God’s Covenant: How To Deal With It

                        “Is he who knows that what was revealed

                         to you from your Lord is the truth, like him

                         who is blind? Only those who exploit their                        

                         hearts will understand it: those who fulfill

                         God’s Covenant and do not break the Pact”

                                                                        (Qur’an, 13:19-20)

  

In the last Reflection I have concluded that it is essential for human beings to properly exploit the faculties endowed to them by God. Here I will try to reflect on God’s statement that those who can understand the truth of the Qur’an are only the people who exploit their hearts properly. And the consequence: they fulfill God’s Covenant.

Human being has moral and social responsibilities. For this purpose, God ordains every person who believes in Him to be true to his covenants. And there are three kinds of covenants to be fulfilled: covenant between God and man, covenant between man and his own soul and covenant between man and his fellow-men: “O you who have attained to faith, be true to your covenants!” (5:1).

The first Covenant

According to the Qur’an the ability to perceive the existence of the Supreme Power as the Lord (who cherishes and sustains him) is inborn in every individual of Mankind: “And when your Lord took out the offspring from the loins of the Children of Adam and made them bear witness about themselves: Am I not your Lord? And they replied: Yes, indeed, we bear witness. So you cannot say on the Day of Resurrection: we were not aware of this; or: it was our forefathers who, before us, ascribed partners to God, and we are only the descendants who came after them, will You destroy us because of falsehoods they invented?” (7:172-173).

Because of His mercy, God sent His revelations to Mankind through messengers chosen among every nation to remind their people of God’s covenant, and revive the concealed cognition of the lordship of God in their deep insight.

God says in the Qur’an: “This (message) is no less than a reminder to all mankind, to every one of you who wills to take the straight way. But you cannot will it unless God, the Lord of all the worlds, wills” (81:27-29).

The second Covenant

Between man and his own soul. This is very important to be reflected on, because one is often inattentive to what his existence is for. The Qur’an says: “Verily, We have created human being into (a life of) pain, toil, and trial. Does he, then, think that no one has power over him? He boasts: I have spent wealth abundant. Does he, then, think that no one sees him? Have We not given him two eyes, and a tongue, and a pair of lips, and shown him the two highways (of good and evil)? Yet he has not attempted the steep path!” (90:4-11).

The Qur’an reminds us that on the Day of Resurrection each person will be apprised of what he has done and what he left undone, and his body particles shall be eye-witnesses (see: 24:24), even though he may veil himself in excuses (see 75: 14-15).

The third Covenant

Between man and his fellow-men. God has ordained the relationship between husband and wife, which the Qur’an considers as intimate and privy, so that each of them lives in serenity with the other, and considers their bond a solemn pledge (see: 30:29 and 4:21). And God asks every person (man or woman) not to covet that what God has preferred some above others, because God wants to examine all of them by His will (see 4:32). He also ordered every one to do good to one’s parents, next of kin, orphans, the needy, the neighbor from among one’s own people, the neighbor who is a stranger, the friend by one’s side and the wayfarer (see 4:36).

Furthermore: “Behold, God enjoins justice, and the doing of good, and generosity towards (one’s) fellow-men; and He forbids all that is shameful, and all that is blameworthy, and oppressive. He exhorts you so that you might bear (all this) in mind” (16:90).

To conclude and reflect on what is mentioned above, we can say that God’s Covenant also includes the importance of good relations between people, as it is a part of the great Covenant:

“O mankind, be mindful of your Lord who has created you out of one living entity, and out of it created its mate, and out of the two spread abroad a multitude of men and women. And remain mindful of God, in whose Name you demand (your rights) from one another, and of these ties of kinship. Verily God is ever watchful over you” (4:1). “and fulfill the Covenant; surely the Covenant shall be asked about (on the Day of Resurrection)” (17:34).