334. What is meant by ‘Bayyat’

The verses (48:10, 48:12, 48:18) of the Quran talk about ‘bayyat’ - a covenant undertaken by Prophet Muhammad and his comrades.

In the 6th year of Hijri, Prophet Muhammad started on his journey to Makkah for Umrah pilgrimage, along with more than a thousand of his followers.

He sent word through Usman (RA) to the residents of Makkah informing them about his visit to perform Umrah pilgrimage, and not with an intention of war.

While Usman (RA) was in talks with the Makkans, there was a delay in his return that prompted a rumour to be spread around that he is killed by the Makkans.

Prophet Muhammad was informed, he was infuriated, because of the convention messengers are not to be harmed by either side, and decided to wage a war on Makkah. 

He undertook an oath from his comrades that they will not back away from the battle at any cost. Each and every comrade personally took the vow by placing their hands on the hand of Prophet Muhammad. This is the incident mentioned in these verses of the Quran.

Since Usman (RA) returned safe in a while, there was no need for the war against the Makkans.

We can find the details regarding this in Bukhari Hadiths: 2698, 2700, 2731, 2958, 4163, 4164, 4170, 1694, 3182, 4178, 4180, and 4844 

Fraudulent spiritualists and cheaters, in order to keep their followers within their fold, and seeking blind following use this verse to their advantage.

They claim since the comrades of Prophet Muhammad undertook a covenant with him, these frauds demand similar vow from their followers, and brainwash them into a blind following. 

Once the vow has been undertaken, with the so called religious heads, these people are said to be bound by it, and not question the so called pious religious heads even if their words and deeds are against Islam. This way it blunts the thinking power in men. 

These people keep swindling the gullible by keeping under their control like their slaves.

Similarly the leaders of some movements undertake covenant with their followers, who are required to attend the leader at his beck and call, be for whatever reasons, and brainwash them to commit murder or assault as ordered by him, or run the risk of breaking the vow resulting in disobedience.

But in this verse it is clearly stated as the special privilege for Prophet Muhammad, by saying “those who undertook a covenant with you, have done the same with Allah.”

Since Prophet Muhammad was appointed by Allah as the messenger, he reserves the right to represent Him in matters of taking oath on His behalf.

It can be clearly understood, the oath undertaken with the prophet of Almighty in itself an acknowledgement, as a special status accorded to the prophet. Generally an agreement with a messenger is in fact the one with the person who sent him. 

Allah is the only One with whom an agreement can be undertaken promising to abide by whatever He commands.

And if the same covenant is undertaken with anyone else other than the Almighty, it amounts to equating someone else with God. It is a blatant equation with God Almighty.

These kinds of covenants were not undertaken by others with any of Prophet Muhammad’s comrades after his demise. 

None of the comrades of Prophet Muhammad undertook covenants with either Abu Bakr (RA), or Umar(RA), or Usman (RA), or Ali (RA) expressing desire to follow their commands without questioning them at all. 

Even if one does not understand the word “bayyat” in the light of the Quran and sunnah of Prophet Muhammad, it is enough if he understands the general meaning, which would keep him away from these unscrupulous groups. 

Bayyat means undertaking a vow. Undertaking a vow means pleading to be governed by someone or some act with another person who is connected with it. This is called owing allegiance or pledge undertaken.

We cannot make a pledge with Khadija to marry Fatima.

 When one pledges to us to sell goods from a shop, we would question whether he is the owner of the shop.

We cannot submit an application for admission to one college at another. We can pledge only to the one who is the absolute owner or the one who is absolutely responsible. 

Similarly a pledge can be undertaken with one who is authorised by the absolute owner. If I had authorised someone to sell my belongings then anyone can buy from that person, and also undertake a pledge with the same person on my behalf. 

We understand this very well in our worldly affairs. Anyone acting against these principles is considered an insane person, and a verdict is passed as null and void the agreements entered with others.

But we selectively forget and blunt ourselves when it comes to matters regarding our religious affairs. 

Allah is our master and the rest of all of us are his slaves is the basic ideology of Islam. And this is beset within the phrase “Lailaha Illallah”

Since Allah is our master and we are his slaves, we can pledge to do whatever He commands us to, and we can also undertake a pledge with the prophet, as a representative of the Almighty. We cannot undertake a vow with any one else.

We cannot surrender ourselves wholly to any one else other than God Almighty, because man is out and out a slave of Allah alone, and Allah is the absolute owner to the pledge to be undertaken by man. And whoever claims the pledge to be undertaken with him, or whoever undertakes such a pledge, is considered a great sinner of having equated with God. 

We have seen people, who have undertaken vows in the name of Tareeqa or Amir, of having lost their power to think, and indulging in acts against Islam like a herd of sheep.

It is confirmed these people are indulging in acts equating God with others. 

Telling religious leaders and leaders of movements that we are ready to do whatever they command, and undertaking vow with them is a great sin in Islam. 

Anyone undertaking an oath with someone else other than Almighty Allah gives up the place of Allah to him, this is equating God Almighty with that person

It is the religious duty of Muslims to fulfill the oath undertaken with Prophet Muhammad who fulfilled it himself only to the best of his ability.

I undertook a pledge with Prophet Muhammad by saying that ‘I will bind myself to whatever you command me to’. To this the prophet corrected me to say ‘to the best of my efforts’.

Narrator: Jarir bin Abdullah.

Book : Bukhari 7204 

There is a need to fulfill the covenant undertaken with even Prophet Muhammad, only to the extent possible is shown by the prophet himself to us. But the unscrupulous spiritualists tend to portray themselves as above the prophet and try to unknowingly drive away the Muslims from Islam. It is the religious duty of good Muslims to break the pledge undertaken by them with any other. When a better pledge comes across, the prophet of Islam has said, breaking the previous one is not a crime.

Prophet Muhammad has said that “ when I have undertaken a pledge with Allah, and come across something better I will not hesitate to give up the pledge already undertaken.

Bukhari: 3133, 4385, 5518, 6649, 6721, 7555 

Those who undertake pledge, with some other than God Almighty, are to come out of it by themselves, and it is their religious duty.

When a person assumes a political office as head of a government, we accept him and owe allegiance to him, because this is something to do with him exclusively as a government head.

This kind of undertaking was given by the people while accepting Abu Bakr (RA) as the head of the state after the demise of Prophet Muhammad,(SAW) and also while accepting Umar (RA) after the demise of Abu Bakr. We can undertake a pledge with those we have financial transactions, this something to do with people transacting finance. 

Likewise the seller of a property and the buyer can undertake a pledge between themselves in transacting the deal. Here each individual establishes his right to sell and buy a property and take pledge respectively. 

While joining an organisation, undertaking a pledge with its owner is allowed, because it is something to do with his organisation.

Those who are in the custody of ‘bayyat gangs’ should seek repentance from God Almighty for having surrendered the ownership belonging to God to someone else, and offering the eligibility of Prophet Muhammad to ordinary persons.

The phrase in this verse saying “those who undertook the pledge with Prophet Muhammad, indeed undertook with Allah” needs to be looked into with a little seriousness.

Initiation into spiritualism, undertaking pledge, spiritualism do not find place in the religion of Islam.To know more on this subject please refer to explanation points 81, 182, 273.