The covenant taken from the sons of Adam is the fitrah

Firstly:

The covenant that Allah, may He be glorified and exalted,
took from the progeny of Adam in the previous life has not been erased from
our memory and not one of the sons of Adam has forgotten it. If you want to
ask about it, then we say to you: It is the fitrah (natural
inclination/sound human nature) which is instilled in our souls and hearts,
that drives us to believe in Allah and long to know Him, may He be
glorified. In fact, it reaches the level of urgency that pushes and compels
us to acknowledge that the Creator, may He be glorified and exalted, is the
only, perfect Lord Who bestows His blessings upon us and upon all other
created beings.

This spiritual and rational urge (to believe in Allah) is the
strongest factor that prompts man to believe in Allah and affirm His
Oneness, because it is usually stronger than any other impulses that may
lead man to fall into ignorance and doubt. Often this urge (to believe) may
overwhelm a person and make him realise the belief in divine Oneness (Tawheed)
deep in his heart at times of crisis and calamity, even if the one who still
has that sound natural inclination (fitrah) is pretending today to be an
atheist. The call of Tawheed is still urging him from deep inside to
believe, because of this natural inclination (fitrah) which is the first
covenant taken from the sons of Adam.

If the questioner thought of the opposite of what he is
saying, he would find the answer to his question. If he could think of this
covenant that was taken from the sons of Adam, “Am I not your Lord?”
[al-A‘raaf 7:172], and if he could imagine it not moving to settle deep
in our innate nature (fitrah) and not becoming an urge deep inside – rather
it remained vivid in the memory of each of us, as if he could see it right
now – then what would be left after that of the concept of belief in the
unseen? How could there be the test of faith, if everyone could have seen
the covenant of Allah being taken with his own eyes? Allah created the
entire world to test us and see whether we would do righteous deeds, and
strive to bring about reform and fight mischief. In any of these tests – in
order for it to be a test – there must be available a means of success and a
means of failure, so that man can choose his way in the light of this
guidance.

Abu Dawood narrated in as-Sunan (no. 4716) – and it
was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani – he said: al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali told us:
al-Hajjaaj ibn al-Minhaal said: I heard Hammaad ibn Salamah explaining the
hadeeth: “Every child is born in a state of fitrah.” He said: In our view
this refers to when Allah took the covenant from them when they were in
their fathers’ loins, when He said: “ ‘Am I not your Lord?’ They said:
‘Yes’” [al-A’raaf 7:172].

Here we will quote the views of scholars which confirm that
the covenant is the fitrah (natural inclination/sound human nature), and the
fitrah is present in the individual and is never absent. It is the message
of Allah, may He be exalted, to humanity, to remind them of the first
covenant; it is a message that is clear because it is instilled in all
souls, but at the same time it is not something that is witnessed by sight,
otherwise there would be no meaning to the idea of belief in the unseen;
rather there would be no point in the creation of man.

Ibn Qutaybah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

What is meant by the words (of the hadith), “Every newborn is
born in a state of fitrah” refers to the covenant that Allah took from them
when they were in the loins of their father Adam, “and made them testify
concerning themselves (saying): ‘Am I not your Lord?’ They said: ‘Yes’”
[al-A‘raaf 7:172].

You cannot find anyone who does not believe that he has a
Creator Who created him and is controlling him, even if he calls Him by a
name other than His real name, or he worships something else besides Him so
that it may bring him closer to Him, as he thinks, or He ascribes to Him
attributes that do not belong to Him, or he refers to Him in a manner that
does not befit Him.

Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning):

“And if you ask them who created
them, they will surely say: ‘Allah’”

[az-Zukhruf 43:87].

Every newborn in this world is born with this covenant and
affirmation, which is the monotheism (haneefiyyah), the covenant of which
took place at the beginning of creation and was instilled in man’s fitrah
(natural inclination).

The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) said: “Allah, may He be blessed and exalted, says: ‘I created all of My
slaves as hunafa’ (sing. haneef, i.e., believing in monotheism), but the
devils diverted them from their belief.’” End quote from Ta’weel
Mukhtalaf al-Hadith (p. 200).

Abu Ishaaq az-Zajjaaj said:

What this means is that Allah, may He be glorified and
exalted, created people with the inclination to believe in Him according to
what is mentioned in the hadith. Allah, may He be exalted, took from the
loins of Adam his progeny like tiny particles, and made them testify
concerning themselves that He was their Creator. Allah, may He be glorified
and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And (remember) when your Lord
brought forth from the Children of Adam, from their loins, their seed (or
from Adam’s loins his offspring) and made them testify concerning themselves
(saying): ‘Am I not your Lord?’ They said: ‘Yes’”

[al-A‘raaf 7:172].

So every newborn is from that offspring or progeny, who
testified that Allah is their Creator. What is meant by
“Allah’s Fitra (the natural disposition that Allah instilled
in mankind)” [ar-Room 30:30] is
the religion of Allah to which He has created a natural inclination (fitrah)
in people.

End quote from Ma‘aani al-Qur’an wa I‘raabuhu (4/185).

Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

This indicates that they were created with the inclination to
affirm that Allah is their Lord, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And (remember) when your Lord
brought forth from the Children of Adam, from their loins, their seed (or
from Adam’s loins his offspring) and made them testify concerning themselves
(saying): ‘Am I not your Lord?’ They said: ‘Yes’”

[al-A‘raaf 7:172].

This verse clearly refers to their affirmation and testimony
concerning themselves with regard to the knowledge that is instilled in them
that Allah is their Lord. And the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) said: “Every child is born in a state of fitrah.”

Some of the scholars interpreted this affirmation of Allah’s
Oneness as meaning referring to when they were brought forth from the loins
of Adam, and say that what is meant is that Allah caused them to speak and
made them bear witness. But this was not proven in any sound report from the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and the verse does not
indicate that.

End quote from Jaami‘ ar-Rasaa’il by Ibn Taymiyah –
Rashaad Saalim, 1/11

He (may Allah have mercy on him) also said:

As for the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him), “Every child is born in a state of fitrah, then his parents
make him into a Jew or a Christian or a Zoroastrian”, the correct view is
that what is meant is “Allah’s
Fitrah (the natural disposition that Allah instilled in mankind)”
which is the natural inclination towards Islam, the natural inclination
which Allah instilled in them on the day when He said: “‘Am I not your
Lord?’ They said: ‘Yes’” [al-A‘raaf 7:172]. This means that everyone is
born free of any false beliefs and will have an inclination towards sound
beliefs.

The reality of Islam is surrender to Allah alone, and no
other. This is the meaning of Laa ilaaha ill-Allah (there is no god but
Allah). The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
gave a likeness of that when he said: “There is no child who is not born in
a state of fitrah, then his parents make him a Jew or a Christian or a
Zoroastrian, just as animals bring forth animals with their limbs intact; do
you see any deformed one among them?” This hadith explains that the
soundness of the heart and the fact that it is free of any shortcomings (in
terms of belief) is just like the soundness of the body and that defects are
something that occurs later on. In Saheeh Muslim it is narrated that ‘Iyaad
ibn Himaar said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) said in a hadith qudsi that Allah said: “I have created all My
slaves with the inclination to worship Me alone, but the devils come to them
and turn them away from their religion. They forbid to them that which I
have permitted to them, and they tell them to associate others with Me for
which I have not sent down any authority.” End quote from Majmoo‘
al-Fataawa, 4/245.

Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

The best way to interpret the meaning of this verse is by the
hadith in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
“Every child is born in a state of fitrah (the natural state of man), then
his parents make him into a Jew or a Christian.” The covenant that Allah,
may He be glorified, took from them and the testimony that He took from them
concerning themselves, and the affirmation that they affirmed refers to the
fitrah or natural inclination that is instilled in them, because Allah, may
He be glorified, used that as evidence against them, and He does not use
evidence against them that none of them recognises or remembers; rather it
is something that is common knowledge among them and that they all affirm.

End quote from Ahkaam Ahl adh-Dhimmah (2/949)

Al-‘Allaamah as-Sa‘di (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

“And
(remember) when your Lord brought forth from the Children of Adam, from
their loins, their seed (or from Adam’s loin his offspring)”
and made them reproduce, generation after generation. When He
brought them forth from the wombs of their mothers and the loins of their
fathers, He “made them testify concerning themselves (saying): ‘Am I not
your Lord?’” that is, He asked them to affirm that He was their Lord, on
the basis of what He instilled in their innate nature, that He is their
Lord, Creator and Sovereign.

“They
said: ‘Yes”, we affirm that, because Allah (st)
created His slaves with a natural inclination towards the right way of
monotheism. Therefore everyone has this natural inclination, but that
inclination may change and be altered because of corrupt beliefs by which it
may be influenced. Hence “They said: ‘Yes! We testify,’ lest you should
say on the Day of Resurrection: ‘Verily, we have been unaware of this’”.
That is, We tested you by asking you this question, in order to make you
affirm that which was instilled in your innate nature, that Allah, may He be
exalted, is your Lord, lest you deny that on the Day of Resurrection and
therefore you do not affirm any of it, and you claim that the proof of Allah
was not established against you and you have no knowledge of it; rather you
were heedless and distracted from it. But today you have no excuses left,
and the ultimate proof of Allah is established against you.

End quote
from Tayseer al-Kareem ar-Rahmaan (p. 308)

Secondly:

With regard
to what the questioner mentioned about us living now in our second life,
that is based on the view that the first (or previous) life was when the
offspring were brought forth from Adam’s loins and the covenant was taken
from them, according to what was mentioned in Soorat al-A‘raaf.

These two
lives and these two deaths are mentioned in the verse in which Allah, may He
be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“How can
you disbelieve in Allah? Seeing that you were dead and He gave you life.
Then He will give you death, then again will bring you to life and then unto
Him you will return”

[al-Baqarah 2:28].

This view
concerning what is meant by the two deaths and the two lives is a weak view
and is to be rejected.

Abu Hayyaan
(may Allah have mercy on him) said:

There are
different views concerning the order or sequences of these two deaths and
two lives which Allah mentioned and reminded them of that blessing:

i.That the first
death is the previous nonexistence before creation; the first bringing to
life is creation; the second death is the regular death that occurs in this
world; and the second life is the resurrection on the Day of Judgement. This
was the view of Ibn Mas‘ood, Ibn ‘Abbaas and Mujaahid.

ii.That the first
death is the regular death that occurs in this world; the first bringing to
life is in the grave, for the questioning; the second death is in the grave
after the questioning and the second bringing to life is the resurrection.

iii.That the first
death is in the womb, because the individual is dead (in the sense of not
being alive) until the soul is breathed into him; and the second death is
the usual death (in this world); and the second bringing to life is the
resurrection.

iv.That the first
death is when the Arabs were unknown; the first bringing to life was when
they became known and honoured by virtue of this religion and this Prophet
who came to them; the second death is the usual death in this world; and the
second bringing to life is the resurrection. This was the view of Ibn
‘Abbaas.

v.That the first
death is when Adam was made of clay; the first bringing to life was when the
soul was breathed into him, thus you were brought into existence by his
coming to life. The second death is the usual death in this world; and the
second bringing to life is the resurrection.

Ibn Katheer
(may Allah have mercy on him) said [discussing the meaning of al-Baqarah
2:28]:

Allah, may He
be exalted, says, quoting proof of His existence and power, and that He is
the Creator Who has control over His slaves: “How can you disbelieve in
Allah” that is, how can you deny His existence or worship anything else
alongside Him? “Seeing that you were dead and He gave you life” that
is, you were non-existent, then He brought you into existence, as He, may He
be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “Were they created by
nothing, or were they themselves the creators? Or did they create the
heavens and the earth? Nay, but they have no firm Belief” [at-Toor 52:35,
36]. And He says: “Has there not been over man a period of time, when
he was nothing to be mentioned?” [al-Insaan 76:1]. And there are many
verses that speak of this matter.

Sufyaan
ath-Thawri said, narrating from Ibn Ishaq, from Abu’l-Ahwas, from ‘Abdullah
ibn Mas‘ood (may Allah be pleased with him): “They will say: ‘Our Lord!
You have made us to die twice, and You have given us life twice’” [Ghaafir
40:11]. He said: This is like the verse in al-Baqarah: “you were dead
and He gave you life. Then He will give you death, then again will bring you
to life” [al-Baqarah 2:28].

Ibn Jurayj
said, narrating from ‘Ata’, from Ibn ‘Abbaas: “you were dead and He gave
you life” means: You were dead in the loins of your fathers; you were
nothing until He created you, then He will cause you to die a true death,
then He will bring you back to life when He resurrects you. This is like the
verse in which He says: “‘Our Lord! You have made us to die twice, and
You have given us life twice’” [Ghaafir 40:11].

Ad-Dahhaak
said, narrating from Ibn ‘Abbaas concerning the verse “‘Our Lord! You
have made us to die twice, and You have given us life twice’” [Ghaafir
40:11]: You were dust before He created you, so this is one death. Then
He brought you to life and created you, so this is one life. Then He will
cause you to die and you will go to your graves, and this is a second death.
Then He will resurrect you on the Day of Resurrection, and this is another
life. So this is two deaths and two lives. This is like the verse in which
He says: “How can you disbelieve in Allah? Seeing that you were dead and
He gave you life. Then He will give you death, then again will bring you to
life (on the Day of Resurrection)” [al-Baqarah 2:28].

Something
similar was narrated from as-Suddi, with his isnaad, from Abu Maalik; and
from Abu Saalih, from Ibn ‘Abbaas; and from Murrah, from Ibn Mas‘ood; and
from some people from the Sahaabah; and from Abu’l-‘Aaliyah, al-Hasan
al-Basri, Mujaahid, Qataadah, Abu Saalih, ad-Dahhaak, and ‘Ata’
al-Khuraasani.

Ath-Thawri
said, narrating from as-Suddi, from Abu Saalih: “How can you disbelieve
in Allah? Seeing that you were dead and He gave you life. Then He will give
you death, then again will bring you to life (on the Day of Resurrection)”
[al-Baqarah 2:28]: He will bring you to life in the grave, then He will
cause you to die.

Ibn Jareer
said, narrating from Yoonus, from Ibn Wahb, from ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan ibn Zayd
ibn Aslam: (What is meant is) He created them in the loins of Adam, then He
took the covenant from them, then He caused them to die, then He created
them in the wombs, then He causes them to die, then He will bring them back
to life on the Day of Resurrection. This is like the verse in which Allah,
may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “They will say:
‘Our Lord! You have made us to die twice, and You have given us life twice’”
[Ghaafir 40:11]. This and the view mentioned before it are strange. The
correct view is that which is mentioned above from Ibn Mas‘ood and Ibn
‘Abbaas, and from that group of the Taabi‘een. This is like the verse in
which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Say (to
them): ‘Allah gives you life, then causes you to die, then He will assemble
you on the Day of Resurrection about which there is no doubt. But most of
mankind know not’”

[al-Jaathiyah 43:26].

Man’s
condition before existence is described as death because both conditions
have in common the lack of awareness and feeling, as Allah also says
concerning idols: “(They are) dead, lifeless” [an-Nahl 16:21] and He
says: “And a sign for them is the dead land. We gave it life, and We
brought forth from it grains, so that they eat thereof” [Yaa-Seen 36:33].

End quote
from Tafseer Ibn Katheer (1/213).

Abu Hayyaan
(may Allah have mercy on him) said, after mentioning the difference of
opinion concerning the meaning of the verse:

Ibn ‘Atiyah
favoured the first view and said: It is most likely to be correct, because
the disbelievers could not deny that with regard to its order and the
sequence of events. Moreover, the fact that Allah says “you were dead”
[al-Baqarah 2:28], then with regard to the second death He attributes the
cause of death to Himself supports this view (that what is referred to is
the time before they existed). If the disbelievers accept the fact that they
were dead in the sense of being non-existent, then they were brought to life
in this world, then they will be caused to die in this world, then the
argument that Allah will definitely bring them to life again becomes
stronger, and their denial of that (namely life after death) will confirm
that their claim (that there is no life after death) is a claim that has no
proof. End quote (from Ibn ‘Atiyah); this is a good comment.

End quote
from al-Bahr al-Muheet (1/211).

Ash-Shinqeeti
(may Allah have mercy on him) said:

The correct view is that the first death is when they are in
the wombs of their mothers as clinging clots (‘alaq) and chewed lumps of
flesh (mudghah), in which there is no life before the soul is breathed into
them; the first life is when they are given life in their mothers’ wombs,
from which they emerge into this world. The second death is death in the
grave, and the second life is when they are brought back to life from the
graves and are resurrected for the reckoning and requital. Allah has
explained that this is what is meant in Soorat al-Baqarah, where He says
(interpretation of the meaning): “How can
you disbelieve in Allah? Seeing that you were dead and He gave you life.
Then He will give you death, then again will bring you to life (on the Day
of Resurrection)” [al-Baqarah 2:28].

Al-‘Adhb al-Nameer (236).

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him)
said:

The correct view is that this verse – i.e., “‘Our
Lord! You have made us to die twice, and You have given us life twice’” [Ghaafir
40:11] – is like the verse in which Allah says
(interpretation of the meaning): “How can you disbelieve in Allah? Seeing
that you were dead and He gave you life. Then He will give you death, then
again will bring you to life (on the Day of Resurrection)” [al-Baqarah 2:28].
The first death occurred before this life, and the second death occurs after
this life. And the words “then again [He] will bring you to life”
refer to what will happen after death.

End quote
from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (4/275).

And Allah knows best.