The Bay’ah is a Sunnah

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Dr. Muhammad Muswthafa al-Badawi, commented, on the following ayat: 

سُوۡرَةُ الفَتْح

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُبَايِعُونَكَ إِنَّمَا يُبَايِعُونَ ٱللَّهَ يَدُ ٱللَّهِ فَوۡقَ أَيۡدِيہِمۡ ‌... (١٠) 

Verily those who plight their fealty to you do no less than plight their fealty to Allah: the Hand of Allah is Over their hands ... (Surah al-Fath:10) 

Were those who insist on accepting nothing but the literal meaning of the Qur’an, and refuse all figurative interpretation to take this verse at face value, it would have to mean that the hand that gave allegiance to the companions was that of Allah (s.w.t.), not that of the Prophet (s.a.w.).  Those endowed with reason, however, will readily understand that because the Prophet (s.a.w.) is Allah’s (s.w.t.) representative on earth, swearing allegiance to him is, in reality, swearing allegiance to Allah (s.w.t.), and the Prophet’s (s.a.w.) hand represents Allah’s (s.w.t.) Hand, just as the Black Stone represents it, but, in the Prophet’s (s.a.w.) case, eminently more deservedly. 

The result of taking the Prophet’s (s.a.w.) hand and swearing allegiance to him ­ for they swore it to him ­ was that Allah (s.w.t.) was Pleased with them: 

سُوۡرَةُ الفَتْح

۞ لَّقَدۡ رَضِىَ ٱللَّهُ عَنِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ إِذۡ يُبَايِعُونَكَ تَحۡتَ ٱلشَّجَرَةِ ... (١٨) 

Allah’s Good Pleasure was on the believers when they swore fealty to you under the tree … (Surah al-Fath:18) 

Allah’s (s.w.t.) Satisfaction is in seeing that His slaves are obeying His Injunctions, avoiding what He has Forbidden them, and being satisfied with His Decrees.  This was the state of the companions surrounding the Prophet (s.a.w.) under the tree in Hudaybiyyah.  Their satisfaction with Allah’s Decisions, their extinction of their individual wills in the Divine Will made them, as Allah (s.w.t.) Says: 

سُوۡرَةُ المجَادلة

... رَضِىَ ٱللَّهُ عَنۡہُمۡ وَرَضُواْ عَنۡهُ‌ۚ ... (٢٢) 

... Allah will be Well Pleased with them, and they with Him ... (Surah al-Mujadilah:22) 

It was to the Prophet’s (s.a.w.) everlasting honour and glory that his hand represented Allah’s (s.w.t.) on this and all other such occasions. 

Another such occasion was recounted by Sayyidina ‘Abd ar-Rahman ibn ‘Awf, (r.a.), “We were at the Messenger of Allah’s; nine, eight, or seven of us.  He said, ‘Will you not swear allegiance?’ 

We had sworn allegiance only recently, so we said, ‘We have sworn allegiance to you, O Messenger of Allah!’ 

He said, ‘Will you not swear allegiance to the Messenger of Allah?’ 

So, we extended our hands saying, ‘To what shall we swear allegiance to you?’ 

He said, ‘To worship Allah (s.w.t.), and associate nothing with Him, perform the five prayers, obey,’ then he said something we did not hear, then continued, ‘and ask nothing of others!’”  This was recorded by Imam ‘Asakir ad-Din Abu al-Husayn Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj (r.a.), Imam Abu Dawud Sulayman ibn al-Ash’ats as-Sijistani (r.a.), and Imam Abu ‘Abd ar-Rahman Ahmad ibn Shu’ayb an-Nasa’i (r.a.).