🕋 The Abrahamic Covenant and the Sinai Covenant: An Islamic Perspective

Introduction

In the history of divine revelation, few themes are as central as the notion of covenant—a sacred bond between God and humankind. Both Judaism and Islam trace their spiritual origins to Abraham (Ibrāhīm عليه السلام), yet they diverge significantly in how they interpret the continuity and authority of that covenant. While Jewish tradition venerates the Ark of the Covenant (Aron ha-Berit) as the central relic of divine presence, Islam maintains a living connection to Abraham through enduring symbols such as the Kaaba (House of God), the Black Stone (Hajar al-Aswad), and the Station of Abraham (Maqām Ibrāhīm).

From an Islamic standpoint, this difference reflects not merely a matter of heritage, but a profound theological distinction between two divine covenants: the Abrahamic and the Sinai.

⸻

1. The Abrahamic Covenant and the Sinai Covenant

The Abrahamic Covenant represents God’s original and universal promise to Abraham—offering him descendants, land, and blessings for all nations (Genesis 12, 15, 17). It is viewed in Islam as the foundation of true monotheism and moral submission (islām).

In contrast, the Sinai Covenant (or Mosaic Covenant) was established later with the Israelites through Moses (Mūsā عليه السلام) at Mount Sinai. This covenant centered on the Law (Torah) and bound a particular nation to divine commandments. Islamic scholars interpret this as a temporary covenant intended to guide a specific community until the restoration of the universal Abrahamic faith.

⸻

2. Continuity and Fulfillment in Islam

Islamic theology asserts that Muslims are the true inheritors of the Abrahamic Covenant. This covenant, described as universal and eternal, transcends tribal or ethnic boundaries. It was renewed and fulfilled through Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, a direct descendant of Abraham through Ishmael (Ismāʿīl عليه السلام).

In contrast, the Sinai Covenant is seen as particular and conditional—its blessings dependent on Israel’s obedience to divine law. When that law was broken and the Ark of the Covenant lost, Islamic scholars view it as symbolizing the closure of that covenantal phase.

⸻

3. The Significance of Relics and Continuity of Faith

A striking contrast between Judaism and Islam lies in the preservation of relics tied to their covenantal heritage.

• Judaism possesses no surviving Abrahamic relic; the Ark of the Covenant—the holiest object of ancient Israel—was associated with Moses, not Abraham, and disappeared after the First Temple’s destruction.

• Islam, by contrast, maintains tangible Abrahamic relics: the Kaaba (House of God), built by Abraham and Ishmael; the Black Stone, believed to mark God’s covenantal witness; and the Station of Abraham, where he stood during construction of the Kaaba.

Islamic scholars often interpret this continuity of relics as an enduring testimony that Islam preserves the living Abrahamic legacy in both spirit and form.

⸻

4. The Ark of the Covenant and the End of the Sinai Order

The Ark of the Covenant served as the focal symbol of God’s presence in Israelite religion, containing the stone tablets of the Law revealed to Moses. However, its loss during the Babylonian destruction of the First Temple is understood in Islamic thought as emblematic—the withdrawal of divine favor from a covenant that had fulfilled its temporal purpose.

In contrast, Islam views the Kaaba as the restored House of God (Bayt Allāh), representing a continuous line of divine worship from Adam to Abraham and finally to Muhammad ﷺ.

The Ark belonged to the age of law, but the Kaaba belongs to the age of unity. The former was carried by priests; the latter is circled by all believers.

⸻

5. Lineage and Restoration of the Original Faith

Islamic scholarship emphasizes that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ descends from Abraham through Ishmael, preserving the original monotheistic lineage. This genealogical link reinforces Islam’s claim as the restoration, rather than innovation, of Abraham’s faith.

Thus, Islam positions itself not as a new religion but as the revival of the primordial covenant—the same faith of Abraham, purified from human distortions and reaffirmed for all nations.

⸻

6. Universality and Particularity

Theologically, Islam presents the Abrahamic Covenant as universal, extending to all humanity through submission to one God. By contrast, the Sinai Covenant is viewed as particular, restricted to the Israelites and their historical experience.

This distinction underscores Islam’s claim that the divine message, once localized in Israel, has now been universalized through the final revelation of the Qur’an—fulfilling God’s promise to make Abraham “a father of many nations” (Genesis 17:5).

⸻

7. Supersession and Fulfillment

Some Islamic interpretations express a form of supersessionism, not in the sense of replacement but of completion. The Qur’an acknowledges earlier covenants while affirming that final guidance was perfected in Islam:

“This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and chosen Islam as your way.”

(Qur’an 5:3)

Thus, the Abrahamic Covenant, renewed through Muhammad ﷺ, is seen as the culmination of God’s redemptive plan that began with Abraham and reached universality through Islam.

⸻

Conclusion

The Islamic distinction between the Abrahamic and Sinai covenants is not merely historical but profoundly theological. The loss of the Ark, the absence of Abrahamic relics in Judaism, and the survival of the Kaaba and the Station of Abraham in Islam are read as symbolic of a divine transition—from the particular to the universal, from the Mosaic to the Abrahamic, from the temporal to the eternal.

In the eyes of Islamic scholarship, the covenant lives on not in a lost ark of gold, but in the living hearts of those who submit to God in the faith of Abraham—the father of all who believe.

— Azahari Hassim

Founder, The World of Abrahamic Theology