In Islam, What Is a Covenant With Allah?
[URL]https://www.city-data.com/forum/islam/2469484-islam-what-covenant-allah.html[/URL]
To qualify as being a Muslim-proper, a Muslim must enter into a covenant with Allah either explicitly or implicitly.
Here is a [B]central point[/B] re a Muslim's covenant with Allah;
[INDENT]...
The word "[B]covenant[/B]" generally refers to an [B]agreement[/B], such as a treaty or contract.
[B]The fundamental relationship is reciprocal[/B]: each party provides something of value to the other. In Islam, a divine covenant reflects this mutuality in that God gives benefits to human beings and they render obedience in response.
The Quran speaks of a covenant with God, who in Arabic is referred to as Allah.
As Islam scholar Robert Darnell Jr. observes, the Quran describes a covenant with God as having three general features: the remembrance of God's favor, a promise of reward, and [B]commandments to be followed[/B].
[URL="http://people.opposingviews.com/islam-covenant-allah-4766.html"]In Islam, What Is a Covenant With Allah? | People - Opposing Views[/URL]
[/INDENT]My emphasis on the Muslims' covenant with Allah and the commandments to be followed.
The commandments to be followed can only be from the words of Allah, i.e. the [B]Quran<-[COLOR=red]M[/COLOR]uhammad<-[COLOR=red]G[/COLOR]abriel<-[COLOR=red]A[/COLOR]llah [/B][[B]Quran-[COLOR=red]MGA[/COLOR][/B]] and no where else.
The authorized concepts of 'the remembrance of God's favor,' 'a promise of reward,' are also stipulated within the [[B]Quran-[COLOR=red]MGA[/COLOR][/B]] and no where else.
[B]The Principles and Process of the Covenant[/B]
1. The Ultimate purpose of Allah from man is for humans to serve Him and worship Him as the only God without partners, rivals, sons and associates. Those who do not serve Allah will automatically be doomed to Hell. This is a unilateral threat to mankind who has no choice except to made a covenant with Allah if they want to be saved.[INDENT]51:56. I [Allah] created the jinn and humankind only that they might worship Me.
[/INDENT]2. If they made a covenant with Allah, therein the promise of Allah is for humans to be successful on Judgment Day, i.e. saved from doom in Hell and to reach Paradise with all its super rewards a man would strive for. There are Many verses to support this concept of saving from Hell and rewarded in Paradise and here is a couple [mine];[INDENT]44:56. They [Muslims] taste not death therein, save [except] the first death [in the physical world]. And He hath saved them [Muslims] from the doom of hell,
44:57. A bounty from thy Lord. That is the Supreme Triumph.
25:16. Therein abiding, they [Muslims] have all that they desire. It is for thy Lord a promise that must be fulfilled.
[/INDENT]3. In order for Allah to fulfill His ultimate purpose for man and for man to receive what is promised by Allah, man MUST enter into a covenant [explicitly or implicitly] with Allah in accordance and exclusively within the terms in the [B]Quran-MGA.[/B] Here is a clue [there are many other verses] to the covenant that must be made between a Muslim and Allah.[INDENT]19:87. They [infidels] will have no power of intercession, save him [Muslim] who hath made a covenant with his Lord [Allah]
[/INDENT]4. Once a Muslim has made a covenant with Allah, Allah [B]demands complete obedience[/B] in a [B]'slave' mode[/B] where the Muslim must comply [up to their best capability] with the required authorized terms and conditions as specified in the [B]Quran-MGA[/B] ONLY and no where else.
There is no other ultimate authorized sources other than the Quran-MGA which is already Perfected, Complete, explain everything and Final.
Muslims may make reference to the Hadiths, Sira, or even their own thinking, but all these secondary and unauthorized interpretations and explanations must ultimately agree with the Quran-MGA and nothing else.
The above are the complete principles and main points that denote the critical covenant between Allah and a Muslim.
[B]7:172 The Original Covenant Broken[/B]
In [B]7:172[/B] God stated the Children of Adam agreed the Lord is their Lord. We can infer there was an implicit covenant between them. However their subsequent generations broke the covenants and later generations did not made any continual covenant with Allah.
Thus it is only logical that the people of the later generations must enter into a [B]new covenant[/B] with Allah implicitly or explicitly. Note 19:87 and other similar verses.
To made a new covenant with Allah, the later generations must follow principles in 1-4 above, i.e. commit ['sign'] the covenant with terms and conditions as specified in the authorized Quran-MGA and no where else.
This is where Muhammad was sent with the latest [& final] revelations ONLY as a Warner, Reminder, conveyor to warn infidels of the consequences if they do not make a new covenant [implicitly or explicitly] with Allah.
..................
The Need for a Covenant[INDENT][B]19:78[/B]. [Pickthall] Hath he [the infidel] perused the Unseen, or hath he made a [B]pact[/B] [covenant] with the Beneficent?
A[U]tt[/U]alaAAa alghayba ami ittakha[U]th[/U]a AAinda a[B]l[/B]rra[U]h[/U]m[U]a[/U]ni AAahd[U]a[/U][B]n[/B]
19:78 [Assad] Has he, perchance, attained to a realm which is beyond the reach of a created being's perception? or has he concluded a [B]covenant[/B] with the Most Gracious?
19:78 [Ali] Has he penetrated to the Unseen, or has he taken a [B]contract[/B] with (Allah) Most Gracious?
19:78 [Sarwar] Has he the knowledge of the unseen or has the Beneficent God established such a [B]binding agreement[/B] with Him?
[/INDENT]The above is one verse which imply a Muslim must enter into a covenant [pact, agreement, contract] with Allah so that one can reap the promises made by Allah.
Note the various terms used to represent what is rightly a 'covenant' for theological purposes.
What is surprising is most Muslims do not understand the essential elements of the implied need for a covenant with Allah.
The point is if there is no covenant [explicit or implicit] a Muslim cannot reap whatever is promised by Allah.
To qualify as being a Muslim-proper, a Muslim must enter into a covenant with Allah either explicitly or implicitly.
Here is a [B]central point[/B] re a Muslim's covenant with Allah;
[INDENT]...
The word "[B]covenant[/B]" generally refers to an [B]agreement[/B], such as a treaty or contract.
[B]The fundamental relationship is reciprocal[/B]: each party provides something of value to the other. In Islam, a divine covenant reflects this mutuality in that God gives benefits to human beings and they render obedience in response.
The Quran speaks of a covenant with God, who in Arabic is referred to as Allah.
As Islam scholar Robert Darnell Jr. observes, the Quran describes a covenant with God as having three general features: the remembrance of God's favor, a promise of reward, and [B]commandments to be followed[/B].
[URL="http://people.opposingviews.com/islam-covenant-allah-4766.html"]In Islam, What Is a Covenant With Allah? | People - Opposing Views[/URL]
[/INDENT]My emphasis on the Muslims' covenant with Allah and the commandments to be followed.
The commandments to be followed can only be from the words of Allah, i.e. the [B]Quran<-[COLOR=red]M[/COLOR]uhammad<-[COLOR=red]G[/COLOR]abriel<-[COLOR=red]A[/COLOR]llah [/B][[B]Quran-[COLOR=red]MGA[/COLOR][/B]] and no where else.
The authorized concepts of 'the remembrance of God's favor,' 'a promise of reward,' are also stipulated within the [[B]Quran-[COLOR=red]MGA[/COLOR][/B]] and no where else.
[B]The Principles and Process of the Covenant[/B]
1. The Ultimate purpose of Allah from man is for humans to serve Him and worship Him as the only God without partners, rivals, sons and associates. Those who do not serve Allah will automatically be doomed to Hell. This is a unilateral threat to mankind who has no choice except to made a covenant with Allah if they want to be saved.[INDENT]51:56. I [Allah] created the jinn and humankind only that they might worship Me.
[/INDENT]2. If they made a covenant with Allah, therein the promise of Allah is for humans to be successful on Judgment Day, i.e. saved from doom in Hell and to reach Paradise with all its super rewards a man would strive for. There are Many verses to support this concept of saving from Hell and rewarded in Paradise and here is a couple [mine];[INDENT]44:56. They [Muslims] taste not death therein, save [except] the first death [in the physical world]. And He hath saved them [Muslims] from the doom of hell,
44:57. A bounty from thy Lord. That is the Supreme Triumph.
25:16. Therein abiding, they [Muslims] have all that they desire. It is for thy Lord a promise that must be fulfilled.
[/INDENT]3. In order for Allah to fulfill His ultimate purpose for man and for man to receive what is promised by Allah, man MUST enter into a covenant [explicitly or implicitly] with Allah in accordance and exclusively within the terms in the [B]Quran-MGA.[/B] Here is a clue [there are many other verses] to the covenant that must be made between a Muslim and Allah.[INDENT]19:87. They [infidels] will have no power of intercession, save him [Muslim] who hath made a covenant with his Lord [Allah]
[/INDENT]4. Once a Muslim has made a covenant with Allah, Allah [B]demands complete obedience[/B] in a [B]'slave' mode[/B] where the Muslim must comply [up to their best capability] with the required authorized terms and conditions as specified in the [B]Quran-MGA[/B] ONLY and no where else.
There is no other ultimate authorized sources other than the Quran-MGA which is already Perfected, Complete, explain everything and Final.
Muslims may make reference to the Hadiths, Sira, or even their own thinking, but all these secondary and unauthorized interpretations and explanations must ultimately agree with the Quran-MGA and nothing else.
The above are the complete principles and main points that denote the critical covenant between Allah and a Muslim.
[B]7:172 The Original Covenant Broken[/B]
In [B]7:172[/B] God stated the Children of Adam agreed the Lord is their Lord. We can infer there was an implicit covenant between them. However their subsequent generations broke the covenants and later generations did not made any continual covenant with Allah.
Thus it is only logical that the people of the later generations must enter into a [B]new covenant[/B] with Allah implicitly or explicitly. Note 19:87 and other similar verses.
To made a new covenant with Allah, the later generations must follow principles in 1-4 above, i.e. commit ['sign'] the covenant with terms and conditions as specified in the authorized Quran-MGA and no where else.
This is where Muhammad was sent with the latest [& final] revelations ONLY as a Warner, Reminder, conveyor to warn infidels of the consequences if they do not make a new covenant [implicitly or explicitly] with Allah.
..................
The Need for a Covenant[INDENT][B]19:78[/B]. [Pickthall] Hath he [the infidel] perused the Unseen, or hath he made a [B]pact[/B] [covenant] with the Beneficent?
A[U]tt[/U]alaAAa alghayba ami ittakha[U]th[/U]a AAinda a[B]l[/B]rra[U]h[/U]m[U]a[/U]ni AAahd[U]a[/U][B]n[/B]
19:78 [Assad] Has he, perchance, attained to a realm which is beyond the reach of a created being's perception? or has he concluded a [B]covenant[/B] with the Most Gracious?
19:78 [Ali] Has he penetrated to the Unseen, or has he taken a [B]contract[/B] with (Allah) Most Gracious?
19:78 [Sarwar] Has he the knowledge of the unseen or has the Beneficent God established such a [B]binding agreement[/B] with Him?
[/INDENT]The above is one verse which imply a Muslim must enter into a covenant [pact, agreement, contract] with Allah so that one can reap the promises made by Allah.
Note the various terms used to represent what is rightly a 'covenant' for theological purposes.
What is surprising is most Muslims do not understand the essential elements of the implied need for a covenant with Allah.
The point is if there is no covenant [explicit or implicit] a Muslim cannot reap whatever is promised by Allah.
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