OATH OF ALLEGIANCE

 The word “bey’at” or “biat” is promising for the obedience and not to disregard the advice of Imam-The head of state who calls people to Allah, on the principles of reccomending Truth and “shura”-council. The oath of allegiance is done for Allah’s words coming first. Allah The most High declared:

 “Verily those who plight their fealty to thee do no less than plight their fealty to Allah: the Hand of Allah is over their hands: Then anyone who violates His oath does so to the harm of his own soul and anyone who fulfills what he has covenanted with Allah Allah will soon grant him a great Reward. (1)

 “Allah's Good Pleasure was on the believers when they swore Fealty to thee under the Tree: He knew what was in their hearts and He sent down tranquillity to them and He rewarded them with a speedy Victory;” (2)

 “O Prophet! when believing women come to thee to take the oath of fealty to thee that they will not associate in worship any other thing whatever with Allah that they will not steal that they will not commit adultery (or fornication) that they will not kill their children that they will not utter slander intentionally forging falsehood and that they will not disobey thee in any just matter then do thou receive their fealty and pray to Allah for the forgiveness (of their sins): for Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful” (3)

 In this Verse it is commanded to the Prophet -peace be upon him- that if the women wants to take a swear an oath of allegiance on the conditions that not to attribute partners to Allah, not to do robbery, avoid adultery and killing their babies and not to invent and bring something between hand and foot and not to oppose to The Prophet about a good thing that he orders; to accept their oath.

 According to Mukatil Ibn Havvan, that verse is revealed on the day of the conquest of Mecca, The Messenger of Allah accepted the oaths of men in Safa, Hadrat Omar accepted the oaths of women as representative of The Messenger of Allah, this “biat” took place by administrating an oath to women. (4)

 According to the narrative of Ibn-i Hisam and Ibn Kesir, before his emigration to Medina the Prophet accepted the oaths of Ews and Hazrac tribes in Akabe as stated in the verse above. It’s a weak possibility that The Prophet accepted oaths with those words years before the revelation of the verse. If this narrative is correct then this happened with the inspiration of Allah to him.
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(1) Chapter Fetih, 48/10.
(2) Chapter Fetih, 48/18.
(3)Chapter Mumtehine, 60/12.
(4)Comment of Ibnu Kesir

 According to the narrative of Taberi, when Hadrat Prophet -peace be upon him- came to Madina, he called together the women of Ansar (inhabitants of Madina who invited The Prophet) in a house and he sent Hadrat Omar to accept their oaths of allegiance. Hadrat Omar greeted the women at the back of the door and said:

 - I am the representative of the representative of Allah. Women answered:
 -Greetings to the representative of the representative of Allah. Omar said:
 -Do you swear an oath of allegiance on the conditions that not to attribute any partner to Allah, avoid robbery, adultery and killing the children, not to invent anD bring something between hand and foot, not to be against Prophet’s order in a good deed. They said:
 -Yes. Then Omar extended his hand from the back of the door. Women also extended their hands from inside and swore an oath. Omar said:
 -O My Lord! be witness to it.
 And in the two feasts The Prophet ordered the women even who are in their menstruation and also the female slaves to come to mosque place. He said there is no Friday praying for women and not to go them after the dead in a funeral.

 Again according to the narrative of Buhari, in the day of feast The Prophet accepted the oaths of women with the words in the verse. Abdullah Ibn Abbas said: “I performed worship of Ramadan feast together with Messenger of Allah, Ebu Bakr, Omar and Osman. All of them used to perform worship before sermon and then they delivered the sermon. Now as if I am seeing the sitting of the men before the Prophet. Then together with Bilal-the first muezzin of Muslims-, The Prophet-peace be upon him- came near to women by going through the rows. And he recited the verse of :

 “O Prophet! when believing women come to thee to take the oath of fealty to thee that they will not associate in worship any other thing whatever with Allah that they will not steal that they will not commit adultery (or fornication) that they will not kill their children that they will not utter slander intentionally forging falsehood and that they will not disobey thee in any just matter then do thou receive their fealty and pray to Allah for the forgiveness (of their sins): for Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful.” (Chapter Mumtehine, 60/12)

 After reading the verse he asked: “Do you promise to obey these commands?” Only one of the women replied:
 - Yes O the Messenger of Allah! Then The Prophet said:
 -Give alms. Bilal spread his skirt and the women started to put their anklets and rings to his skirt.

 It is possible that only around the time of the Conquest of Medina, after the revelation of the verse Hadrat Prophet accepted this oath.

 As it’s seen above, Hadrat Prophet accepted the oath of allegiance -biat- of women as he did of men. And this ceremony took place not for once but for a few times. The Biat of Akaba, the one which he accepted by means of Hadrat Omar,biat in the feast, The one under the tree of Ridvan and biat in the day of the conquest of Mecca. Thus the number of the Biat that he acepted is five.

 The person who accepts the oath of allegiance was The Prophet and later The caliphs who becomes his successor. A believer who obeys the Holy Book of Allah is one of the soldiers gathered under the flag of Messenger of Allah. The first commander of this Umma (Muslims) is the Apostle of Allah. Until the end of the world management and control should be in the way that Allah and His Apostle defined.