Taraweeh Reflection
DAY 9 | JUZ 9
The Original Covenant

📖 Key Lessons from the Original Covenant — Surah Al-A‘raf (7:172)

وَإِذۡ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِنۢ بَنِيٓءَادَمَ مِن ظُهُورِهِمۡ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمۡوَأَشۡهَدَهُمۡ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمۡ أَلَسۡتُ بِرَبِّكُمۡۖ قَالُواْ بَلَىٰ شَهِدۡنَآۚ أَن تَقُولُواْ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ إِنَّا كُنَّا عَنۡ هَٰذَاغَٰفِلِينَ

And [mention] when your Lord took from the children of Adam – from their loins – their descendants and made them testify of themselves, [saying to them], “Am I not your Lord?” They said, “Yes, we have testified.” [This] – lest you should say on the day of Resurrection, “Indeed, we were of this unaware.” (7:172)

Ka’ab Ibn Malik – God gathered all human beings, divided them into different groups, granted them human form and the faculty of speech, made them enter into a covenant, and then making them witnesses against themselves He asked them: ‘Am I not your Lord?’ They replied: ‘Assuredly you are Our Lord.’ Then God told them: ‘I call upon the sky and the earth and your own progenitor, Adam, to be witness against you lest you should say on the Day of Judgement that you were ignorant of this. Know well that no one other than Me deserves to he worshipped and no one other than Me is your Lord. So do not ascribe any partner to Me. I shall send to you My Messengers who will remind you of this covenant which you made with Me. I shall send down to you My Books.’ In reply all said: ‘We witness that You are Our Lord and our Deity. We have no lord or deity other than You.’ (Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, vol. 5, p. 135 – Ed.)

Allah says that He brought forth all human souls from the children of Prophet Adam and asked:

“Am I not your Lord?”
They replied: “Yes, we testify.”

This moment is known as the Primordial Covenant (Mīthāq) — a foundational concept in Islamic belief.

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🌿 1. Every Human Is Born Knowing Allah

All souls already acknowledged Allah before entering the world.

Lesson:
Faith is not foreign to humans — belief in God is part of human nature (fitrah).

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🧠 2. No One Can Claim Ignorance

Allah explains the covenant was taken:

so people cannot say on the Day of Judgment, “We were unaware.”

Lesson:
Every person carries an inner awareness of truth and moral responsibility.

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💛 3. Tawheed Is the Original Human State

The first testimony of humanity was the oneness of Allah.

Lesson:
Monotheism is humanity’s original religion, not a later invention.

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⚖️ 4. Personal Accountability

Each soul personally testified — not parents, culture, or society.

Lesson:
Faith is an individual responsibility.

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🌍 5. Guidance Resonates with the Soul

Prophets and revelation remind people of something they already knew.

Prophets like Prophet Muhammad did not introduce a new truth — they reminded humanity of the covenant.

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🔔 6. The Qur’an Awakens Forgotten Knowledge

Humans forget the covenant due to worldly distractions.

Lesson:
Islam is described as dhikr (reminder) because it revives the soul’s memory.

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🌱 7. Human Longing for Meaning Has a Divine Origin

The universal search for purpose, morality, and God comes from this pre-earthly testimony.

Lesson:
Spiritual yearning is evidence of the covenant within us.

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✨ Core Message

You were created already knowing your Lord — life is the test of remaining true to that testimony.