The pre-existent world has been discussed in various Islamic books of both the Sunni and Shia sects and they seem to be in continuity. .

. In Tafsir Nurus Saqlain has 30 traditions after re-editing and 40 before it; there are various traditions in Tafsir Durre Manshur also. It is clear that the discussions of these traditions are not limited to any one sect.

Many traditions have been narrated through a single source hence are treated is a singular information. Some traditions have from Zurara, some from Abu Baseer, some from Jaber and some from Abdullah bin Sinan and Saleh bin Sehel. In this manner the quantum of the tradition is reduced and we discover the differences in the topic in them.

Some traditions support the second interpretation which says, “Admittance of the Oneness of God” is a natural covenant and it goes back to the origin and the creation of mankind because the realization of God was instilled into its nature. Abdullah bin Sinan narrates from Imam Jafar Sadiq (AS) Imam Jafar Sadiq (AS) was asked what nature means in “I asked Imam about what nature means in this verse? ” ? He answered “It means Islam that has been instilled by God in every person. God said on the Day of the Covenant, “am I not your Lord?’ though there were both the believers and the disbelievers. (1)

You can clearly see that this tradition speaks about the connection between the verse of nature and the pre-existent world. Zurara has quoted Imam Jafar Sadiq (As) in different words. He asked the Imam about the explanation of the words, “When your Lord took the covenant” (2) and him replied, “The realization of God was instilled in their hearts but they forgot the even of that day which of course they are bound to remember sometime. Had this realization not been instilled in them naturally in their hearts then no one would have known who the creator and sustainer is?”

The progeny of Adam came out as miniscule atoms from their loins and God took the verbal covenant from them as has been mentioned on pages 3, 4,8,11, and 29 of Tafsir Burhan. Since all these traditions have been quoted by Zurara from Imam Jafar Sadiq (AS) they are treated as one.

This meaning has been quoted by Ibn Abbas in Durre Manshur in many ways but discussing it would lengthen our discussion while in reality they all have the same topic and will all be termed as one tradition. And more over the tradition is the interpretation of Ibn Abbas rather than the words of the Holy messenger.

This meaning has been inscribed in many books in various manners

One objection about these traditions is that they are totally against the words of the Qura’n because from the traditions we learn that the progeny of Adam came out as miniscule atoms from his back while the Qura’n says, these particles came out from the backs of the children of Adam, “ When your Lord brought from (the loins of) the children of Adam their descendents” The other objections among the many is the one we have mentioned earlier that in the books of traditions they have been placed with those termed as weak or unreliable.

The third group of traditions is vague and can have more than one interpretation like the tradition in which Abu Baseer quoted Imam Sadiq (AS), “I asked the Imam how they replied, when they were nothing but mere dust or particles? The Imam replied, “Since they were instilled with the power they were able to answer the question of the covenant.” (3)

The fourth group of traditions tells us that they were question when they were but mere souls. Mufzal bin Umru has quoted imam Jafar Sadiq (AS) to have said, “God asked the souls of all the progeny of Adam, “Am I not your Lord?” And they all answered “Yes” (4)

In the fifth group the traditions tell us that God gathered the human souls as they are today and then took the covenant from them. (5).

Traditions in this group conflict each other and their authority is weak. We should not rely upon them after consider them as one.

It is better that like the elder Ulema we too refrain from judging these traditions

And leave the truthfulness on their narrators. (6)

Now we are left with the verse being discussed and with what we should understand from the Qura’n about it. We have seen that the 2nd interpretation from the 6 mentioned is the most plausible so we accept it. It says that in the pre-existent world the natural recognition of God and Islam has been instilled into the humans. It can now be said that the Oneness of God and His laws has been instilled individually after the seeds in the semen of the fathers was transferred into the comb of the mothers.

1. Tafsir Burhan Vol 2 Page 47, Tafsir Nurus Saqlain Vol. 2 Page 95

2. Tafsir Burhan Vol.2 Page 48 Hadith 15.

3. Tafsir Burhan Vol.2 Page 49 Hadith 22

4. Tafsir Burhan Vol.2 Page 49 Hadith 20

5. Tafsir Durre Manshur Vol.3 Page 142

6. For further information about this hadith on Alami Dhurr you can see the following five books: Behar-ol-Anwar vol.3 page 277, Maratol Aquul Vol.7 page 36, Tafsir Burhan vol.2 page 46, Tafsir Nurus Saqlain vol.2 page 93, Tafsir Durre Manthur vol.3 page 141 etc/