Covenants with Allah

Reviews / Votes

This is a very erudite and indeed an eye-opening book. It is a thorough and exhaustive treatment that addresses a critical deficiency in modern scholarship on Islam. As the authors put it, a covenantal architecture is at the very heart of Islamic theology and law, and yet this most foundational dimension has been largely over-looked by most contemporary scholars. This book is a vital source for anyone, Muslim or non-Muslim, seeking to engage meaningfully with Islam's rich tradition and its unfolding normative path and future trajectory.
Professor Khalid Abou El Fadl, Omar and Azmeralda Alfi Distinguished Professor of Law at the UCLA School of Law and world leading authority on Islam.

This important book makes a vital and much-needed intervention in the study of covenants in Islam, showing how they lie at the heart of Islam's moral and theological vision. Drawing on close readings of the Qur?an, the Prophet Muhammad's practice, and formative historical texts, the authors argue persuasively for placing the covenantal tradition at the centre of Islamic ethics. Their analysis is both rigorous and original, offering fresh insight into questions of justice, coexistence, and interreligious relations, while also contributing meaningfully to wider debates on religion, law, and human dignity.
Abdullah Saeed, Sultan of Oman Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies, University of Melbourne.

Covenants with Allah is a remarkable work of scholarly research that sheds new light on the early history of Islam by extensive examination of the Qur'an and affirming the authenticity of several foundational documents attributed to Prophet Mu?ammad. In contrast to the injustices and exclusions that occurred under some later caliphal regimes, this book shows how the Prophet established an inclusive and ethical model of community-one in which all inhabitants, regardless of faith, were bound together in a shared ummah under his moral leadership. The authors remind us that Islam must be understood through its primary sources-the Qur'an and the teachings of the Prophet-rather than through legal opinions or theological doctrines that emerged later and often deviated from the original covenantal vision. Their critical analysis helps readers, Muslim and non-Muslim alike, to grasp the true ethical foundations of Islam as a faith in the one just and merciful God. This study is both rigorous and deeply meaningful. It offers not only a powerful reappraisal of Islamic history, but also a hopeful basis for interfaith understanding grounded in trust, justice, and shared spiritual values.
Professor Wasim Salman, Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies, Rome.

This is a profound and illuminating scholarship that centralises the covenantal architecture of Islam and its ethical and moral foundations. Halim Rane and Ibrahim Zain argue eruditely and beautifully that Islam's covenantal principles are crucial imperatives for upholding human rights and dignity and fostering equitable interreligious and international relations. At a time of when Islamophobia is on the rise, and divisive discourses are becoming mainstream, this timely book restores our faith in shared humanity, justice and compassion.
Professor Karima Laachir, Director, Centre for Arabic and Islamic Studies, Australian National University.

This is a timely and much-needed correction of an Islamic fundamental concept-the covenants (mithaq, 'ahd) with Allah. Covenants are the truthful and most fundamental 'keystone of Islam' that every Muslim should maintain. Establishing salah, giving zakah, performing Hajj, and fasting Ramadan, in addition to uttering the shahadah, are popularly known as 'the five pillars of Islam'. However, these actions, despite their importance, are merely practical manifestations of the 'Covenants with Allah' and not equal to them. The rest of the fundamentals of Islam that the Quran and Sunnah teach us are detailed in this book and necessary for every Muslim to know and practice. May Allah reward the authors for this contribution to the Islamic concepts and Quranic study.
Professor Jasser Auda, Founding Chairperson, Maqasid Institute.

This bold and necessary intervention challenges dominant narratives on Islam by centering Covenants with Allah as the foundation of the Islamic tradition. With intellectual clarity and analytical rigour, professors Halim Rane and Ibrahim Zein draw on scripture, prophetic precedent and Islamic history to recover a covenantal ethic rooted in trust, responsibility and moral reciprocity. A vital contribution for scholars, practitioners and all committed to a more just and faithful global order.
Raihan Ismail, His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies, Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Oxford.

The covenantal tradition in Islam is too often overlooked. This timely and compelling book reminds us just how deeply covenantal thinking is woven into Islamic thought and Muslim practice-from the time of the Prophet Mu?ammad to the present day. In an era when human relationships and the international order have become overwhelmingly transactional-bereft of integrity and ethical grounding-this work powerfully underscores the enduring relevance of covenants, contracts, and commitments. It is a vital contribution for those seeking to address the various political and social crises in late modern societies and to reimagine a just and peaceful global order. A profoundly timely book.
Ebrahim Moosa, Mirza Family Professor of Islamic Thought & Muslim Societies, University of Notre Dame.