The Strength of the Principle of Fulfilling One’s Covenants in International Treaties from the Perspective of the Holy Quran*

The principle of “fulfillment of covenants” is the fundamental rule of the law of treaties, and according to Qur‟anic teachings, contrary to the system of international law, it is twice as firm [as other principles]. This is because, unlike the international legal system, neither “optional withdrawal” nor “fundamental change in circumstances and time for concluding the treaty,” are considered valid reasons for non-compliance with obligations arising from treaties. From the perspective of this divine book, the only exception to this fundamental rule in the law of treaties is the violation of international obligations by the parties to the treaty. The present paper, based on the interdisciplinary interpretation method, firstly proves the relevance of the divine verses to the subject of treaties and the necessity of implementation of the obligations arising from the treaties, and secondly, it clarifies the strength of this principle in international relations in two areas: the nature of commitment and the scope of time and audience.