“And call to mind, (O Prophet), when We took the covenant from all Prophets; and also from you and Noah, and Jesus the son of Mary. We took from them a solemn covenant.” (Al Quran – 33:7)
Here God reminds the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) that like other Messengers he had entered into a covenant with God that he must faithfully honour. As to the exact nature of the covenant, it appears from the context that it refers to the Messenger’s commitment to obey God’s every command and to make others do the same. A Messenger is also charged with the duty to faithfully transmit whatever comes to him from God and to exert his efforts in order that God’s commands are put into effect. At other places, too, the Quran speaks of this covenant; for example, 2:83, 3:187, 5:7, 7:169 and 171, and 42:13.
What prompts the mention of this covenant in the present context is that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) was initially somewhat reluctant to put an end to the pre-Islamic custom of adoption because he apprehended severe opposition from Islam’s enemies. He felt especially bashful about marrying Zaynab because Islam’s enemies would misconstrue this marriage as one motivated by sensuality; further, that they would do so in disregard of the Prophet’s utter sincerity in his bid to bring about social reform. Accordingly, God reminds the Blessed Prophet that like His other Messengers, he too is required to carry out God’s commands and to ask others to do the same.