we will owe to Allah and to you.”

He replied, “I ask you, for the sake of my Lord, to worship Him without associating anything with Him; and I ask you, for myself and my Companions, to shelter us, support us, and defend us just as you defend yourselves.”