Bay'ah
Encyclopedia
Bay'ah in Islamic terminology, is an oath of allegiance
to a leader. It is known to have been practiced by the Islamic prophet
Muhammad
. Bay'ah is sometimes taken under a written pact given on behalf of the subjects by leading members of the tribe with the understanding that as long as the leader abides by certain requirements towards his people, they are to maintain their allegiance to him. Bay'ah is still practiced in countries such as Saudi Arabia
and Sudan
. In Morocco
, Bay'ah is one of the foundations of the Monarchy. In many Islam
ic traditions, the meaning of bay'ah is to sell ones self to a spiritual master, pir
or sheikh
in exchange for the spiritual knowledge which he gives.
and the prophethood
of Muhammad. In addition to this the prophet formally took bay'ah from the people and tribes. Through this formal act they entered the Islamic community
and showed their willingness to follow and obey Muhammad. The wordings of the oath differ in different traditions but it contains the shahada
and prayers of repentance.
It is reported that at the occasion of annual gatherings outside Mecca
, Muhammad met people from Yathrib, later to be renamed Medina
, who accepted his call towards Islam. At this occasion the prophet took bai'ah from them.
, which led to the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah
, the following was revealed in the Qur'an
commemorating and appreciating the pledge and those who made it:
The method of taking the bay'ah of women was different than men, in that Muhammad did not take their hand in his hand. Simply repeating the words after him was considered enough or Muhammad put his hand into water and the women who wanted to take baiat put their hand in the same water after him, thereby repeating the words of the oath.
s at the hand of Muhammad, is mentioned in the Qur'an. This tradition was continued by the Caliph
s.
In subsequent ages, bay'āt were associated with Sufi
orders; spiritual masters would initiate their followers. This practice still exists in Sufi orders around the world.
Oath of allegiance
An oath of allegiance is an oath whereby a subject or citizen acknowledges a duty of allegiance and swears loyalty to monarch or country. In republics, modern oaths specify allegiance to the country's constitution. For example, officials in the United States, a republic, take an oath of office that...
to a leader. It is known to have been practiced by the Islamic prophet
Prophets of Islam
Muslims identify the Prophets of Islam as those humans chosen by God and given revelation to deliver to mankind. Muslims believe that every prophet was given a belief to worship God and their respective followers believed it as well...
Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
. Bay'ah is sometimes taken under a written pact given on behalf of the subjects by leading members of the tribe with the understanding that as long as the leader abides by certain requirements towards his people, they are to maintain their allegiance to him. Bay'ah is still practiced in countries such as Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
and Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
. In Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, Bay'ah is one of the foundations of the Monarchy. In many Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic traditions, the meaning of bay'ah is to sell ones self to a spiritual master, pir
Pir (Sufism)
Pir or Peer is a title for a Sufi master equally used in the nath tradition. They are also referred to as a Hazrat or Shaikh, which is Arabic for Old Man. The title is often translated into English as "saint" and could be interpreted as "Elder". In Sufism a Pir's role is to guide and instruct his...
or sheikh
Sheikh
Not to be confused with sikhSheikh — also spelled Sheik or Shaikh, or transliterated as Shaykh — is an honorific in the Arabic language that literally means "elder" and carries the meaning "leader and/or governor"...
in exchange for the spiritual knowledge which he gives.
In Islamic history
The tradition of bay'ah can be traced back to the era of Muhammad. From the beginning bay'ah was taken by Muhammad as an oath of allegiance. Anybody who wanted to enter Islam did so by reciting the basic statement of the faith expressing his faith in the oneness of GodGod
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
and the prophethood
Prophethood
Prophethood is the word used to reference the institution by which God sends emissaries, or prophets, to guide mankind. Use of the word is almost always theological.-Islam:...
of Muhammad. In addition to this the prophet formally took bay'ah from the people and tribes. Through this formal act they entered the Islamic community
Ummah
Ummah is an Arabic word meaning "community" or "nation." It is commonly used to mean either the collective nation of states, or the whole Arab world...
and showed their willingness to follow and obey Muhammad. The wordings of the oath differ in different traditions but it contains the shahada
Shahada
The Shahada , means "to know and believe without suspicion, as if witnessed"/testification; it is the name of the Islamic creed. The shahada is the Muslim declaration of belief in the oneness of God and acceptance of Muhammad as God's prophet...
and prayers of repentance.
It is reported that at the occasion of annual gatherings outside Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
, Muhammad met people from Yathrib, later to be renamed Medina
Medina
Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
, who accepted his call towards Islam. At this occasion the prophet took bai'ah from them.
In the Qur'an
After the Pledge of the TreePledge of the Tree
The Pledge of the Tree or Pledge of Pleasure or Pledge of Ridwan was a pledge that was sworn to the Islamic prophet Muhammad by his Sahaba prior to the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah...
, which led to the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah
Treaty of Hudaybiyyah
The Treaty of Hudaybiyyah is the treaty that took place between the state of Medina and the Quraishi tribe of Mecca in March 628CE .-Background:...
, the following was revealed in the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
commemorating and appreciating the pledge and those who made it:
Bay'ah of women
The Qur'an mentions the text of the bayah of women in the 60th Sura. The oath is given as:The method of taking the bay'ah of women was different than men, in that Muhammad did not take their hand in his hand. Simply repeating the words after him was considered enough or Muhammad put his hand into water and the women who wanted to take baiat put their hand in the same water after him, thereby repeating the words of the oath.
History
The bay'ah of Rizwan, a collective initiation of thousands of MuslimMuslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s at the hand of Muhammad, is mentioned in the Qur'an. This tradition was continued by the Caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
s.
In subsequent ages, bay'āt were associated with Sufi
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
orders; spiritual masters would initiate their followers. This practice still exists in Sufi orders around the world.