“God has promised us, and He will keep His promise.”
One can believe in this statement, and it will not contradict the spirit of the religion, but stating that “He must keep His promise as He has tested us and we have suffered enough and now, we expect a reward” is nothing but utilitarianism that makes the religion more of a pagan one. This approach, represented by one sect in Islam, seems to be the main direction of Judaism and both base their argument on the covenant made between God and men.
Envisioning the relationship between God and mankind as a covenant binding both parts and speculating that God is obliged to abide by this covenant is an anomaly coming from an understanding of an anthropomorphic God. According to this viewpoint, one imagines his relationship with God as if He was a tyrant sitting on his throne in heaven and thus the vassal acts in this direction: He carries out some deeds for God, or he says he does and typically, he presents his own interests as if they were God’s and expects Him to reply.
Believing that religion presents reality is the logical outcome of starting human history with a prophet. However, it is crucial to acknowledge that religiousness develops as the human mind evolves and history progresses. In this respect, what human beings understand from the religion is as significant as what the religion preaches to them. At the same time, the revelation directs mankind in a certain way, and humanity also redirects religion.
The Quran states that people were ordered to say “absolve us,” but “the wrongdoers changed the words.” Here, the wrongdoers can also mean “ignorant.” This verse is an example of their overall attitude; whatever the humans are told, they never let go of their interests. And these interests imprison them within the limits of this world and their perception of it. Beyond the problem of distortion, religions go through evolution and advancement. As human beings advance mentally and intellectually, their idea of God and religion transforms in that direction, opening the way to perfection in practice, morality and contemplation.
On the other hand, the more conservative groups resist the change and try to maintain the first form of religion and continue to pursue their religious lives around this first structure. This is the main problem of Judaism today.
The Jewish people have based their religiosity, which had first shaped around simple daily practices, on a covenant made with God and interpreted their religious texts in this respect. A covenant binds two parties. In theirs, God made a promise to the Jewish people and tested them to fulfill his promise. In all periods of their history, Jewish people waited for God to keep his promise and they still do. This is one of the hardest issues for a Muslim mind to comprehend. Islam also maintains the idea of a covenant made between God and mankind, but the way it is interpreted is completely different. The most important reason for that is the pure religiousness transcending time and place Islam has achieved. Compared with Judaism, the world Islam conceives is greater than the earth, time is more expansive and mankind owns limitless possibilities. Therefore, it is disrespectful and even profane to confine God to a specific land, time and condition through a covenant; godhead is above all that.
The concept of covenant has essentially found its meaning in Islam. In this respect, Islam represents the religious thought that has distanced itself from ancient cultures and traditions and pagan remnants the most.
Islam follows a different path while approaching the issue of the covenant: A covenant is a promise made by human beings on their intent of how they will live their lives in this world. This intent has been expressed in the concept of tawhid (acknowledging the oneness of God) and tawhid has been identified with the faith in the will and power of God. According to this interpretation, one has faith in the omnipotent God and believes he can only become a real human being by surrendering to His absolute sovereignty. So, Muslims think that it would be impertinent to claim that God is indebted to his creatures or promises them anything. The main reason why Mutazilites lost power in Muslim society is that they placed the idea of covenant at the center of religious life. Then again, they did not even bargain for land or any other earthly possessions. This could only be the expectation of a startled and desperate person who has no aspiration greater than the one for a piece of land to dwell on.
Islam allows human beings to transcend time and place and live their lives pursuing greater virtues and values, shaping their horizon in this direction. Mutazilites placed its theological principle of divine promises and warnings (al-wa’d and al-wa’eed) at the center of their doctrine and tried to make it a means to push people toward getting rid of greed and vanity and becoming more virtuous. Nonetheless, this was an incomplete notion.
Adopting the religiousness of Sunni thought based on divine grace and blessing seems like the only path that can liberate human beings. Believing in divine grace paves the way for seeing the covenant as a blessing. As we have promised God, it is incumbent on us to be thankful to Him and take refuge in Him, asking Him to bless us with the opportunity to keep our promise. The main purpose of this promise is to liberate us from our instincts, fears, greed and desires so that we can see the world as it is, human beings as they are and God as God. The liberation of men depends on such authentic knowledge.
