 | This article has multiple issues. Please helpimprove it or discuss these issues on thetalk page.(Learn how and when to remove these messages) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
|
| Part ofa series on |
| Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) |
|---|
 |
|
| Islamic studies |
Bayʿah (Arabic:بَيْعَة, "Pledge of allegiance"), inIslamic terminology, is anoath of allegiance to a leader. It is known to have been practiced by theIslamic prophetMuhammad. In Bedouin culture it was a procedure for choosing the leader of the tribe,[1] and 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.Bayʿah is still practiced in countries such asSaudi Arabia andSudan.[2] InMorocco,bayʿah is one of the foundations of themonarchy.[3]
Bay'ah derives from theSemitic triconsonantal rootB-Y-’, related to commerce, and shows the contractual nature of the bond betweencaliph and the people.[4]Bay'ah originally referred to the striking together of hands between buyer and seller to mark an agreement.[5][6] According toBernard Lewis,bay'ah originally referred not to an oath of allegiance but to an agreement between two parties, and in the language of government a contractual agreement between ruler and ruled. In time, however, when an agreement was reached, an oath of allegiance by the ruled came "to be a normal part of the proceedings".[7]
Muslim historianIbn Khaldun described Bay'ah as
a pledge by the subject to obey the ruler and entrust him entirely with the conduct of his personal affairs and the affairs of the Moslem community without reservations. If the ruler applies the Law the subject has to execute his orders whether he agrees with them or not. The act of allegiance is accomplished by the subject placing his hands between the hands of the ruler.[8]
Abu Hasan al-Mawardi (947-1058) maintained a bay'ah was a mandate "limited in time and authority" that could be revoked by those who pledged if the ruler abused his mandate.[9]
According to Dr. Monir Ajalin, a bayah is more an acquiescence, and different from a mandate or an election. It is
the pledge by the people means that they show and display their acceptance of, and obedience to the new ruler. In no way is it, as some claim, a sort of election or a mandate to govern. It is an acceptance of what has already been done, a compliance with an accomplished fact afait accompli represented by the seizure of power by the new ruler.[10]
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(September 2021) |
The tradition ofbayʿah can be traced back to the era ofMuhammad. From the beginning,bayʿah was taken by Muhammad as an oath of allegiance. Anybody who wanted to join the growingIslamic community did so by reciting the basiccreed expressing faith in theoneness ofGod and theprophethood of Muhammad. However, this differed from the proclamation of faith necessary to become an individual Muslim. In addition to this, Muhammad formally tookbayʿah from the people and tribes. Through this formal act, they were absorbed by the community and showed willingness to obey Muhammad. The text of the oath varies in different traditions, but often contains theShahada and prayers of repentance.
It is reported that at annual gatherings outsideMecca, Muhammad met people from Yathrib (later renamedMedina), who accepted his call towards Islam. Muhammad then tookbayʿah from them.[11]
InSunni Islam, theBayʿah rite continued to be used throughout history to mark a caliph's accession, first in theRashidun Caliphate (theBayʿah ofAbu Bakr occasioning theShi'a-Sunni split), then throughout the Dynastic Caliphates (Umayyad,Abbasid andOttoman). With theabolition of the Caliphate,Bayʿah remains in use today by some modern Muslim kingdoms such asSaudi Arabia andMorocco.[12]
After thePledge of the Tree, which led to theTreaty of Hudaybiyyah, the following was revealed in theQur'an commemorating and appreciating the pledge and those who made it:
CertainlyAllah was well pleased with the believers when they swore allegiance to you under the tree, and He knew what was in their hearts, so He sent down tranquillity on them and rewarded them with a near victory,
Thebayʿah ofRidwan, a mass initiation of thousands of Muslims at the hands of Muhammad, is mentioned in the Qur'an. The tradition was continued by thecaliphs.
In subsequent ages, it was associated withSufi orders, and spiritual masters would initiate their followers. The practice still exists in Sufi orders around the world.
