In conclusion...

In conclusion, religious testament is the kind of the commitment which the Prophet (S) has secured from the believing people so as to obey him and abstain from committing sins and overlooking the religious commandments and prohibitions.

Incidentally the reason why the term ‘testament’ or ‘pledge’ is repeated after the word ‘covenant’ is that none imagines that the objective is only the Divine promise and that of the people for all the commandments and the prohibitions are included in the meaning of ‘covenant’. It is for this reason that He informs us that the testament and covenant of the Prophet (S) and the people is as vigorously to be observed as that of Allah (s.w.t.) and the people.

The verse says: “Those who fulfill the covenant of Allah and do not break the pledge.” Some commentators, however, believe that the aim of this repetition is merely emphasis. Surah Ar-Ra‘d – Verse 21 وَالَّذِينَ يَصِلُونَ مَآ أَمَرَ اللَّهُ بِهِ أَن يُوصَلَ وَيَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ وَيَخَافُونَ سُوءَ الْحِسَابِ 21.

“And those who join what Allah has commanded to be joined and they fear their Lord and dread the terrible reckoning.” Some Islamic quotations indicate that what Allah has ordained to be joined together is union of kindred. That is, conservation of family ties as well as the ideological ties which implies continuous and profound ties with the heavenly leaders and the following of the line of ‘Wilayat’ (leadership).

^10 The verse says: “And those who join what Allah has commanded to be joined and they fear their Lord and dread the terrible reckoning.” A simple and in-passing glance at our contemporary world will reveal that despite having utmost and the best capital, i.e., oil, beneath their feet, and enjoying, in front of them, the common point of unity and love of over one Billion Muslims, that is Ka‘bah, and despite benefiting from the best of schools and logic, some Muslims are constantly under all kinds of pressure from the super-powers for their lack of connection with the Divine leadership.

It is for this reason that in the verse 27 of Surah Al-Baqarah, after the sentence: “…and cut asunder what Allah has commanded to be joined…” [^11] there has been mentioned: “…and they make corruption on the Earth…”, for it goes without saying that the mere cutting off ties of relationship does not by itself cause corruption on the earth.

✦ ✦ ✦