AlMujtaba Islamic Articles > Pearls of Wisdom
 

Allegiance of Women

        Abdur Rahman bin Ka'b bin Malik used to lead his blind father to Jumu'a prayers regularly.  Every time his father heard Adhan on Friday, he would say: "May Allah bless As'ad bin Zurarah."  This continued for many years till one day Abdur Rahman asked:
"Father, why do you remember As'ad and pray for him at Jumu'a prayers?"

        His father replied: "My son, the first person to establish and lead us all in Jumu'a prayers in Medina was As'ad.  At the time, the Prophet was still in Mecca, and forty of us used to assemble at the foot of the mountain and pray."

        As'ad bin Zurarah was among those twelve who secretly accepted Islam one year before Hijrah at the mountain road to Mina, and pledged loyalty to the Prophet (SAW) on the following terms:

To worship no other god but Allah;
To commit neither theft nor adultery nor child-murder;
To utter no monstrous falsehoods;
To bring forth no illegitimate offspring
And not to disobey in matters just or reasonable.

        This allegiance is called the "allegiance of women," because of two reasons.  First, it does not include a pledge of Jihad, and secondly, the same pledge was taken from those ladies who embraced Islam.  At the time when the secret pledge was made the Holy Prophet (SAW) was in Mecca, and Jihad had not yet been ordained.

Reference:
Pearls of Wisdom.  A String of Incidents in the History of Islam.  The World Federation of Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheri Muslim Communities. Page 9.


Source: http://www.fabonline.com