Covenant (religious) pre-eternal - Encyclopaedia of Islam, THREE
[Article]
Ebstein, Michael
Leiden
Brill
(1,990 words)
The notion of a pre-eternal (infinitely pre-existent) or primordial religious covenant between God and mankind occupies a central place in Islamic tradition, particularly in mystical literature. The Arabic terms commonly used to signify this covenant are ʿahd (which can also mean, inter alia, "agreement, treaty"; "obligation, promise, oath"; "injunction, command") and mīthāq (also, "agreement, contract"; "bond"; "promise"). As with many other religious concepts in Islam, there is no consensus among Muslim scholars on the precise meaning of this covenant; in fact, various authors have rejected the notion of