“O Children of Israel, Remember my favours! Which, I bestowed upon you and fulfil my covenant and I will fulfil your covenant and fear none but me.” Al Baqara 40
يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتِيَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَوْفُوا بِعَهْدِي أُوفِ بِعَهْدِكُمْ وَإِيَّايَ فَارْهَبُونِ
The Quran is explicit in confirming that the Children of Israel are the subject of a covenant and as we know it was not them who brought the covenant into existence but it was Allah himself, this was Allah’s covenant to us and as a result of his covenant our covenant came into existence.
The Children of Israel are then told to fulfil this covenant in the form of an order. At this juncture we have to have a discussion about the language and circumstance of use. An order to fulfil a command can only be made in future or present tense, in which case you will be carrying out that command until the determined time which is mentioned to all the parties. In the ayah it gives no indication of end and is given as an order in the similar vein as you find in salaat or zakat or fasting.
وَإِذِ ابْتَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِمَاتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّي جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا ۖ قَالَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِي ۖ قَالَ لَا يَنَالُ عَهْدِي الظَّالِمِينَ
“and when Abraham was tested by his Lord with words (commands) he (Abraham) fulfilled them, Allah said to him “I am going to make you a leader (an imam) to all humanity”, he replied “and from my descendants?” Allah says “the wrong doers will not attain the covenant” Al Baqara 124
The other issue to consider is WHEN this command was given. The command was given directly to the Banu Israel who were living in Medina at the time well after the Hijra and outside of the Meccan period.
Why would Allah even command the Children of Israel to fulfil a covenant that is ended or finished?
If the Children of Israel were just regular people without a covenant still in existence; why would Allah subhaanahu wa ta’ala even mention or make reference to it?
Also, why after Islam is well on its way to being established as a state in Medina would Allah subhaanahu wa ta’ala confuse the matter by ordering the Children of Israel to continue to fulfil something that had finished?!?!?
This raises more questions than it answers and has the potential to create contradictions in the Quran itself. Also, the ummah of Muhammed sulla Allah alayhi wa salaam began when Muhammed sulla Allah alayhi wa salaam received his revelation. At that point he was the Prophet and the Quran came through him to deliver the message to Banu Israel to fulfil the covenant. It came DURING the time of the ummah of Muhammed sulla Allah alayhi wa salaam .
So, the appearance of Muhammed sulla Allah alayhi wa salaam clearly didn’t make the covenant pass into history nor was it revoked; quite the opposite, the appearance and prophethood of Muhammed sulla Allah alayhi wa salaam is used to confirm the covenant.
What is the Covenant?
وَإِذِ ابْتَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِمَاتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّي جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا ۖ قَالَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِي ۖ قَالَ لَا يَنَالُ عَهْدِي الظَّالِمِينَ
“and when Abraham was tested by his Lord with words (commands) he (Abraham) fulfilled them, Allah said to him “I am going to make you a leader (an imam) to all humanity”, he replied “and from my descendants?” Allah says “the wrong doers will not attain the covenant””Al Baqara 124
This ayah gives us very clear evidence of just how long the duration of the covenant and its purpose. The intention of the covenant is to make Abraham alayhi as salaam a leader and an authority in matters of deen. The duration aspect is also very clear and its scope.
When Allah subhaanahu wa ta’ala mentions that he was going to make Abraham alayhi as salaam an Imam, Abraham alayhi as salaam understood that it would go beyond him when he asked about his descendants. Allah then replies in the affirmative stating very clearly that it will not be attained by those who are wrong doers.
At this point we know this caveat could not apply to his son and grandson who were prophets. It is implied that this covenant last forever and travels down the blood line and through the descendants of Abraham alayhi as salaam. Nowhere in that exchange does it give the impression that it will end.
Another feature of the covenant is that Allah does not say it will end but that when the behaviour of his descendants drops below a certain standard they will not attain the benefits of the covenant. This is very unique and answers the previous question of does the covenant break just because of the behaviour of the human. Allah subhaanahu wa ta’ala makes it clear this covenant does not break but that the objects of the covenant will not benefit from it while they are behaving in less than a worthy manner.
The next question which is to be asked is WHICH of his descendants obtained the Imamah (leadership in deen) to the people. This was also not left to doubt. It was stated very clearly in the Quran by Allah subhaanahu wa ta’ala and it was even given an isnad (an unbroken chain of descent).
Let us eliminate from the beginning those who cannot be a part of the covenant of imamship. In the very next ayah Allah subhaanahu wa ta’ala makes another covenant with Ibrahim (Abraham) alayhi as salaam and with his son Ishmael (Ismaeel) alayhi as salaam to purify his house the Kaaba in the land of Kedar (Mecca).
What is very interesting here is that when Allah makes this covenant Ishaq alayhi as salaam is missing. This is not by some error or mistake it is very deliberate. So, we can conclude from this that Ishaq alayhi as salaam has no share in the purification of the house for the believers. So, we can see there is a methodology of inclusion and exclusion around the covenants.
Just because Ibrahim alayhi as salaam has a covenant with Allah subhaanahu wa ta’ala it does not mean it automatically descends down ALL his blood line. Ishaq is not mentioned and there must be another evidence to somehow include him in to a covenant Allah subhaanahu wa ta’ala has chosen to exclude him. This evidence does not exist in the Quran.
So, now we go on to see if Allah subhaanahu wa ta’ala has mentioned exactly where the Imamah has gone and to whom and to see who is excluded. The next time the Imamah, in the context of Ibrahim, is mentioned, is in ayahs 72-73 of surah Al Anbiya:
وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ إِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ نَافِلَةً ۖ وَكُلًّا جَعَلْنَا صَالِحِينَ
وَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ أَئِمَّةً يَهْدُونَ بِأَمْرِنَا وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْهِمْ فِعْلَ الْخَيْرَاتِ وَإِقَامَ الصَّلَاةِ وَإِيتَاءَ الزَّكَاةِ ۖ وَكَانُوا لَنَا عَابِدِينَ
“And we gave him (Ibrahim) Ishaaq (Isaac) and Yaqub (Jacoub) in addition and each of them we made righteous. And we made them Imams leaders to guide in our affair and we inspired to them the best actions and to establish prayers and to pay the zakat and they were to us worshipers.”
The above verse makes it clear that the covenant has gone down the line of Ishaaq and Yacoub alayhuma as salaam. Ishmaeel alayhi as salaam was not mentioned in the covenant of Imamship. So, we can see the covenant travelling down the bloodline and still exists. Now we will see where it goes next.
وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَابَ فَلَا تَكُن فِي مِرْيَةٍ مِّن لِّقَائِهِ ۖ وَجَعَلْنَاهُ هُدًى لِّبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ
وَجَعَلْنَا مِنْهُمْ أَئِمَّةً يَهْدُونَ بِأَمْرِنَا لَمَّا صَبَرُوا ۖ وَكَانُوا بِآيَاتِنَا يُوقِنُونَ
“And We certainly gave Moses the Scripture, so do not be in doubt over his meeting. And we made the Torah guidance for the Children of Israel.” Surah Sajda 23
“And We made from among them imams (leaders) guiding by Our command when they were patient and [when] they were certain of Our signs.” Surah Sajda 24
From the above Ayah we now see very clearly that the covenant and responsibility of imamah has gone beyond the patriarchs of Israel down to the Children of Israel (not the wrong-doers) and therefore must be carried out and fulfilled. These ayats clearly show that the imamah has a clear isnad and pathway of descent. There is no doubt about what it concerns and to whom it went.
Also to demonstrate that including Ismaeel alayhi as salaam in the covenant was needed to invest him with that leadership. Allah has included him in his rightful place nearly everywhere else but has only chosen to exclude him in conveying of imaamaship.
قُولُوا آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالْأَسْبَاطِ وَمَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَىٰوَعِيسَىٰ وَمَا أُوتِيَ النَّبِيُّونَ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ
“say, we believe in Allah and what was sent down to us and that which was sent down to Ibrahim and Ismaeel and Ishaq and Yacoub and the Asbaat and what was sent down to Musa and Isa and what was given to the prophets from their Lord and we do not make any distinction between any one of them and we to Him are Muslims.” Surah Baqara 136
The above ayah clearly shows that Allah includes Ismaeel alayhi as salaam in his rightful place between his father Ibrahim alayhi as salaam and his younger brother Ishaq alayhi as salaam. So, the excluding of him demonstrates a deliberate removal when bestowing the burdens of these covenants.
وَ إِذْ جَعَلْنَا البَيْتَ مَثَابَةً لِلْنّاسِ وَ أَمْناً وَ اتَّخَذُوا مِنْ مَقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيْمَ مُصَلّيً وَ عَهِدْنَا إِلَي إِبْرَاهِيْمَ وَ إِسْمَاعِيْلَ أَنْ طَهِّرَا بَيْتِيَ لِلْطَّائِفِيْنَ وَ الْعَاكِفِيْنَ وَ الرُّكَّعِ السُّجُود
“And, when we made the house a place of resort for mankind and a place of safety. And take you the maqam of Ibrahim as a place of prayer and we commanded Ibrahim and Ismaeel that they should purify my house for those who are circumambulating it or staying or bowing or prostrating themselves.” Al Baqara 125
As you see above, Ismaeel alayhi as salaam was also given a covenant, which was to purify the house for the believers. In this covenant it did not include Ishaq alayhi as salaam so we have to assume that Allah subhaanahu wa ta’ala was being clear concerning which responsibility went where.
Allah subhaanahu wa ta’ala wasn’t being unjust to Ishaq alayhi as salaam he just gave this responsibility to Ismaeel alayhi as salaam alone and his father Ibrahim alayhi as salaam. And, we see that this covenant was fulfilled by the descendant of Ismaeel alayhi as salaam, none other than the blessed Prophet Muhammed sulla Allah alayhi wa salaam many generations after the covenant was established.
Will Allah ever end this covenant before it is fulfilled?
وَقَالُوا لَن تَمَسَّنَا النَّارُ إِلَّا أَيَّامًا مَّعْدُودَةً ۚ قُلْ أَتَّخَذْتُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ عَهْدًا فَلَن يُخْلِفَ اللَّهُ عَهْدَهُ ۖ أَمْ تَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
“And, they said never will the fire touch us except for a numbered amount of days; say did you take a covenant with Allah because Allah never breaks his covenant or, are you speaking upon Allah what you do not know?” Al Baqara 80
Once Allah subhaanahu wa ta’ala creates a covenant He never breaks it, this is his promise. And, as discussed earlier the covenant was forever as mentioned above and was not designed to end. Even the behaviour of the Children of Israel would not bring it to an end; we know this because Allah subhaanahu wa ta’ala states that those who did wrong would not attain the covenant meaning they would not benefit from it. But, those who did do right would benefit from the covenant. This would mean that it would not end but still remain in existence for the righteous to benefit from rather than end.
Did the behaviour of the Israelites break the covenant?
Many people claim that the behaviour of the Israelites broke their covenant and it became abrogated as a result. This is simply refuted by looking at the sequence of events and revelation. Whatever the things they did before the Prophet sulla Allah alayhi wa salaam arrived was not bad enough to end the covenant because Allah subhaanahu wa ta’ala states in the Quran that the Children of Israel must fulfil their covenant.
So, nothing they did prior to the Quran managed to end their covenant. They had done all the terrible crimes prior to Muhammed sulla Allah alayhi wa salaam such as kill prophets and commit shirk etc, this had not been enough to abrogate the covenant. The only things we are left with are the acts and behaviour after the revelation to fulfil the covenant. If Allah has ordered us to fulfil his covenant at the time of the blessed Prophet sulla Allah alayhi wa salaam then nothing before or at the time caused the covenant to end. And, the prophethood of Muhammed sulla Allah alayhi wa salaam was used as an opportunity to remind the Israelites to fulfil their covenant rather than it being the reason for its abrogation. This often-repeated claim is incorrect and has no basis in the text and actually goes against the clear text.