It seems likely that the declaration of the Mahdi occurred during the year and that it was specifically in the month of Ramadan, on a Friday. Perhaps it was the second Friday that coincided with the day.

The declaration of the Mahdi was made in a witnessed procession attended by all the followers, and Ibn Tumart stood as a preacher in the sermon, saying: "Praise be to God, the doer of what He wills, the judge by what He desires, no one can avert His command, and no one can change His judgment. May God bless our master Muhammad, the bearer of good tidings of the Mahdi who will fill the earth with justice and fairness. It has been filled with darkness and injustice. God will send him when truth is replaced by falsehood, and justice is removed by injustice. His place is the far Maghreb, and his time is the end of time, and his name is the name of the Prophet, may God's prayers and His noble, close angels be upon him. The injustice of the princes has appeared, and the earth is filled with corruption. This is the end of time, and the name is the name, and the lineage is the lineage, and the deed is the deed." When his close companions heard this statement, they said to him, as narrated by Abd al-Mu'min bin Ali: "This description applies only to you. You are the Mahdi."

This scene would not have ended without the Mahdi reaping the fruit for which he fabricated the Mahdiya, which is greater devotion and loyalty from his followers. So he extended his hand to them, and they pledged allegiance to him. They pledged allegiance to him as the companions of the Messenger of God pledged allegiance, and that he is the Mahdi, and that they would be united in fighting and defending. This took place under a carob tree, as a psychological element to increase conviction, as the allegiance of the Prophet upon him be peace is remembered with the tree. The first to pledge allegiance were ten of his most trusted companions, led by Abd al-Mu'min bin Ali, followed by the rest of the Ansar who were present from various places. This appears to be the Great Pledge. Otherwise, one of the covenants and agreements had occurred before that, as mentioned by al-Baydaq in Akhbar al-Mahdi. And Ibn al-Athir. See: al-Marrakushi, al-Mu'jib, pp. 254-255. And Ibn al-Qattan, Nuzm al-Juman, pp. 75-76. And Ibn Khaldun, al-'Ibar, vol. 6, p. 469. They are as mentioned by Ibn al-Qattan in Nuzm al-Juman: Abd al-Mu'min bin Ali, Abu Muhammad al-Bashir, Abu Ibrahim al-Hazarji, Abu Hafs Umar bin Ali al-Sanhaji, Abu al-Rabi' Sulayman bin al-Hadri, Abu Imran Musa bin Tamara, Abu Yahya bin Yajit, Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Sulayman, Abu Hafs Umar bin Yahya, and Abu Abdullah bin Malwiya. Al-Baydaq mentioned these names with some variation in Akhbar al-Mahdi, pp. 63-64. And Ibn Abi Zar'. See: al-Qurtas, pp. 115. And al-Zarkashi, Tarikh al-Dawlatayn, p. 10.