العهد
al-ʿAhd
The covenant between God and humankind, by which people pledge obedience and God rewards or punishes accordingly; a lawful pledge between people is also binding.
What it means
Al-ʿahd is the covenant by which every human being commits to obey God, while God undertakes to reward or punish according to that obedience. The Quran recalls a pledge taken from the descendants of Adam, when God asked, “Am I not your Lord?” and they answered, “Yes, we bear witness” (7:172). When two humans make a legitimate ʿahd, Islamic law counts it as a most serious commitment. The Quran commands, “Fulfil the covenant, for the covenant will be asked about” (17:34). Keeping promises is therefore a duty owed to God as well as to the other party.
Often misunderstood as
The English word “covenant” carries Biblical overtones of a pact with one chosen people, whereas the Quranic covenant is with all humanity.
Term and Arabic as listed in Ismail al Faruqi, Toward Islamic English (International Institute of Islamic Thought, 1995), p. 41, listed as AL ʿAHD. The definition is restated here.