Dieu et sa promesse dans le Coran

Abstract

The article examines the theme of the “promise” (waʿd) of God in the Quran, which appears forty-nine times and almost always refers to the divine promise of the Last Judgment, reward in paradise and punishment in hell. The author points out that the Qur'an constantly insists on God’s faithfulness to His promises, despite the parallel claim that He “does what He wills”. This insistence is explained by a context of religious competition in late Antiquity, especially with Christians, who also promised eternal life through Christ and described paradise as a garden. The Quran therefore mobilizes this language to exhort one to believe in the new prophet and to follow the norms of the community, guaranteeing access to paradise. Through stories such as those of the Companions of the Cave or the mother of Moses, the Quran emphasizes that God always keeps His promises. This rhetoric aims to strengthen the new community and distinguish it from other competing monotheisms.