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The pledge of the virtuous (hilf al-fudul): its hadith, the cause of the Zoubayd merchant wronged by al-As ibn Wa’il, the Khat’ami’s daughter seized by Nubayh, the verses of az-Zoubayr ibn Abd al-Muttalib and al-Hussein’s anecdote with al-Walid, from al-Bayhaqi, Ibn Ishaq and Ibn Qutayba.
Updated on 07 September 2026 at 11:07 PM
The hafiz al-Bayhaqi related through long chains, going back to Jubayr ibn Mut’im, from his father: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “I attended with my uncles the pledge of the virtuous: I would not like to break it, and I love that I be offered the red camels.” Bichr ibn al-Mouffaddal related it likewise, from Abd ar-Rahman. And Abu Nasr ibn Qatada related, through another chain, from Abu Hurayra: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “I attended no pact of Quraysh save the pledge of the virtuous: I would not like that I be offered the red camels, and I would have broken [any other pledge].”
al-Bayhaqi says: thus was related this commentary, integrated into the hadith: “the virtuous are Hashim, Umayya, Zuhra and Makhzum” : I know not its author. Some historians thought he meant the Fudul pledge, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) not having witnessed the perfumed ones’ pledge. Ibn Kathir concludes: that is beyond doubt, for Quraysh allied after Qusayy’s death, disputing what Qusayy had entrusted to his son Abd ad-Dar: the watering, the provisioning, the banner, the assembly and the guard; the Banu Abd Manat contested it with them, each party backed by clans of Quraysh, allying to support their faction. The people of the Banu Abd Manat brought a bowl of perfume: they plunged their hands therein, allied, then wiped their hands upon the House’s corners and were named “the perfumed ones”; that was ancient. What is meant here is the Fudul pledge, concluded in the house of Abdallah ibn Jou’dan, as al-Humaydi related, from Soufyan ibn Uyayna, from Abdallah and Abd ar-Rahman, sons of Abu Bakr, who said: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “I attended in the house of Abdallah ibn Jou’dan a pledge: were I called to it in Islam, I would answer. They had allied to return rights to their holders, and that no oppressor humiliate an aggrieved one.”
The Fudul pledge occurred twenty years before the mission, in the month of Dhu al-Qa’da, four months after the war of al-Fijar, which occurred in Sha’ban of that same year. It was the noblest and most honorable pledge heard of among the Arabs. The first to call to it was az-Zoubayr ibn Abd al-Muttalib, and its cause: a man of Zoubayd came to Mecca with merchandise which al-As ibn Wa’il bought from him, then withheld his right. The Zoubaydi sought aid against him from the allies: Abd ad-Dar, Makhzum, Joumah, Sahm and Adi ibn Ka’b, who refused to aid against al-As ibn Wa’il, who had the upper hand. Seeing the evil, the Zoubaydi vowed at the top of Abu Qubays, at sunrise : Quraysh in their assemblies around the Kaaba : and cried at the top of his voice:
“O people of Fihr, the merchandise of a wronged one … within Mecca, far from his house and his clan ;”
“A pilgrim of disheveled hair who has not completed his visit : … ah, the men ! between the Hijr and the Stone ;”
“The sacred is sacred for him whose nobility is complete : … no sacredness for the garment of the vile betrayer.”
Az-Zoubayr ibn Abd al-Muttalib then rose and said: “Why is this people forsaken?” Hashim, Zuhra and Taym ibn Mourra gathered in the house of Abdallah ibn Jou’dan, who prepared for them a meal. They allied in Dhu al-Qa’da, a sacred month, engaging and promising before Allah: “Our hands shall be one hand with the aggrieved against the oppressor, until his right be rendered him, so long as a sea wets a fleece and Thabir and Hira remain in their places.” Quraysh named that pledge “the Fudul pledge,” saying: “These have entered a virtue of the affair.” They then marched to al-As ibn Wa’il, wrested from him the Zoubaydi’s merchandise and delivered it to him. Az-Zoubayr ibn Abd al-Muttalib said therein:
“I swore to conclude against them a pledge, … while we are all people of one house ;”
“We shall call it al-Fudul once we have concluded it : … the stranger finds therein honor through the protector ;”
“And those around the House know that we … shield the aggrieved and forbid all shame.”
Az-Zoubayr said also:
“The Fudul have engaged and allied … that no oppressor remain within Mecca’s midst ;”
“A matter upon which they engaged and promised : … the guest and the one surprised among them are safe.”
Qasim ibn Thabit mentioned in the Gharib al-Hadith that a man of Khat’arm came to Mecca as pilgrim or visitor, with his daughter named al-Qatoul, one of the world’s most lowly women. Nubayh ibn al-Hajjaj seized her from him and made her disappear. The Khat’ami said: “Who will stand for me against this man?” He was told: “To the Fudul.” He stood by the Kaaba and cried: “O pledge of the Fudul!” They rushed toward him from every side, swords unsheathed, saying: “Aid has come to you: what is your matter?” He said: “Nubayh wronged me concerning my daughter and wrested her from me by force.” They marched with him to the door of his house; he came out to them and they said: “Bring out the girl, woe to you! You know who we are and our pledge.” He said: “I shall do so, but let me have her tonight.” They said: “By Allah, never: no pleasure for the fornicator!” He brought her out to them, saying:
“My companions departed, and I did not greet al-Qatoula, … I made them no gracious farewell ;”
“When the Fudul resolved to bar me from her : … they see me, and I fear not the Fudoula ;”
“Say not that upon the evening when the caravan departed … you shall be for me a thing I would not say.”
He mentioned other verses than these. And it was said: this pledge was named “the Fudul pledge” for resembling a pact Jurhum had concluded upon the like: aiding the aggrieved against his oppressor; and its initiators were three nobles, each bearing the name Fadl: al-Fadl ibn Fadala, al-Fadl ibn Wada’a and al-Fudayl ibn al-Harith. Such is Ibn Qutayba’s view; others said: they were al-Fudayl ibn Shura’a, al-Fadl ibn Wada’a and al-Fadl ibn Quda’a, and as-Souhayli cited this (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
Muhammad ibn Ishaq said: tribes of Quraysh conspired toward a pledge and gathered in the house of Abdallah ibn Jou’dan, for his honor and renown, and their pledge occurred at his place: the Banu Hashim, the Banu Abd al-Muttalib, Asad ibn Abd al-Uzza, Zuhra ibn Kilab and Taym ibn Mourra. They engaged and promised to leave in Mecca no aggrieved one, of its people or others, among the people coming to it, without being with him against whoever wronged him, until his grievance be returned to him. Quraysh named that pledge “the Fudul pledge.”
Muhammad ibn Zayd al-Konfudh at-Taymi related to me that he heard Talha ibn Abdallah ibn Awf az-Zuhri say: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “I attended in the house of Abdallah ibn Jou’dan a pledge: I would not like that I be offered for it the red camels; and were I called to it in Islam, I would answer.”
Ibn Ishaq said: Yazid ibn Abdallah ibn Ussama ibn al-Hadi al-Lithi related to me that Muhammad ibn Ibrahim at-Taymi narrated to him that there was a dispute between al-Hussein ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib and al-Walid ibn Utba ibn Abi Soufyan : al-Walid then governor of Medina, appointed by his uncle Mou’awiya ibn Abi Soufyan : over wealth at Dhu al-Marwa. al-Walid took advantage of his power over al-Hussein’s right, who said: “I swear by Allah: you shall render me my right, or I shall take my sword, rise in the mosque of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and invoke the Fudul pledge.” Abdallah ibn az-Zoubayr, who was with al-Walid when al-Hussein said what he said, said: “And I swear by Allah: were he to invoke it, I shall take my sword and rise with him until his right be rendered him, or we all die.” The news reached al-Missouar ibn Makhrama az-Zuhri, who said the like; and Abd ar-Rahman ibn Uthman ibn Ubaydillah at-Taymi, who said likewise. When al-Walid ibn Utba learned that, he rendered al-Hussein his right until he was satisfied.