This ḥadīth is recorded in the two Ṣaḥīḥs (1) and elsewhere through several chains from al-Zuhrī with similar wording. His phrase “upon the Pledge of Women” means: in accordance with the terms of the Pledge of Women that was later revealed at al-Ḥudaybiyah; that revelation matched exactly what his Companions had pledged to him on the night of al-ʿAqabah. This is not surprising, for passages of the Qur’an were revealed in agreement with ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb on more than one occasion, as we have explained in his biography and in the Qur’anic commentary. Although this pledge was established by non-recited revelation, that makes it even clearer—and Allah knows best.

Ibn Isḥāq (2) says: When the group departed, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent with them Muṣʿab ibn ʿUmayr ibn Hāshim ibn ʿAbd Manāf ibn ʿAbd al-Dār ibn Quṣayy, instructing him to teach them the Qur’an, acquaint them with Islam, and give them a sound understanding of the religion.

Al-Bayhaqī (3) transmits from Ibn Isḥāq: ʿĀṣim ibn ʿUmar ibn Qatādah told me that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ dispatched Muṣʿab only after they had written to him requesting that he send someone to them.

This is also what Mūsā ibn ʿUqbah reported earlier, though he regarded the second occasion as the first.

Al-Bayhaqī (4) comments: Ibn Isḥāq’s version is more complete.

Ibn Isḥāq (5) further relates: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Bakr used to say, “I do not know what the first ʿAqabah was.” Ibn Isḥāq would reply, “Indeed—by my life—there was one ʿAqabah and then another.” All the narrators agree that Muṣʿab stayed with Asʿad ibn Zurārah, and in Medina he was called “the Qur’an instructor.”

Ibn Isḥāq (6) says: ʿĀṣim ibn ʿUmar ibn Qatādah told me that Muṣʿab led them in prayer, because some members of the Aws and Khazraj were reluctant to be led by someone from the other tribe—may Allah be pleased with them all.

Ibn Isḥāq (7) also reports: Muḥammad ibn Abī Umāmah ibn Sahl ibn Ḥunayf related to me, from his father, from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Kaʿb ibn Mālik, who said:

“I used to guide my father after his sight had gone. Whenever I took him out for the Friday prayer and he heard the call to prayer, he would invoke blessings upon Abū Umāmah Asʿad ibn Zurārah. He continued in this way for some time—whenever he heard the adhān for Jumuʿah he would pray for him and ask Allah to forgive him. I said to myself, ‘By Allah, this is negligence on my part; why have I not asked him about it?’ So I asked, ‘Father, why do you invoke blessings upon Abū Umāmah whenever you hear the adhān for Jumuʿah?’ He replied, ‘My son, he was the first person to gather us for the Friday prayer in Hazm…’