enough to put the people of Mina (the Quraishites) to our swords tomorrow, if you desire.” The
Prophet
(Peace be upon him) said “We have not been commanded to follow that course. Now, back to your  camps.” They went back to sleep till morning.
No sooner did Quraish hear of this treaty than a kind of trouble-provoking tumult began to mushroom  in all directions. They realized quite fully that an allegiance of this sort is bound to produce  far-reaching  ramifications of direct impact on their lives and wealth. The following day, a large delegation  comprising  the leaders and arch-criminals of Makkah set out for the camp of the Madinese to protest severely  against the treaty. They addressed the Madinese: “O people of Khazraj, it transpired to us that you  have come here to conclude a treaty with this man (Muhammad) and evacuate him out of Makkah. By
Allâh, we do really hold in abhorrence any sort of fight between you and us.”
The Madinese polytheists having known nothing about the secretly taken pledge, began to swear by
Allâh and answered in good faith that there was no truth in the report. ‘Abdullah bin Ubai bin Salul, a
Madinese polytheist, refuted their allegations denouncing them as null and void, claiming that his  people would never initiate anything unless he gave them clear orders.
The Madinese Muslims, however, remained silent neither negating nor confirming. The Quraishite  leaders seemed to be almost convinced by the arguments presented by the polytheists, and went back  home frustrated. However, they did not fully acquiesce in the words they heard. They began to  scrutinize the smallest details, and trace the minutest news till it was established beyond a shadow of  doubt that the pact did take place, but that was after the Madinese pilgrims had left Makkah. In a fit of  rage, they pursued the pilgrims but did not succeed in catching hold of anyone except Sa‘d bin
‘Ubadah.
They subjected him to unspeakable tortures, but he was later rescued by Al-Mut‘im bin ‘Adi and Harith  bin Harb bin Omaiya with whom he had trade relations.
That is the story of the Second ‘Aqabah Pledge, later known as the Great ‘Aqabah Pledge, effected in  an  atmosphere of love, allegiance and mutual support between Madinese believers and weak Makkan
Muslims. This new spirit of affection, rapport and cooperation could never be attributable to a fleeing  whim, on the contrary, it totally derived from an already deeply-established approach, viz. Belief in
Allâh, His Messenger and His Book. It was a Belief so rooted in the selves that it managed to stand  immune to all powers of injustice and aggression, and could be translated into miracles in the practical  aspects of action and ideology pursuit. That sort of Belief was the real instrument for the Muslims to  record in the annals of history unprecedented breakthroughs. We are also sure that the future will  always remain wanting as regards those great achievements carried out by those great men.