Surah Al-A'raaf (7) — Ayah 172

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.