Surah Al-A'raaf (7) — Ayah 172

(Ayah 172) ➊ {وَ اِذْ اَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِنْۢ بَنِيْۤ اٰدَمَ … :} Up to this point, the arrangement for the guidance of the children of Adam through messengers and books was mentioned; now, the evidences of guidance that Allah Almighty has placed in the universe and in the very being of man ({اَنْفُسِهِمْ}) are being mentioned. The scholars have stated two interpretations of this verse: one is that Allah Almighty has placed in human nature the knowledge that he has a Lord who created him and provides for him, and when Allah Almighty creates the offspring of Adam (peace be upon him) generation after generation, and separates the sperm from the loins of any of the children of Adam and creates his offspring in the womb of the mother, at that very moment, by placing this in the nature of that offspring, He places so many evidences of His Lordship in his soul and his being that it is as if He makes him a witness over himself that his Lord is Allah. It is as if he is born upon Islam. A drop that became a leech, then a lump, then bones, then a living human with complete limbs—these and countless other signs in his own being and in the universe are sufficient testimony that he has one Lord, as Allah Almighty said: «{ سَنُرِيْهِمْ اٰيٰتِنَا فِي الْاٰفَاقِ وَ فِيْۤ اَنْفُسِهِمْ حَتّٰى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ اَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ }» [ حٰمٓ السجدۃ : ۵۳ ] "Soon We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth." And He said: «{ وَ فِي الْاَرْضِ اٰيٰتٌ لِّلْمُوْقِنِيْنَ (20) وَ فِيْۤ اَنْفُسِكُمْ اَفَلَا تُبْصِرُوْنَ }» [ الذاریات : ۲۰، ۲۱ ] "And in the earth are signs for those who have certainty, and in yourselves—do you not see?" And testimony is not necessarily only by the tongue; according to the Noble Qur’an, the state can also be a testimony, as He said: «{ مَا كَانَ لِلْمُشْرِكِيْنَ اَنْ يَّعْمُرُوْا مَسٰجِدَ اللّٰهِ شٰهِدِيْنَ عَلٰۤى اَنْفُسِهِمْ بِالْكُفْرِ }» [ التوبۃ : ۱۷ ] "It is not for the polytheists to maintain the mosques of Allah while bearing witness against themselves to disbelief." And He said: «{ اِنَّ الْاِنْسَانَ لِرَبِّهٖ لَكَنُوْدٌ (6) وَ اِنَّهٗ عَلٰى ذٰلِكَ لَشَهِيْدٌ }» [ العادیات : ۶، ۷ ] "Indeed, man is surely ungrateful to his Lord, and indeed, he is surely a witness to that."
It is thus known that the nature of man is Tawheed, as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Every child is born upon the Fitrah, then his parents make him a Jew, a Christian, or a Magian." [ بخاری، الجنائز، باب ما قیل فی أولاد المشرکین : ۱۳۸۵ ] Therefore, the evidences of Allah Almighty being the One Lord present in the being of man and in the universe are sufficient for man not to associate anyone with Allah Almighty. That is why some scholars have said that even if no messenger had come, it would have been obligatory for man to avoid shirk due to reason, sound nature, and the countless evidences of Tawheed present in his own being and in the universe; if he commits shirk, then Allah Almighty has the right to hold him accountable. But from the Noble Qur’an, it is established that Allah Almighty, out of His immense mercy and grace, does not punish without making the truth clear through messengers, even though there is testimony upon his own soul. He said: «{ وَ مَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِيْنَ حَتّٰى نَبْعَثَ رَسُوْلًا }» [ بنی إسرائیل : ۱۵ ] "And We never punish until We send a messenger." Understand it like this: for seeing, it is necessary to have light in the eye and also light from the sun, moon, or something else; if there is no light in the eye or no light outside, then nothing can be seen. The intellect placed in the nature and the evidences in the universe are like the light of the eye for recognizing the Lord, and the prophets are like the sun and the moon, illuminating and explaining the evidences. Shaykh Salih Al al-Shaykh said in Sharh Aqeedah Tahawiyyah that many Imams of Ahl al-Sunnah, such as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn al-Qayyim, Ibn Kathir, Ibn Abi al-Izz al-Hanafi (the commentator of Tahawiyyah), Shaykh Abdur Rahman Sa'di, and many other Imams (may Allah have mercy on them) have adopted this very interpretation of {’’وَإِذْ اَخَذَ رَبُّكَ‘‘}. Note that the example of the light of the eye and the sun is not part of the interpretation of these Imams.
The second interpretation is that covenant (promise and pledge) which Allah Almighty took from all the children of Adam by bringing them out from the loins of Adam (peace be upon him), and which is generally known as the Covenant of Alast, and is narrated from Abdullah ibn Abbas and other Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). Thus, Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said that Allah Almighty took the covenant (promise and pledge) from the loins of Adam (peace be upon him) at Nu'man (with a fathah on the noon), i.e., at Arafah, so He brought forth from his loins all the offspring that Allah Almighty was to create, and scattered them before him, then spoke to them face to face, saying: «{ اَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ }» "Am I not your Lord?" They said: «{ بَلٰى }» "Yes, we bear witness!" (Lest) you should say on the Day of Resurrection, "We were unaware of this." Until the end of the verses. [ أحمد : 272/1، ح : ۲۴۵۹۔ مستدرک حاکم : 544/2، ح : ۴۰۰۰ ] Al-Hakim and Al-Dhahabi declared this hadith Sahih, and Al-Shawkani and many scholars preferred this interpretation, but there are several differences between the words of the Qur’an and the words of the hadith: first, in the verse it is «{ مِنْۢ بَنِيْۤ اٰدَمَ }», not {’’ مِنْ آدَمَ ‘‘}; second, it is «{ مِنْ ظُهُوْرِهِمْ }», not {’’ مِنْ ظَهْرِهِ ‘‘}; third, it is «{ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ }», not {’’ ذُرِّيَّتَهُ‘‘}; fourth, it is said: «{ اَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلٰۤى اَنْفُسِهِمْ }», a witness should remember what he is testifying to, whereas no one remembers that covenant, but man is a natural witness to the evidences of Allah Almighty’s Lordship and Tawheed in his soul and in the universe; it is another matter that by mixing with people of corrupt beliefs, a veil may fall over his nature. If someone says that although we do not remember the covenant that took place when we were brought out from the loins of Adam (peace be upon him), the prophets reminding us of this covenant is sufficient, then Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) has answered that the polytheists did not accept anything the prophets said as authentic, so how could their reminding them be a proof against them? (Whereas Allah Almighty has mentioned making them witnesses as a proof against them on the Day of Resurrection, just as He has mentioned sending messengers as a proof.) In short, Ibn Abi al-Izz has mentioned ten differences between the verse and the hadith in Sharh Aqeedah Tahawiyyah, so both are separate. However, by way of reconciliation, it can be said that bringing forth the offspring from the loins of the children of Adam is itself a detail of bringing forth the offspring from the loins of Adam (peace be upon him). (And Allah knows best)
➋ {اَنْ تَقُوْلُوْا:} This is originally {’’ لِئَلَّا تَقُوْلُوْا ‘‘} or {’’ كَرَاهَةَ اَنْ تَقُوْلُوْا ‘‘}, meaning this covenant was taken from you so that you would not adopt the way of shirk and disobedience in the world, and when you are questioned on the Day of Resurrection, you would begin to present your excuse by saying that you were unaware of it. (Ibn Kathir)

172. 1. This covenant was taken from all the progeny that came from the loins of Adam after his creation. Its details are mentioned in a hadith as follows: On the day of Arafah, at the place of Nu'man, Allah took a covenant (Mithaq) from the loins of Adam. Thus, all the progeny that came from Adam's back were brought forth and spread before Him, and He asked them, "Am I not your Lord?" All replied, "Yes, indeed, we bear witness that You are our Lord." Imam Shawkani writes about this hadith: wa isnaduhu la mat'an fihi (Fath al-Qadir) — there is no criticism in its chain of narration. Furthermore, Imam Shawkani states: This is called the 'Alam al-Dharr, and this is the correct and true interpretation, from which turning away or going towards any other meaning is not correct, because it is established by a marfu' hadith and the reports of the Companions, and it is not permissible to interpret it metaphorically. In any case, this testimony to Allah's Lordship is deposited in the nature of every human being. The same meaning was expressed by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ as follows: Every child is born upon the fitrah, then his parents make him a Jew, Christian, or Magian. Just as an animal gives birth to a complete offspring, its nose or ear is not cut. And in the narration of Sahih Muslim: Allah says, I created My servants as hunafa' (those who turn to Allah with exclusive devotion), then the devils mislead them from their (natural) religion. Al-hadith. This fitrah, or the religion of fitrah, is the tawhid of the Lord and His revealed Shari'ah, which is now preserved and present in the form of Islam.

172. And (remember) when your Lord brought forth from the loins of the children of Adam their descendants and made them bear witness against themselves, (saying): "Am I not your Lord?" They replied: "Yes, indeed! [175] We bear witness." (This was done) lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection, "We were indeed unaware of this."

[175] In the previous verse, a specific covenant was mentioned which was taken from the Jews, and in this verse, a general covenant is mentioned which was taken individually from all human beings. This event took place at the time when Allah Almighty had already created Adam ؑ and had chosen him for the vicegerency of the earth. From the clear statements of the Book and Sunnah, it is known that after creating Adam ؑ, Allah Almighty passed His hand over his back and brought forth before Himself the souls of all his progeny who were to be born until the Day of Judgment. These souls were given the same form which they would have after their birth, and according to some hadiths, the forms of these souls were like ants. Then, addressing these souls, He said: "Look carefully at this vast universe and tell Me, do you see any other Lord besides Me here? And am I not your Lord?" So all the souls together testified with certainty that, "O Allah, only You are our Lord." In other words, this was a testimony that we will never associate anyone else as Your partner.

Details of the Covenant of Alast and the Conditions of the Earth:

This event has not been mentioned merely in a figurative sense, as some people think, but it actually took place in this external universe just as the event of Allah Almighty's conversation with the angels regarding Adam's vicegerency occurred before Adam's creation. This acknowledgment was taken because the foundation of earthly vicegerency could not be established until man acknowledged two things: first, that there is definitely a Creator of this universe, and second, that this very Creator nurtures this universe and brings it to the height of perfection, and there is no other Lord besides Him. Thus, this testimony serves as the cornerstone for earthly vicegerency; if this foundation is removed, even the concept of vicegerency becomes impossible. Therefore, this fundamental truth was sown in all the souls of the children of Adam. Here, the question arises: if this covenant was so important, why does man not remember it? The retort to this is that man does not even remember that he was in his mother's womb, then was born, where he was born, or at what time. In short, there are countless such things which, despite not being remembered by man, remain solid realities in their own place. Therefore, the excuse of not remembering is not valid. The real answer is that Allah Almighty did not intend for this covenant to remain constantly in man's memory, because in that case, man could never rebel against Allah or disobey Him, and this is against the divine will, because this world is a place of trial for man. Therefore, this event was not placed in man's consciousness but in his subconscious or intuition, and it is the effect of this very instinct that sometimes even staunch disbelievers and atheists are compelled to acknowledge the existence of Allah Almighty, or in times of distress, they unconsciously call upon Him. The second proof of the presence of this covenant in the subconscious is that two types of abilities have been placed in man: one in potential (bilquwwah), the other in actuality (bilfi'l). For example, if a person wants to become a painter, it is only possible if he has the potential ability to become a painter, i.e., he possesses the talent for painting. Then, if he is provided with the appropriate external environment, such as a teacher, time, and the necessary tools and materials, through effort he will become a painter. At that time, the ability which was in potential has been transformed into actuality. But if a person wishes to become an angel, he will never be able to, no matter how much he tries, because he does not possess the potential ability to become an angel.

In What Sense is the Quran a Reminder and Admonition?

Now, our claim is that the memory of this Covenant of Alast and the potential for earthly vicegerency exist in man in potential form. Then, when he is provided with a suitable external environment and means, this very potential is transformed into actuality. By suitable means and environment here is meant the prophets of Allah Almighty and His books, which guide man's potential in the right direction. From this environment, such a righteous element emerges which meets the standard of bearing the responsibilities of vicegerency. That is why, in the Quran, the prophets and messengers are called "reminders" (those who remind of the Covenant of Alast: "Am I not your Lord?") and the Quran itself is called "reminder" and "admonition." In other words, the task of the prophets (peace be upon them) and the books is to keep reminding man of the potential ability within him and to bring it to the level of actuality.