Misaaq – A Covenant with Allah Ta’ala

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُبَايِعُونَكَ إِنَّمَا يُبَايِعُونَ اللَّهَ يَدُ اللَّهِ فَوْقَ أَيْدِيهِمْ

Verily those who pledge Misaaq to you are in fact pledging Misaaq to Allah Ta’ala

(Surat al-Fath: 10)

This article was written by Ra'sul Hududil Mayameen Janab Syedi Aziz Bhaisaheb Qutbuddin in 2017.

Misaaq (or ‘ahd) means covenant or promise; a promise that establishes a commitment between God and each Mumin. Bay’at or safaqat (literally hand-in-hand) is the final pledge and commitment by a Mumin to the Misaaq. It is not a “new” custom but as old as the father of humanity, Adam Nabi AS, as the Quran Majeed affirms (Surat Taha: 115). This practice has continued since with each successive Nabi, Imam and Da’i. The kitaabs of Syedna al-Qadi al-Nu’man and Syedna al-Mu’ayyad confirm that the tradition of Misaaq continued in the time of Fatemi Imams. The same Misaaq was continued by the Du’aat Mutlaqeen in Yemen and thereafter in India.

Our covenant with Allah Ta’ala is through his Awliya’ Kiram, who are His representatives on this earth (khalifatul-lahi fi ardihi). As the Quran Majeed asserts, “those who pledge Misaaq to you are in fact pledging their Misaaq to Allah Ta’ala” (Surat al-Fath: 10). Those in Rasulullah’s SA time pledged their Misaaq to Allah Ta’ala on Nabi Mohammed’s hands. Those in the times that followed pledged Misaaq at the hand of his successors, A’immat Tahereen, and their Du’aat Mutlaqeen in times of seclusion.

The text of the Misaaq is based on the Arabic text that was used in the time of the Fatemi Imams. The Fatemi Misaaq is an acknowledgment and recognition of the One-ness of Allah Ta’ala and that Nabi Mohammed is His Messenger (Rasul). It is an acknowledgment and recognition of Amirul Mumineen SA as Rasulullah’s successor and that the Imamate will continue in the lineage of Mohammed and Ali till the Day of Judgment. It is an acknowledgment and recognition of the Du’aat Mutlaqeen who represent the Imam in seclusion. The Misaaq is a commitment to obey (taa’at) Allah Ta’ala, His Rasul and his successors (uli al-amr – Surat al-Nisa’: 59). The taa’at of Allah Ta’ala is inextricably connected with the taa’at of His Rasul, just as the taa’at of Rasulullah is inextricably connected to the taa’at of his successor in every day and age.

The Misaaq is also a commitment to remain true to and practice the laws and stipulations of the Shari’at of Islam – prayers (5 farizat), roza (fasting of Ramadan), Hajj…etc.

As the Quran Majeed clearly states, each Mumin will be asked about his adherence to the commitments of Misaaq on the Day of Judgment (Surat al-Isra’: 34). Each Mumin is accountable to Allah Ta’ala.

Those who fulfill their vows are rewarded by Allah Ta’ala while those breaking of their vows are punished. That is Allah Ta’ala’s promise.

Making the commitment of Misaaq is each and every individual’s choice. An exercise of freewill. Once a Mumin takes the oath of Misaaq and swears by Allah Ta’ala, the Tawrat, the Injeel, the Zabur, and the Qur'an Majeed, then he is bound by it.

We individuals are very conscious to fulfill our worldly promises to our peers – friends, family, relatives and colleagues. And many of us consider it a matter of pride to “stand by our word”.

The Misaaq is a promise to Allah Ta’ala. It should be every God fearing individual’s lifelong goal to uphold and fulfill every aspect, every condition of the Misaaq for the entirety of one’s life. Each and every word of the Misaaq that we commit to is a path earning Allah’s grace in the Hereafter. The Misaaq liberates those who commit to it from the confines of this worldly prison into the eternal Jannat in the Hereafter.

May Allah Ta’ala grant us the tawfeeq and strength to fulfill our vows to Allah Ta’ala and His Awliya’ Kiraam. May He grant us the strength to follow the guidance of Imam-uz-zaman’s Dai, remain in his taa’at and thereby in the taa’at of Imam-uz-Zaman SA and Allah Ta’ala.

May Allah Ta’ala also grant tawfeeq to those who have wavered in pledging Misaaq to Haqq, to the successor of the Nass of Du’aat Mutlaqeen and A’immat Tahereen, Syedna Taher Fakhruddin TUS. May Allah Ta’ala give them strength to overcome their fear and their doubt to salvage their Aakherat while it is still possible to do so.