Epigraph:
And [remember] when God made the covenant of the prophets: “By that which I have given you of a Book and Wisdom, should a messenger then come to you confirming that which is with you, you shall surely believe in him and you shall help him.” He said, “Do you agree and take on My burden on these conditions?” They said, “We agree.” He said, “Bear witness, for I am with you among those who bear witness.” Then whosoever turns away after that, they are the iniquitous. (Al Quran 3:81-82)
Do they seek other than God’s religion, while whosoever is in the heavens and on the earth submits to Him, willingly or unwillingly, and unto Him they will be returned? (Al Quran 3:83)
Written and collected by Zia H Shah MD, Chief Editor of the Muslim Times
In a different article we have examined the nature of the covenant that happened with the whole of humanity: The Primordial Covenant of Humanity: Did it Literally Happen?
Today, we will discuss the other prominent covenant mentioned in the holy Quran.
The verses 81 and 82 quoted as epigraph above from Surah Ale Imran are regarded as Covenant of the Prophets. What is most important to note is that in the very next verse the subject matter begins to consider the submission of the whole universe to the will of God, a subject apt for our times as the study of cosmology came to be a science only in the last few decades.
Now, let us take the commentary of these verses from Seyyed Hossein Nasr before we go onto discuss the other verses from Surah Al Ahzab, where this covenant is again discussed:
3:81–82: The particle lamā, rendered here as by that which and as should (in should a messenger), gives rise to different possible translations that are nonetheless substantively similar. It can be interpreted to mean that the Book and Wisdom are invoked in a covenant that binds a prophet, and by extension his followers, to follow a later, true messenger, should he come confirming that which is with you. Here by that which I have given is understood to be an oath (Ṭ). Some commentators see this as a direct command to the various prophets to affirm Muhammad, should he appear during their own lifetime. The verse may actually be referring to the followers of the prophets, since prophets would never turn away or become iniquitous, though their followers might (Q, R); that is, since belief in the Prophet Muhammad or any true prophet is incumbent upon prophets themselves, it is also incumbent upon their followers (R).
Do you agree and take on My burden can be understood to be spoken by God to the prophets or to be spoken by the prophets to their followers (R), though the commentators seem to agree that Bear witness, for I am with you is spoken by God (Q, R, Ṭ).Commentators typically emphasize that it is the Prophet Muhammad to whom reference is made here, and they mention the foretelling of the coming of Muhammad, whom they find inscribed in the Torah and the Gospel that is with them (7:157), though al-Rāzī, for example, acknowledges that the covenant pertains to any prophet who fulfills the criteria in the verse.
3:83: For some, whosoever is in the heavens refers to the angels, while those on the earth refer to human beings (IK, R). Submits (aslama) is the verbal form of islām, or ‘submission.’ Willingly (ṭawʿan) can also be rendered “obediently,” while unwillingly (karhan) can mean ‘grudgingly.’ In an apparent paradox, this verse asserts that all beings submit to God, and some do so unwillingly. Some explain this by saying that all beings must in some sense succumb to God’s Will (IK), implying a passive rather than active submission. Others mention that believers submit in life willingly, while disbelievers submit in death unwillingly (R), but their submission at the moment of death does them no good (Q), as mentioned in 40:85: But their believing benefited them not when they saw Our Might.
The willingness and unwillingness of those in the heavens and on the earth are also mentioned in 41:11; 13:15: And unto God prostrates whosoever is in the heavens and on the earth, willingly or unwillingly, as do their shadows in the morning and the evening. This verse is related to many other verses that speak of all creatures prostrating before God (e.g., 22:18) or glorifying God, as in 17:44: The seven heavens, and the earth, and whatsoever is in them glorify Him. And there is no thing, save that it hymns His praise, though you do not understand their praise.
The Quranic words are chosen carefully to continue to make sense to the 7th century illiterate Arab and the 21st century scientific mind. Hence, I think the verse 83 covering cosmology is brought into the discussion of theology and prophethood.
Now, let us move on to Surah Ahzab, where the covenant of the prophets is discussed again:
And [remember] when We made with the prophets their covenant, and with you, and with Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus the son of Mary; We made with them a solemn covenant, that the truthful may be questioned concerning their truthfulness.(Al Quran 33:7-8)
There is a frequently quoted hadith: “Truly I was [already], in the sight of Allah, the Seal of Prophets, when Adam was still kneaded in his clay. I shall inform you of the meaning (ta’wil) of this. It is the supplication of my father Ibrahim (Q 2:129) and the glad tidings of my brother `Isa to his people (Q 61:6); and the vision my mother saw the night I was delivered: she saw a light that lit the palaces of Syro-Palestine so that she could see them.”[1]
The mention of the Prophet Muhammad, may peace be on him, existing before prophet Adam, will suggest that the Primordial Covenant and the Covenant of the Prophets were literal. But, many learned contemporary scholars do not take these to be literal any more.
Likewise, I am proposing that the meeting of Adam with God, angels and satan be not taken literally, in light of modern biology and evolution.
Let us review a recent commentary by Seyyed Hossein Nasr of these verses:
33:7: Covenant (mīthāq) can be understood as a reference to the covenant made by all of humanity while they were still in Adam’s loins (Mw) or to the pacts (ʿuhūd) made by the messengers to convey the message and call to the upright religion (30:30; Bg, Mw, Q, Z). According to some commentators, this verse pertains to a covenant that is particular to the prophets in which they pledged to worship God, call others to worship God, and confirm one another (Mw, Sh). Some say that this was an additional covenant made after the covenant to which all of humanity bore witness on the Day of the Covenant (see 7:172; IK). These five prophets are said to be mentioned for their exalted status as the resolute among the messengers (46:35), who brought the known Divine laws (Bg, Q, Sh) and revealed books (Q). The mention of the five prophets can also be understood to stand for all prophets. With regard to the order in which the prophets are mentioned, the Prophet is reported to have said, “I was the first prophet to be created and the last of them to be sent; so He began with [the mention of] Me before them” (IK, Mw, Q). In this regard, a Companion of the Prophet said, “I asked, ‘O Messenger of God, when were you a prophet?’ and he replied, ‘While Adam was between spirit and body.’” Another ḥadīth states, ‘Truly I was with God, the Seal of Prophets, when Adam was still kneaded in his clay.’
The second mention of covenant in the verse can be seen as a repetition and reaffirmation of the first; or the first mention can be seen as a covenantal affirmation of God’s supreme Sovereignty and the second as pertaining to the particularities of prophethood; see 3:81. According to al-Zajjāj, “[God] made the covenant when they were brought forth from Adam’s loins as progeny, then He affirmed the covenant He had made with the prophets by repeating the mention of it and describing it as a solemn covenant, meaning ‘a pact firm in fulfillment’ of that which they had been made to carry and of that which God had enjoined upon them” (Sh).
The present verse could also be understood to mean that God made a covenant with them twice, the first time without “making it solemn” (taghlīẓ) and without firmness (tashdīd), then a second time making it solemn and firm, as in 3:81 (Sh). Its being solemn can also be understood as a reference to the sobering obligation of bearing God’s message and conveying Divine laws (Ṭs). Although the covenant is mentioned throughout the Quran (see the essay “The Quranic View of Sacred History and Other Religions”), a solemn covenant is only mentioned here, in 4:21, where it describes the marriage pact, and in 4:154, where it describes the covenant with Moses and the Israelites.
33:8: God made the covenant with the prophets so that He could ask ‘the believers who confirm their pact when He makes them testify about themselves regarding their truthfulness toward their pact’ (Bg); for had God not enjoined the prophets to deliver revelation, it would be unjust to hold human beings accountable for having failed to uphold the covenant, as they would have received no specific reminders. In this respect, al-Zamakhsharī relates the mention of the covenant in the previous verse to the pretemporal covenant alluded to in 7:172. When they are questioned, the response of the truthful will be, The messengers of our Lord certainly brought the truth (7:43; IK).
A 2017 Pew Research Center survey of U.S. Muslims, using slightly different questions than the 2014 survey, found a similar estimate (24%) of the share of those who were raised Muslim but have left Islam. Among this group, 55% no longer identify with any religion, according to the 2017 survey. Fewer identify as Christian (22%), and an additional one-in-five (21%) identify with a wide variety of smaller groups, including faiths such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, or as generally “spiritual.”[2]
The same 2017 survey asked converts from Islam to explain, in their own words, their reasons for leaving the faith. A quarter cited issues with religion and faith in general, saying that they dislike organized religion (12%), that they do not believe in God (8%), or that they are just not religious (5%). And roughly one-in-five cited a reason specific to their experience with Islam, such as being raised Muslim but never connecting with the faith (9%) or disagreeing with the teachings (7%) of Islam. Similar shares listed reasons related to a preference for other religions or philosophies (16%) and personal growth experiences (14%), such as becoming more educated or maturing.
One striking difference between former Muslims and those who have always been Muslim is in the share who hail from Iran. Those who have left Islam are more likely to be immigrants from Iran (22%) than those who have not switched faiths (8%). The large number of Iranian American former Muslims is the result of a spike in immigration from Iran following the Iranian Revolution of 1978 and 1979 – which included many secular Iranians seeking political refuge from the new theocratic regime.
In USA the number of people joining Islam is balanced by those who leave Islam. So, the importance of practicing, professing and presenting the best and the most rational understanding of Islam cannot be overstated.
In the past centuries many Muslims believed that all the human souls were created first and they are sent into fetus at some suitable time. However, here is a clear passage from the Quran to understand that souls get created as the human brains develop in the wombs of the mothers:
It is God who created the heavens and the earth and everything between them in six Days. Then He established Himself on the Throne. You [people] have no one but Him to protect you and no one to intercede for you, so why do you not take heed? He runs everything, from the heavens to the earth, and everything will ascend to Him in the end, on a Day that will measure a thousand years in your reckoning. Such is He who knows all that is unseen as well as what is seen, the Almighty, the Merciful, who gave everything its perfect form. He first created man from clay, then made his descendants from an extract of underrated fluid (semen). Then He molded him; He breathed from His Spirit into him; He gave you hearing, sight, and minds. How seldom you are grateful! (Al Quran 32:4-9)
The Quran is a dynamic book and as human understanding evolves so does our appreciation of the holy scripture. And as we see our understanding evolving in one area we can use it sometimes as an example or metaphor to understand other teachings in the modern light.
For instance the understanding of Primordial Covenants have application on human evolution and the meeting of Adam with God, angels and Satan.
- Narrated by Ahmad, Musnad al-Shamiyyin, from al-`Irbad b. Sariya (al-Zayn ed. 13:282 §17086, 13:285 §17098; al-Arna’ut ed. 28:382 §17151, 28:395 §17163), among others.
- https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2018/01/26/the-share-of-americans-who-leave-islam-is-offset-by-those-who-become-muslim/
The Quranic Compassion 