People were saying, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ pledged them unto death.” Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh, however, used to say, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not pledge us to die; he pledged us not to flee.”

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then took the pledge from the people, and none of the Muslims present held back except al-Jadd ibn Qays of Banū Salamah. Jābir would say, “By Allah, it is as though I can still see him clinging to the side of his she-camel, crouching beneath it to hide from the people.”

News then reached the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that the report concerning ʿUthmān was unfounded.

Ibn Hishām (1) relates: Wakiʿ, on the authority of Ismāʿīl ibn Abī Khālid from al-Shaʿbī, said that the first person to pledge allegiance to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in the Pledge of Riḍwān was Abū Sinān al-Asadī.

Ibn Hishām (2) adds: A trustworthy informant told me, on the basis of his chain from Ibn Abī Mulaykah, from Ibn ʿUmar, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ pledged on behalf of ʿUthmān, striking one of his hands against the other.

This ḥadīth, which Ibn Hishām cites with a weak chain, is nevertheless authenticated in the two Ṣaḥīḥ collections. (3)

Ibn Isḥāq (4) says: al-Zuhrī recounted that Quraysh then sent Suhayl ibn ʿAmr of Banū ʿĀmir ibn Luʾayy to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, saying, “Go to Muḥammad and conclude a treaty with him, but see to it that one of its terms is that he must turn back this year; by Allah, the Arabs shall never say that he entered it by force.” Suhayl therefore came. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw him approaching he said, “The people must want peace, since they have sent this man.”

When Suhayl reached the Messenger of Allah ﷺ he spoke at length; they negotiated back and forth until the peace terms were agreed upon. Once everything was settled and only the written document remained, ʿUmar leapt up and went to Abū Bakr.

He said, “Abū Bakr, is he not the Messenger of Allah?” “Indeed,” he replied. “Are we not Muslims?” “Indeed.” “Are they not polytheists?” “Indeed.” “Then why should we accept humiliation in our religion?” Abū Bakr answered, “ʿUmar, keep close to him, for I testify that he is the Messenger of Allah.” ʿUmar said, “And I too testify that he is the Messenger of Allah.”

He then went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, “Messenger of Allah, are you not the Messenger of Allah?” He replied, “Indeed.” “Are we not Muslims?” “Indeed.” “Are they not polytheists?” “Indeed.” “Then why should we compromise our religion?” He answered, “I am Allah’s servant and His Messenger; I will not oppose His command, and He will never forsake me.”

ʿUmar later said, “Ever since that day I have fasted, given charity, prayed, and freed slaves because of what I did that day—fearful of the words I spoke—until I came to hope that it would turn out for good.”

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then called for ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib and said, “Write: In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.” Suhayl objected, “I do not recognize this; write instead: ‘In Your name, O Allah.’” He said: