Quran Universe
3:81

وَإِذۡ أَخَذَ ٱللَّهُ مِيثَٰقَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ لَمَآ ءَاتَيۡتُكُم مِّن كِتَٰبٖ وَحِكۡمَةٖ ثُمَّ جَآءَكُمۡ رَسُولٞ مُّصَدِّقٞ لِّمَا مَعَكُمۡ لَتُؤۡمِنُنَّ بِهِۦ وَلَتَنصُرُنَّهُۥۚ قَالَ ءَأَقۡرَرۡتُمۡ وَأَخَذۡتُمۡ عَلَىٰ ذَٰلِكُمۡ إِصۡرِيۖ قَالُوٓاْ أَقۡرَرۡنَاۚ قَالَ فَٱشۡهَدُواْ وَأَنَا۠ مَعَكُم مِّنَ ٱلشَّـٰهِدِينَ

Waith akhatha Allahu meethaqa alnnabiyyeena lama ataytukum min kitabin wahikmatin thumma jaakum rasoolun musaddiqun lima maAAakum latuminunna bihi walatansurunnahu qala aaqrartum waakhathtum AAala thalikum isree qaloo aqrarna qala faishhadoo waana maAAakum mina alshshahideena

And [recall, O People of the Scripture], when Allah took the covenant of the prophets, [saying], "Whatever I give you of the Scripture and wisdom and then there comes to you a messenger confirming what is with you, you [must] believe in him and support him." [Allah] said, "Have you acknowledged and taken upon that My commitment?" They said, "We have acknowledged it." He said, "Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses."

Word by word
  1. وَإِذۡAnd when
  2. أَخَذَtook
  3. ٱللَّهُAllah
  4. مِيثَٰقَcovenant
  5. ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ(of) the Prophets
  6. لَمَآCertainly,whatever
  7. ءَاتَيۡتُكُمI (have) given you
  8. مِّنof
  9. كِتَٰبٖ(the) Book
  10. وَحِكۡمَةٖand wisdom
  11. ثُمَّthen
  12. جَآءَكُمۡcomes to you
  13. رَسُولٞa Messenger
  14. مُّصَدِّقٞconfirming
  15. لِّمَاthat which
  16. مَعَكُمۡ(is) with you
  17. لَتُؤۡمِنُنَّyou must believe
  18. بِهِۦin him
  19. وَلَتَنصُرُنَّهُۥۚand you must help him
  20. قَالَHe said
  21. ءَأَقۡرَرۡتُمۡDo you affirm
  22. وَأَخَذۡتُمۡand take
  23. عَلَىٰon
  24. ذَٰلِكُمۡthat (condition)
  25. إِصۡرِيۖMy Covenant
  26. قَالُوٓاْThey said
  27. أَقۡرَرۡنَاۚWe affirm
  28. قَالَHe said
  29. فَٱشۡهَدُواْThen bear witness
  30. وَأَنَا۠and I (am)
  31. مَعَكُمwith you
  32. مِّنَamong
  33. ٱلشَّـٰهِدِينَthe witnesses
Ali 'Imran · 3:81Madinah

Every prophet pledged to support the Messenger to come.

A covenant Allah Himself witnessed

The covenant
Allahgives Book and wisdom
takes pledge from
the prophets"we affirm"
to
believe and helpthe Messenger who confirms
What great rank asks
I have the BookI need no one else
support the trutheven when it comes after you

Allah took a pledge from the prophets: whatever Book and wisdom He gave them, if a messenger came confirming it, they would believe in him and help him. Ali and Ibn Abbas said every prophet pledged this about Muhammad ﷺ. Allah said: bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses.

You built the project at work, and now a newer colleague arrives with a better plan that fits your own work. Your rank says defend your turf. The pledge says help the truth, whoever carries it.

What I already have is enough. I don't need to make room for what comes after.

Even prophets were asked to support the truth that came after them. Rank serves truth.

Try this

Openly back one good idea today that came from someone junior or newer than you.

Related17:79
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And (remember) when Allah took the covenant of the Prophets, saying: "Take whatever I gave you from the Book and Hikmah, and afterwards there will come to you a Messenger confirming what is with you; you must, then, believe in him and help him." Allah said: "Do you agree (to it) and will you take up Isri?" They said: "We agree." He said: "Then bear witness; and I am with you among the witnesses. (81)Then whoever turns away after this, they are the rebellious (82)

Taking a Pledge From the Prophets to Believe in Our Prophet, Muhammad (ﷺ)

Allah states that He took a pledge from every Prophet whom He sent from Adam until 'Isa, that when Allah gives them the Book and the Hikmah, thus acquiring whatever high grades they deserve, then a Messenger came afterwards, they would believe in and support him. Even though Allah has given the Prophets the knowledge and the prophethood, this fact should not make them refrain from following and supporting the Prophet who comes after them. This is why Allah, the Most High, Most Honored, said

وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَاقَ النَّبِيِّينَ لَمَا آتَيْتُكُم مِّن كِتَابٍ وَحِكْمَةٍ

(And (remember) when Allah took the covenant of the Prophets, saying: "Take whatever I gave you from the Book and Hikmah.") meaning, if I give you the Book and the Hikmah,

ثُمَّ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مُّصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَكُمْ لَتُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهِ وَلَتَنصُرُنَّهُ قَالَ أَأَقْرَرْتُمْ وَأَخَذْتُمْ عَلَىٰ ذَٰلِكُمْ إِصْرِي

("and afterwards there will come to you a Messenger confirming what is with you; you must, then, believe in him and help him." Allah said, "Do you agree (to it) and will you take up Isri")

Ibn 'Abbas, Mujahid, Ar-Rabi', Qatadah and As-Suddi said that 'Isri' means, "My covenant." Muhammad bin Ishaq said that,

إِصْرِي 

(Isri) means, "The responsibility of My covenant that you took," meaning, the ratified pledge that you gave Me.

قَالُوا أَقْرَرْنَا قَالَ فَاشْهَدُوا وَأَنَا مَعَكُم مِّنَ الشَّاهِدِينَ - فَمَن تَوَلَّىٰ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ

(They said: "We agree." He said: "Then bear witness; and I am with you among the witnesses." then whoever turns away after this,") from fulfilling this pledge and covenant,

فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ

(they are the rebellious.) 'Ali bin Abi Talib and his cousin 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas said, "Allah never sent a Prophet but after taking his pledge that if Muhammad ﷺ were sent in his lifetime, he would believe in and support him." Allah commanded each Prophet to take a pledge from his nation that if Muhammad were sent in their time, they would believe in and support him. Tawus, Al-Hasan Al-Basri and Qatadah said, "Allah took the pledge from the Prophets that they would believe in each other", and this statement does not contradict what 'Ali and Ibn 'Abbas stated.

Therefore, Muhammad is the Final Prophet ﷺ until the Day of Resurrection. He is the greatest Imam, who if he existed in any time period, deserves to be obeyed, rather than all other Prophets. This is why Muhammad ﷺ led the Prophets in prayer during the night of Isra' when they gathered in Bayt Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem). He is the intercessor on the Day of Gathering, when the Lord comes to judge between His servants. This is Al-Maqam Al-Mahmud (the praised station)[refer to 17:79] that only Muhammad deserves, a responsibility which the mighty Prophets and Messengers will decline to assume. However, Muhammad ﷺ will carry the task of intercession, may Allah's peace and blessings be on him.