The Pledge of ʿUbādah ibn al-Ṣāmit and Renewing the Covenant with Allah

Occasion: Transcription of a video khatira (the date of delivery was not stated) Source: A transcription of a video khatira by Dr. Ahmed Abouseif — [Watch the original video on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7lNkO8MRM8)

The first covenant

In the early days of the call, while the Prophet ﷺ was still in Makkah, after long effort he found a group of pilgrims who had come. He sat with them, inviting them to Islam, and no sooner had he sat with them than they agreed with him, so he took a covenant from them.

This covenant is narrated by ʿUbādah ibn al-Ṣāmit (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Prophet ﷺ said, while a band of his Companions were around him: «بَايِعُونِي عَلَى أَنْ لَا تُشْرِكُوا بِاللَّهِ شَيْئًا، وَلَا تَسْرِقُوا، وَلَا تَزْنُوا، وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا أَوْلَادَكُمْ، وَلَا تَأْتُوا بِبُهْتَانٍ تَفْتَرُونَهُ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَأَرْجُلِكُمْ، وَلَا تَعْصُوا فِي مَعْرُوفٍ، فَمَنْ وَفَى مِنْكُمْ فَأَجْرُهُ عَلَى اللَّهِ، وَمَنْ أَصَابَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ شَيْئًا فَعُوقِبَ فِي الدُّنْيَا فَهُوَ كَفَّارَةٌ لَهُ، وَمَنْ أَصَابَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ شَيْئًا ثُمَّ سَتَرَهُ اللَّهُ فَهُوَ إِلَى اللَّهِ، إِنْ شَاءَ عَفَا عَنْهُ وَإِنْ شَاءَ عَاقَبَهُ» ("Pledge allegiance to me that you will not associate anything with Allah, nor steal, nor commit adultery, nor kill your children, nor bring forth a slander you invent between your hands and your feet, nor disobey in what is right. Whoever among you fulfils this, his reward is with Allah; whoever commits any of these and is punished for it in this world, that is an expiation for him; and whoever commits any of these and Allah conceals it, his matter is with Allah: if He wills He pardons him, and if He wills He punishes him").^[1] ʿUbādah said: So we pledged allegiance to him on that.

Terms that protect the individual and society

The terms in this covenant protect a person from every kind of sin, and protect society from any incident occurring: an incident of theft, of adultery, of assault, of forgery; and they protect it from any internal breach. By fulfilling these terms, society is kept safe from every harm.

Imagine that this was the first thing the people of Madinah pledged to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, even before the Prophet ﷺ moved to them. In this pledge there is a question about your relationship with the Lord of Might, glorified and exalted be He, and about the covenant you take upon yourself not to commit a wrong. The temptations of this world are many, and desires overpower a person in many situations, but tawḥīd keeps his back straight before every temptation; he does not bend or waver however much wealth glitters in his eyes, for Allah the Exalted is greater, and his certainty that Allah is the Provider protects him from doing anything wrong.

Let us renew the covenant

The terms of this pledge are something we need, in these days and from time to time, to renew as a covenant with the Prophet ﷺ in what is between us and Allah, glorified and exalted be He: that we associate nothing with Allah, that we do not steal, that we do not commit adultery. These simple terms, known in people's minds, have gone missing; you see cheating, forgery, deception, lying and betrayal. Glory be to Allah!

And imagine: "that we not disobey in what is right." This phrase alone needs an explanation. Do not disobey in what is right: do not break the laws, do not break treaties, do not break agreements, do not betray the words that left your mouth when you promised someone that you would do this or that; do not betray in what is right. And I believe, and Allah the Exalted knows best, that we are still in need of reshaping ourselves before what the Lord of Might, glorified and exalted be He, has legislated.

The fate of the one who errs

The second part of the ḥadīth, after the terms end, sets out the fate of the one who errs. We have two kinds of people. One of them errs and it becomes known in society that he has erred, so he is caught and punished, and the Prophet ﷺ says: that is an expiation for him; and what is past is pardoned. And the one whom our Lord conceals, what do you think? He has not borne the punishment, has he? So the Prophet, upon him be prayers and peace, says: his matter is with Allah; if He wills He pardons him, and if He wills He punishes him.

Of course, our certainty in the mercy of Allah, blessed and exalted, is great and immense; but in any case, one who receives a measured punishment in this world has it easier than a person whose matter is left to the Hereafter: if the Lord of Might, glorified be He, wills, He punishes him, and were Allah, Mighty and Majestic, to punish him, it would be more severe than every kind of punishment; and if He wills, He pardons him. We ask Allah to pardon us, to keep our limbs safe and secure from sin, to purify our hearts in a faith sincere to Him, glorified and exalted be He, and to take us by our forelocks and our hands to what holds right guidance in this world and the Hereafter. And we ask Allah to bless your day for you, and to preserve for you your religion and your well-being.

--- ^[1]: Editor's documentation: Narrated by al-Bukhārī (18) from the ḥadīth of ʿUbādah ibn al-Ṣāmit (may Allah be pleased with him), in his wording, and by Muslim with similar wording. The transcript was unsettled in some of the ḥadīth's words (the word "buhtān" and the phrase "whoever among you fulfils"), so al-Bukhārī's wording has been given.