RENAISSANCE MARCH 2020

Biography 29 Monthly Renaissance March 2020 him help.” Allah said: “Do ye agree, and take this my Covenant as binding on you?” They said: “We agree.” He said: “Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses.” If any turn back after this, they are perverted transgressors. (3:81-82) Verse 187 of S ū rah Ā l ‘Imr ā n also clarifies that the People of the Book had been bound by their promise that they would declare this promise openly to others and at no stage would they make any attempt to hide it. This would ensure that it got rooted within the memory of people and their commitment and loyalties to his rights as soon as the last prophet was known. A few points become very clear from the above quoted verse. Firstly, that this promise was taken from various prophets one after the other from the people of the Book. This is why it is called “covenant of prophets”. Secondly, the promise taken was related to a messenger to come in the future and many of his attributes were explained. It was instructed that only the messenger who possessed those attributes would be considered to be the objective of this covenant. Thirdly, this promise was related to belief in that messenger and to providing him the support he would require to fulfill his responsibilities. This meant that when that great person gained prophethood, his status as a messenger of God was to be believed with full faith in the heart. The message which he presented would be taken as a message from God; he would be supported in spreading and communicating this message and be protected from his enemies. Fourthly, in every period of time, People of the Book reiterated their promise and made God their witness upon it. Referring to this covenant, the Qur’ ā n instructed the Prophet (sws) to invite the People of the Book to believe in him. If they did so, they would find blessings to come to the right path: Say: “O people! I am sent unto you all, as the Messenger of Allah, to Whom belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth: there is no god but He: it is He That giveth both life and death. So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the Unlettered Prophet, who believeth in Allah and His words: follow him that (so) ye may be guided.” (7:158)