In the 11th year of the Prophet ﷺ's mission, two years before the Hijrah, twelve pilgrims from Yathrib (later Madinah) came to Makkah for the pilgrimage. Ten were from the Khazraj and two from the Aws. It was the largest group yet to accept Islam from outside Makkah.
They met the Prophet ﷺ on the Plains of Aqaba. There they formally became Muslims, placing their hands in his and taking an oath. They swore to worship Allah alone, and not to commit fornication, steal or kill their children. They also swore to obey him ﷺ in all good matters.
The oath was later called the Oath of the Women (Bay'at al-Nisa), even though all twelve were men. This was because, as with the women who became Muslim, it covered only belief and morals. It had no political or military conditions.
There was no need for secrecy, since this was simply a group of pilgrims talking with the Prophet ﷺ. It was also the first time the Aws and the Khazraj, who had long been enemies, came together on common ground.
This was the first formal conversion of a group from Yathrib. Afterwards the Prophet ﷺ sent Mus'ab ibn Umayr RA back with them to teach Islam. This opened the way to the many conversions that followed and, in time, to the Hijrah.
Other events recorded in 2 BH. Their order within the year is not established; use the storyline above for the sequence.
I was one of those who took the First Covenant of Aqaba, and it was the Oath of the Women. We swore to worship Allah alone, and not to fornicate, steal, or kill our children; we would not live immoral or unrighteous lives; and we would obey the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in all good matters.
Whoever fulfills this oath, his reward will be with Allah. And whoever falls short and repents, Allah will forgive him.