Entire humankind testifying before Allah Almighty

[Zainab_M]

 



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

"Or [lest] you say, "It was only that our fathers associated [others in worship] with Allah before, and we were but descendants after them. Then would You destroy us for what the falsifiers have done?" "    7:173


As-Salaam Alaikum dear everyone.   

This is a very relevant topic which Sister Heba and I recently discussed.  We post our tafsir as follows:

There are two interpretations.   First, Allah made the whole of humankind gather prior to their creation and testify that they accept Him as the One and Only worthy to be worshiped.  The second interpretation is that as the narration in Verses 7:172-173 is symbolic to underscore the fact that the recognition of Allah's supremacy and power is naturally embedded in human nature as ordained by Him. 

Which of the two interpretations is true is only known to The Almighty.   Concerning the second interpretation, it is clear enough as stated and doesn't need any further elucidation.  In regard to the first interpretation which is perhaps accepted by a larger number of Muslims, needs to be explained to clarify any questions that may arise in the minds of readers.  When Allah Almighty created Adam and ordered the angels to prostrate before him as a symbol of man's appointment as Allah's vicegerent in the earth, at that point, entire humankind that was to be born from the earliest times until the end of times were raised and brought into existence before Allah to testify that Allah Almighty is their Rab and Only Deity worthy of worship.  This occurrence, according to the interpretation, happened as an event during the creation of Adam and prior to the creation of the earth.

There are two reasons why most traditionalists prefer to accept the first explanation.  Firstly, it is upheld by the Hadith institution.   Secondly, traditionalists presume that the second interpretation of the pledge being symbolic alluding to the concept that the gathering of all of humankind before their birth is not possible, whereas for Allah Almighty nothing is impossible.  That's absolutely true, for Allah Almighty nothing is impossible.   He only needs to say "Be" and it is (kun faya kun). He has complete power and capability to gather humankind prior to their birth just as much as He has the power to raise and gather them on the Day of Resurrection.  But the second interpretation of the pledge being symbolic does not refer nor presume that such a gathering is not possible.  It explains that Allah Almighty has already instilled into the human soul the acknowledgement or inclination within their conscience of submitting to Allah alone.  Thus it is often understood by discerning Muslim commentators that everyone is born a believer.  It's only as one grows older and gradually interacts with the society that their thoughts and concepts are redesigned.  In some cases their conscience retains and strengthens the acknowledgement and inspiration ingrained into them by The  Almighty to worship Him alone, and submission to Him alone as the only right path.   These are the ones who acquire His guidance;  therefore when a non-Muslim embraces Islam, they are known as 'reverts' rather than 'converts.'   But there are others with weaker or distracted consciences who forget or disregard the inspiration instilled within them by The Almighty.  These are the ones who deviate and go astray. They are unable to acquire His guidance because they fail to make themselves worthy of it.

Coming again to the first and traditional interpretation upholding that the assemblage of all humankind prior to their birth literally happened, the traditionalists have provided some clarifications to queries that have arisen.  Does any person have any recollections of this event physically taking place?   Everyone would say no.  Consequently the next question would be that how can someone testify concerning an occurrence that they don't recall?    The answer is that the memory of this event stays in the sub-conscious of every person, and on the Day of Resurrection, it will be refreshed when every person will vividly recall it.   The aspect of the memory of the Covenant slipping into the subconscious puts humankind to test and trials which is the prime purpose of earthly life.  Otherwise, if  everyone clearly remembered the Covenant or the pledge, that would amount to having knowledge of the unseen in this world and all tests and trials would be rendered meaningless.  But what is nested in the sub-conscious cannot be erased.  As humans meddle with worldly affairs and strive to make use of their various potentials (positive and negative), that latent factor in the sub-conscious keeps surfacing now and again.  To what extent one is able to understand the signals of one's sub-conscious and derive help from it depends on the quality of one's conscience based on the strength of their sincere Faith.

Thus, if you carefully analyze and reflect over the two interpretations, at the end of it, both carry much the same allusion.  And since the Noble Quran carries allegorical allusions as well, in Verses 7:172-173 the reference, in my humble opinion, is more likely symbolic citing the Truth concerning the inspiration of submitting to Allah alone implanted within all humankind by Him, the Only Deity.   As humans go through their tests and trials of life, it's a constant struggle between their intuitional knowledge and their temptations/deviations, the outcome of which is determined by the level of Divine guidance each individual is able to acquire in earthly life.  All of that explains why on the Day of Resurrection humankind will not be able to tender excuses of being unaware of their basic duties.   The Almighty has imbued His instructions of Monotheism (Tawheed) in every individual.  Additionally, the Noble Quran protected in its original in a guarded tablet (Lawh Mahfooz) until the Day of Judgement containing the perfected and completed Instructions from The Almighty to all humankind and jinn, will also be present amidst us until the Day of Resurrection. 

[Heba E. Husseyn]

Walaikum As-Salam dear Sister.   That's a very educational and well perceived analysis.

Very few have attempted to discuss these Verses as probably they haven't focused on the Ayats themselves.   

But by and large, traditionalists I've talked to nowadays staunchly support the first interpretation based purely on a Hadith by Ubbay bin Ka'b claiming to have heard it from the Prophet (pbuh).  I quote that hadith below:

'Ubayy b. Ka'b, who has probably given the substance of what he had heard from the Prophet (peace be on him):   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 be 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.)


Most traditional sources do not even include the clarification of the sub-conscious.

Regardless of which interpretation is correct which is only known to Allah Almighty, such an approach of explaining the Quran by depending entirely on the forged and hearsay hadith narrations is plainly unreliable and inappropriate.

[Zainab_M]

Wa'Salaam dear Sister Heba and thank you very much for the information you shared while I was working on this topic. 

I agree totally that the inclination of traditionalists is based on that hadith and nothing else.  If you ask them how to confirm their approach, they will simply present that hadith .. and it's a waste of time pointing at the very flimsy authenticity status of the hadith institution as majority of those narrations are forged.

I have also sent a message to Brother Louay Fatoohi, requesting his opinion or to send the link if he has already posted on this topic in his blog.  This is just for our information.  The Truth as to which interpretation is right is only known to Allah alone.

[Heba E. Husseyn]

You're welcome Sis .... and rightly said. 

Good idea you contacted Br. Louay Fatoohi.  I haven't seen him active online for a while.  I hope he is okay, InshAllah.   If you hear from him, do please post the contents here, InshAllah.

[Zainab_M]

Absolutely Sister.  InshAllah, I will surely post it here if I hear from the brother.

[Ruhi_Rose]

Walaykum AsSalam to all.  Hugely welcomed post!   My husband had been looking for the interpretation of these Verses since a couple of years.  Somehow I just kept forgetting putting up that query here.  Gotta send him this thread immediately, InshAllah.

This is wonderfully articulated, simple concise and to the point .. and as Sister Zeynab explained, if you look into it carefully the two interpretations highlight the similar basic point.

Also Sister Heba, thanks for detailing the root of the traditional source .... that hadith.

[Zainab_M]

Wa'salaam dear Sister Ruhi.   I'm glad you found it useful.  InshAllah, do please send the link to your husband.