In the Name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Our Covenant with God
[48:10] Surely, those who pledge allegiance to you (يُبايِعونَكَ), are pledging allegiance (يُبايِعونَ) to God.God approves their pledge; He places His hand above their hands. Those who violate such a pledge, commit the violation to their own detriment. As for those who fulfill their pledge with God, He will grant them a great recompense.
[9:111] God has bought/اشتَرىٰ from the believers their lives and their money in exchange for Paradise. Thus, they fight in the cause of God, willing to kill and get killed. Such is His truthful pledge in the Torah, the Gospel, and the Quran - and who fulfills His pledge better than God? You shall rejoice in making such an exchange (بِبَيعِكُمُ).This is the greatest triumph.
The above Arabic words in between parentheses, "yubayeuonaka", "yubayeuona" and "bi-bayekum", translated as "pledge, pledging or an exchange", are from the root ba ya eyn which gives all the derivatives for "an executed trading transaction or deal". When a buyer-seller deal is made, a hand shake is usually a sign and an act for being committed to fulfill the promise and execute the sale. Valuing the commitment to that agreement between the involved parties to close and fulfill that trading transaction, the word is often used in stylish Arabic literature to indicate pledges, oaths or covenants. That's how God has used that root for three derivatives in the above verses. Besides the honor of having "God's hand shake; He places His hand above their hands", we also have the absolute assertiveness of the validity of the trading contract/covenant with God; exchanging our life time on earth, striving for His cause, and no one else, with the eternal bliss of Paradise. The terms of the contract are precisely listed and detailed in Quran.
We are reminded with that same contract or covenant or pledge in other verses when God initially covenanted Adam in high society, but, unfortunately, Adam did not have the self determination and strength of faith to fulfill such a covenant. Apparently, the entire human race, went through the same failure (7:172-174). We all came down to earth because of God's mercy for a second and final chance (45:22, 90:4). Are we going to break the covenant, over and over, or we will uphold it firmly and decisively this time?.
[20:115] We tested (عَهِدنا/covenanted in Arabic text) Adam in the past, but he forgot, and we found him indecisive (عَزمًا/ had no self determination and firmness in upholding his covenant).
[36:60] Did I not covenant with you, O Children of Adam, that you shall not worship the devil? That he is your most ardent enemy? [36:61] And that you shall worship Me alone? This is the right path.
[16:91] You shall fulfill your covenant with God when you make such a covenant. You shall not violate the oaths after swearing (by God) to carry them out, for you have made God a guarantor for you. God knows everything you do.
[17:34] You shall not touch the orphans' money except for their own good, until they reach maturity. You shall fulfill your covenants, for a covenant is a great responsibility.
In addition to the straightforward reminders in Quran about our covenant with God to devote our lives for Him alone, God also narrates the true history of some of the previous generations to guide us through the right precedents (3:137, 4:26). Believers heed the guidance and appreciate the reminders as empowering force so they make the right decisions and avoid repeating the same mistakes of others.
[7:101] We narrate to you the history of those communities: their messengers went to them with clear proofs, but they were not to believe in what they had rejected before. God thus seals the hearts of the disbelievers. [7:102] We found that most of them disregard their covenant; we found most of them wicked.
[2:40] O Children of Israel, remember My favor, which I bestowed upon you, and fulfill your part of the covenant, that I fulfill My part of the covenant, and reverence Me. [2:41] You shall believe in what I have revealed herein, confirming what you have; do not be the first to reject it. Do not trade away My revelations for a cheap price, and observe Me.
[4:153] The people of the scripture challenge you to bring down to them a book from the sky! They have asked Moses for more than that, saying, "Show us God, physically." Consequently, the lightning struck them, as a consequence of their audacity. Additionally, they worshiped the calf, after all the miracles they had seen. Yet, we pardoned all this. We supported Moses with profound miracles. [4:154] And we raised Mount Sinai above them, as we took their covenant. And we said to them, "Enter the gate humbly." And we said to them, "Do not desecrate the Sabbath." Indeed, we took from them a solemn covenant. [4:155] (They incurred condemnation) for violating their covenant, rejecting God's revelations, killing the prophets unjustly, and for saying, "Our minds are made up!" In fact, God is the One who sealed their minds, due to their disbelief, and this is why they fail to believe, except rarely.
Our human weakness is demonstrated in the above narrated history. It is clear that it is very hard for us, humans, to keep our word and fulfill our promises. Even with such an unappreciative behavior, God watches over us. But we continue to betray Him, and we continue violating our covenants with Him. He forgives us when we repent, and showers us with His proofs, guidance and provisions, but we do not give His sacred teachings the due attention and we do not estimate His warnings as they should be estimated. We dig out our graves by our own hands, and incur the consequences of our wrong choices that are always resulting from a covenant with God that we violate:
[9:38] O you who believe, when you are told, "Mobilize in the cause of God," why do you become heavily attached to the ground? Have you chosen this worldly life in place of the Hereafter? The materials of this world, compared to the Hereafter, are nil. [9:39] Unless you mobilize, He will commit you to painful retribution and substitute other people in your place; you can never hurt Him in the least. God is Omnipotent.
[9:16] Did you think that you will be left alone without God distinguishing those among you who strive, and never ally themselves with God's enemies, or the enemies of His messenger, or the enemies of the believers? God is fully Cognizant of everything you do.
When God calls for fighting in His cause, for the legitimate terms and conditions He precisely listed and detailed in Quran, the HYPOCRITES and those who ARE IGNORANT about God's teachings would set back and call for "peace" and "unity" or come up with flimsy and invalid excuses to stay behind. Wavering to mobilize (being heavily attached to ground as stated in 9:38) is an unbalanced concern about this lowly and materialistic life and therefore a sign of a weak faith. Allying ourselves with idol worshipers and hypocrites is a betrayal of God's covenant, and of those who believe. COWARDLY and APATHETICALLY disowning the truth by not proclaiming or supporting what we know is the truth from God is also a violation of God's covenant in exchange of earthly gains like political powers, social advantages, friendship, material profits etc... All these are clear examples of how Satan sets the trap for us.
[4:143] They waver in between, neither belonging to this group, nor that group. Whomever God sends astray, you will never find a way to guide him. [4:144] O you who believe, you shall not ally yourselves with the disbelievers, instead of the believers. Do you wish to provide God with a clear proof against you? [4:145] The hypocrites will be committed to the lowest pit of Hell, and you will find no one to help them.
[9:44] Those who truly believe in God and the Last Day do not ask your permission to evade the opportunity to strive with their money and their lives. God is fully aware of the righteous. [9:45] The only people who wish to be excused are those who do not really believe in God and the Last Day. Their hearts are full of doubt, and their doubts cause them to waver.
[30:29] Indeed, the transgressors have followed their own opinions, without knowledge. Who then can guide those who have been sent astray by God? No one can ever help them.
[47:34] Those who disbelieve and repel from the path of God, then die as disbelievers, God will never forgive them. [47:35] Therefore, you shall not waver and surrender in pursuit of peace, for you are guaranteed victory, and God is with you. He will never waste your efforts.
[3:187] God took a covenant from those who received the scripture: "You shall proclaim it to the people, and never conceal it." But they disregarded it behind their backs, and traded it away for a cheap price. What a miserable trade.
In conclusion, a true believer in God is constantly conscious about the covenant made with God to love Him the most, worship Him alone, and devote all his/her worship, life and death to Him alone. A true believer in God fully understands that he/she is bound by that covenant or "contract". He/she fulfills that covenant in absolute submission, truthfulness and diligence and in total adoration for God and dedication for serving Him alone, under all circumstances. Nothing, absolutely nothing, besides the clear "agreement terms" listed and detailed in Quran would tempt him/her to waver or violate that covenant with the Most Gracious. The self determination and firmness in carrying out all of God's commands, and abiding by all the "terms" of that "contract"/covenant with God are all that defines a faithful , sincere and certain believer and all that brings real dignity and honor in this life and in the Hereafter.
Peaceful Friday, Salaam and God bless.