by virtue of his covenant. If he then swears that he, rather than its rightful owner, is entitled to it, he has sinned in two respects. This is comparable to His words:

“Those who break Allah’s covenant after solemnly confirming it.”

Their opposites are those who fulfill Allah’s covenant and do not break the solemn pledge. And His words:

“And when Allah took the covenant of the prophets: ‘Whatever I give you of Scripture and wisdom, should a messenger then come to you confirming what is with you, you must believe in him and support him.’ He said, ‘Do you affirm this and accept My binding covenant on these terms?’ They said, ‘We affirm it,’”

and the remainder of the verse.

Ibn ‘Abbās said: “Allah never sent a prophet without taking a covenant from him that, if Muhammad were sent while he was still alive, he would believe in him and support him. He also commanded him to take a covenant from his people that, if Muhammad were sent while they were still alive, they would believe in him and support him.”

It is well known that if Allah sends Muhammad with a universal message, everyone whom his call reaches is obliged to believe in him and support him, even if no covenant to that effect had previously been taken from them. Thus, a covenant was taken from them concerning something already obligatory by Allah’s command, even without a covenant.

And His words, Exalted is He:

“They asked Moses for something even greater than that,”

through to His words:

“And We raised the Mount above them in connection with their covenant, and We said to them, ‘Enter the gate bowing humbly,’ and We said to them, ‘Do not transgress on the Sabbath,’ and We took from them a solemn covenant.”

“So for their breaking of their covenant, their disbelief in Allah’s signs, their killing of the prophets without right, and their saying, ‘Our hearts are covered,’”

and the subsequent verses. This, then, is a covenant that Allah took . . . (1).