The Pledge of Reaffirmation
In other narrations, it has been mentioned that Hazrat Ali (ra) did not perform the bai‘at of Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) until after the demise of Hazrat Fatimah (ra). For example, in the narration of Bukhari it states that Hazrat Ali (ra) did not perform the bai‘at until after the demise of Hazrat Fatimah (ra).
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Maghazi, Bab Ghazwat Khaibar, Hadith 4240)
However, many ulema [Islamic scholars] have expressed varying opinions on this narration of Bukhari. Imam Bayhaqi in Sunan al-Kubra has commented on the narration of Imam Shahaab-ul-Din Zuhri in which it states that Hazrat Ali (ra) did not perform the bai‘at of Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) until after the demise of Hazrat Fatimah (ra). The translation of this is that Imam Zuhri’s narration in which it states that Hazrat Ali (ra) did not perform the bai‘at of Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) until after the demise of Hazrat Fatimah (ra) is munqati‘ [the chain of narrators is incomplete]. On the other hand, the narration of Hazrat Abu Saeed Khudri (ra) is more authentic wherein it states that Hazrat Ali (ra) performed the bai‘at at the hand of Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) after the initial bai‘at had been taken in Thaqifah [meeting place of the Banu Saidah].
(Imam al-Baihaqi, Al-Sunan al-Kubra, Kitab Qism al-Fai‘ wa al-Ghanimah, Bab Bayan Musrif Arba‘ah Ikhmas al-Fai‘ ba‘d Rasulillahsa, Hadith 12732)
Other scholars have sought to reconcile these two narrations by stating that the second bai‘at [i.e. after the demise of Hazrat Fatimah (ra)] was a pledge of reaffirmation. Perhaps these scholars thought that in light of the fact that this narration has been recorded in an authentic book like Bukhari and therefore it must have some significance, hence [these scholars] felt the need to give this second pledge a particular name. However, it is not necessary that all the narrations in Bukhari are completely accurate.
For example, Dr Ali Muhammad Salabi in his book, Sirat Amir-il-Muminin Ali bin Abi Talib Shakhsiyyatuh wa Asruh writes that according to Allama Ibn Kathir and many other scholars, Hazrat Ali (ra) once again performed the bai‘at and reaffirmed his pledge of allegiance after the demise of Hazrat Fatimah (ra).
(Sirat Amir-il-Momineen Ali bin Abi Talib Shakhsiyyatuh wa Asruh, p. 121, Vol. 1, Ali bin Abi Talib fi Ahd al-Siddiq, Dar al-Ma‘rifah, Beirut, Lebanon, 2006)
Thus, this bai‘at was named as “The Pledge of Reaffirmation”. Hazrat Ali (ra) had initially taken the bai‘at, but after the demise of Hazrat Fatimah (ra), he once again reaffirmed his pledge of allegiance. Allama Ibn Kathir writes that after the demise of Hazrat Fatimah (ra), Hazrat Ali (ra) decided to pledge his allegiance at the hand of Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) once again.
(Ibn Kathir, Al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, Dhikr E‘tiraf Saad bin Ubadah bi Sihhat Ma Qalahu al-Siddiq Yaum al-Saqifah [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 2005], 694)