Covenant and Covenants in the Quran

The question of the covenant in the Old and New Testaments has been among the most fertile topics for critically engaged Jewish-Christian dialogue in the twentieth century, especially over the past three decades. It has given rise to re-examinations of some central tenets in Judaism and Christianity and to more pluralistic readings of both the Old and New Testaments.1 Covenant studies has even give rise to an independent school of thought known as ‘dual-covenant theology’ that has been supported by prominent Jewish and Christian thinkers such as Franz Rosenzweig, Irving Greenberg, and Reinhold Niebuhr.2 Such developments demonstrate that covenantal pluralism has become a significant player in both Judaism and Christianity. In addition the fields of Christian Studies, Judaic Studies, Old Testament Studies, and New Testament Studies all boast robust scholarship and debate regarding the meaning of the covenant in their respective scriptures and traditions. In contrast, there remains comparatively little examination of teachings regarding the covenant in the Qur’an and in Islam, and a Muslim or Qur’anic covenant theology has not been articulated in the modern era. Scholars have not provided extensive studies of the covenant in the Qur’an, and Muslims have not fully engaged with developments in covenant theology within Judaism and Christianity.