Ten Commandments in the Quran (part 1 of

3): A Quick Introduction

Let us start with the basics. The Ten Commandments have their origin in the Jewish religion, but
they are also found in the Christian Bibles. It is said to be inscribed on two tablets that were
given by God to Moses. In the Bible, they are recorded in Exodus 20:2-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-
21. The Exodus list is more commonly accepted by Christians. Encyclopedia Britannica
describes them to be a "list of religious precepts thatwere divinely revealed to Moses on Mt.
Sinai and were engraved on two tablets of stone."[4]

"Judaism teaches that the first tablet, containing the first five declarations, identifies duties
regarding our relationship with God, while the second tablet, containing the last five
declarations, identifies duties regarding our relationship with other people."[5] Catholics
believe, "The Ten Commandments are precepts bearing on the fundamental obligations of
religion and morality and embodying the revealed expression of the Creator's will in relation to
man's whole duty to God and to his fellow-creatures."[6] The Hebrew, Protestant, and Catholic
versions differ. This is not a well-known fact.[7]

What place does the Biblical version hold in modern society? Jews are careful not to publicly
over emphasize them so as not to create the impression that Judaism has only these ten
commandments and no others. Christian theologians, on the other hand, consider them to be the
moral law of God to guide society, a standard of sorts to measure the health of the society. As a
result, what place, if any, should these commandments hold in modern Western, secular societies
is a hotly debated subject. Should they be part of public schooling? Can they be displayed in
public? The issues have been debated even by the Supreme Court of the US. Despite the
attention, most commandments are simply ignored by the society. Secularists even consider the
Biblical version to be intolerant.

Great emphasis is placed on these commandments in the Islamic faith: three verses in the Quran,
the sacred book of Islam, speak of them. Prophet Muhammads companions emphasized their
centrality.

The Quran speaks of them in Surah Anaam, 6:151-153 and Surah Isra, 17:23-39. Surah Isra,
17:23-39 is like a commentary on the commandments listed in Surah Anaam. Some scholars call
them the "verses of the ten commandments" simply because they speak of ten significant
commandments to be observed by a Muslim. The Quran does not directly state that these are the
same commandments that were given to Moses.

Ibn Masud, a famous companion of Prophet Muhammad said[8]:

"Whoever wishes to ascertain the will of Prophet Muhammad on which the Prophet has put his
seal, let him read the Statement of God, and then he recited the three verses."
The Prophet of Islam himself said,

"Who among you will give me his pledge to do three things," he then recited the verse 6:151 and
continued, "Whoever fulfills (this pledge), then his reward will be with God, but whoever fell
into shortcomings and God punishes him for it in this life, then that will be his recompense.
Whoever God delays (his reckoning) until the Hereafter, then his matter is with God. If He wills,
He will punish him, and if He wills, He will forgive him.''[9]

In summary, in the Islamic view, these commandments contain what God wills for the life of all
people. It has five orders and a similar number of prohibitions that define the relationship of man
and his Creator, mans obligations to his family, and commandments that order his social life.
What follows are the ten commandments of Quran and their relevance to modern life.

Footnotes:

[1] It must be clarified that Islamic teachings do not look favorably at portraying prophets of God
in images or the screen.

[2] (http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/adjusted.htm)

[3] (http://www.afi.com/10top10/epic.html)

[4] "Ten Commandments." Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.

Encyclopedia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. 10 Jan. 2012.
(http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/587032/Ten-Commandments).

[5] (http://www.jewfaq.org/10.htm)

[6] (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04153a.htm)

[7] The Ten Commandments as Public Ritual. Contributors: Derek H. Davis - author. Journal
Title: Journal of Church and State. Volume: 44. Issue: 2. Publication Year: 2002. Page Number:
221.

[8] Tirmidhi

[9] Hakim said, "Its chain is Sahih and they did not record it."
Footnotes:

[1] It must be clarified that Islamic teachings do not look favorably at portraying prophets of God
in images or the screen.

[2] (http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/adjusted.htm)

[3] (http://www.afi.com/10top10/epic.html)

[4] "Ten Commandments." Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.

Encyclopedia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. 10 Jan. 2012.
(http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/587032/Ten-Commandments).

[5] (http://www.jewfaq.org/10.htm)

[6] (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04153a.htm)

[7] The Ten Commandments as Public Ritual. Contributors: Derek H. Davis - author. Journal
Title: Journal of Church and State. Volume: 44. Issue: 2. Publication Year: 2002. Page Number:
221.

[8] Tirmidhi

[9] Hakim said, "Its chain is Sahih and they did not record it."
Sixth Commandment: Come not near to the orphans property, except to improve it, until
he (or she) attains the age of full strength.

Divine wisdom dictated that the religion of Islam be delivered to humanity at the hands of an
orphan, someone who God raised to convey His final message to humanity. Quite naturally,
orphans are more than mere shadows in Islam.

Islamic Law defines an orphan to be a child that who is deprived of the benefits of parenting by
death of the father.

Much like the Arab society before Islam, orphans do not fare much better in the US today.

Today there are estimated over 132 million orphans in the world. Over 25 million American
children (more than one in three) are being raised in a family without a father.[1] Over 50% of
youth in shelters and on the streets reported that their parents either told them to leave or knew
they were leaving but did not care. As many as 2.8 million children live on the streets, a third of
whom are lured into prostitution within 48 hours of leaving home. 1 in 8 youth under the age of
18 will leave home and become homeless in need of services. In 2007, 513,000 orphaned
children lived outside of the home in substitutive/foster care. The Trafficking Victims Protection
Reauthorization Act of 2005 cited the Congressional finding that 100,000-300,000 children in
the United States are at risk for commercial sexual exploitation at any time.[2] A University of
Pennsylvania study estimates nearly 300,000 children in the United States are at risk of being
sexually exploited for commercial uses.

In the US, the word orphan is rarely used. According to Dr. Francine Cournos, author of City
of One: A Memoir, "todays orphans in the United States are foster care children." The term
foster children is often used for children in foster homes, group homes, and institutions.

Twenty two verses of the Muslim scripture emphasize taking care of the orphans. Islam
protected the orphans from being neglected and legislated rights for them. One of those rights,
formulated as a commandment, is to spend money for their benefit. Today, in the US, that would
mean, for example, that the foster parents should spend the $420/month (that is the national
average) they receive per child for the welfare of the child in the best possible manner.

Seventh Commandment: Give full measure and full weight with justice

The commandment has to do with fairness and justice in all matters, financial and
otherwise. Fair dealing with fellow human beings is Gods command. The big question is how
you can stand by the principle of fair dealing, especially in business, when it seems so
advantageous not to. Why should you be fair in an unfair world? The simple answer: its Gods
command. God wants us to be ethical and play fairly. You must first accept the basic
commandment and moral principle of fair and honest practices. Widespread economic and racial
inequalities, unfair lending practices, and lack of affordable housing makes one wonder, what
justice and whose justice? The answer is justice according to Gods rules. The only way to solve
them is to fulfill Gods command and give others their dues.
Eight Commandment: Whenever you speak, say the truth even if a near relative is
concerned

The commandment is not limited to fairness in speech, it includes behavior. God requires us to
treat others fairly, including the relatives. If a parent or a friend makes a mistake, should we say
that he is in error? Yes, knowing full well that it is not a license to be rude and insulting, but a
matter of fairness. In a similar vein, favoritism, cronyism, and nepotism are unethical. Islam
commands its followers to be ethical and just in the face of conflicting emotions like love and
hatred for the other. A Muslim is required to speak the truth and be honest without getting
influenced by the relatives.

Ninth Commandment: Fulfill the Covenant of God

In general, fulfilling covenants and keeping pledges is one of the foundations of Islam. It
ensures trust, maintains justice, and brings equality in society.

In specific, a Muslim is required to keep his covenant with God. The basic principle of Islam is
that God commands and forbids, hence God is to be obeyed. The Covenant of God is the
promise made to God that acknowledges this basic principle. As a consequence, God rewards
and punishes.

A Muslim is supposed to fulfill pledges and keep promises; it is an indication of loyalty to his
word and to God. Negligence in this matter indicates hypocrisy. Aptly, God ends with an
emphasis:

"This is what He commands you to do, so that you may bear in mind."

So, if you have not already made a promise to God to obey Him, then now is the time to do so!

Tenth Commandment: And, indeed, this is My Straight Path, so follow it, and do not
follow other paths, for they will separate you away from His Path. This He has ordained
for you that you may become pious."

The last commandment is the most comprehensive, combining in itself the entire religion. God
basically tells us that this is My Straight Path, you must follow it. The Straight Path of God is
His religion that he sent us through His prophets, completing it with His final message which He
sent through Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him. Every
human being is required to follow this final message of Islam and leave all other paths. All
other paths, without exception, lead a person away from God and that amounts to
destruction. The other "paths" are ancient religions that have been corrupted or cancelled as well
as misleading ideologies and philosophies. Sticking closely to Gods "Straight Path" keeps one
protected from slipping or losing their way.

Thus we conclude the ten commandments from God that are relevant and applicable to our times,
and provide the best framework to develop the spiritual side of human beings.
Footnotes:

[1] (http://www.theorphansociety.org/pdf/OSAReport_Final%20High%20Res.pdf)

[2] (http://www.state.gov/g/tip/laws/)
The Ten Commandments in the Quran : Part 1: An Introduction

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS IN THE QURAN

DR. HUSSEIN M. NAGUIB

PART: 1

AN INTRODUCTION

CONTENTS

The Ten Commandments in The Bible.

The Ten Commandments in The Quran.
The Significance of the Quranic Ten Commandments.
Why do we Need a Book on The Quranic Ten Commandments?
Our Approach for Understanding the Quranic Ten Commandments.
References

The Ten Commandments in the Bible

The Ten Commandments or Decalogue are a listing of some of the most important behavioral rules of
morality in the Torah, the Hebrew Scriptures, known to Christians as the Old Testament. The name
Decalogue is derived from the Greek name dekalogoi which means the ten words [1&2].

According to the Biblical records, God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai inscribed
on stone tablets to guidance the people of Israel after their exodus from Egypt. These commandments
form a minor but vital part of the total 623 laws in the Torah.

There are three versions of the Ten Commandments in the Old Testament: Exodus 20:2-17, Exodus 34:12-
26 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21. The Exodus 20 is the most commonly used set and it reads as follows [3]:

20:1 And God spoke all these words:

20.2 I am the Lord your God, which have brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
20.3 You shall have no other gods before me.

20.4 You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heaven above or on the earth
beneath or in the water below. 20.5 You shall not bow down to them, nor worship them; for I the LORD
your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth
generation of those who hate me, 20.6 But showing love to a thousand generations, of those who love
me and keep my commandments.

20.7 You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless
who misuse his name.

20.8 Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 20.9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work:
20.10 But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD, your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither
you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within
your gates. 20.11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and earth, the sea, and all that in them, but
he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy.

20.12 Honour your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God giving
you.

20.13 You shall not murder

20.14 You shall not commit adultery

20.15 You shall not steal

20.16 You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

20.17 You shall not covet your neighbors house. You shall not covet your neighbors wife, nor his
manservant or maidservant; nor his ox or his donkey; or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

Different religious groups have divided the Commandments in different ways [4]. Most Protestants and
Orthodox Christians divide and enumerate them as follows:
 1. The prologue and prohibition of the warship of any deity but God
2. Prohibition of idolatry
3. Prohibition of the use of the name of God for vain purposes
4. Observance of the Sabbath
5. Honoring of ones father and mother
6. Prohibition of murder
7. Prohibition of adultery
8. Prohibition of stealing
9. Prohibition of giving false testimony
10. Prohibition of coveting the property or the wife of ones neighbor.

Roman Catholics and Lutherans combine the prologue and the first two prohibitions and divide the last
one into two that prohibit separately the coveting of a neighbors wife and of his property. In the Jewish
tradition, the prologue is considered the first commandment, the first two prohibitions are combined as
the second commandment, and the rest follow the same as the Protestant and Orthodox traditions.

The Ten Commandments in the Quran

The Quran refers to the Biblical laws revealed to Prophet Moses (PBUH) on Mount Sinai as follows:

And we wrote for him (Moses) in the tablets (of the law) all manner of admonition, clearly spelling out
everything. And (We said:) hold fast unto them with (all your) firmness and command your people to
hold fast to their most goodly rules (Surah Al-Araf 7: 145).

Although many verses in the Quran confirmed the Biblical Ten Commandments, Quranic commentators
have referred to the following three verses from Surah Al-Anam (6:151-153) as The Ten
Commandments [5&6]:

151

152

153
 In the Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful

Say (O Muhammad): Come let me recite unto you what your Lord has forbidden to you:

i) Do not associate anything with Him,

ii) Be benevolent to parents,

iii) Do not kill your children for fear of poverty- We shall provide sustenance for you and for them,

iv) Do not even come near any shameful deeds weather openly or secretly,

v) Do not kill the soul whom Allah has forbidden, except for a just cause.

Thus does He command you, that you may attain wisdom (6:151)

vi) Do not touch the orphans property, except to improve it, until he (or she) attains the age of maturity,

vii) Give full measure & full weigh with equity- We do not burden any humans soul beyond its capability,

viii) Whenever you speak, speak justly (the truth) even if a close relative is concerned,

ix) Always fulfill your covenants with Allah.

Thus does He command you, that you may remember (6:152)

x) And this is My straight path, then follow it and do not follow other paths-They will separate you away
from His path.

Thus does He command you, that you may remain conscious of Him (6:153)

The above verses have been called the Ten Commandments because every one of the three verses
ended up with God (SWT) saying: Thus does He command you, that you may attain wisdom (151);
Thus does He command you, that you may remember (152); and Thus does He command you, that
you may remain conscious of Him (153)

In the interpretation of the Holy Quran, Yusuf Ali [7] noticed: the triple refrain (repeat) with variations in
the above three verses 6: 151, 152 & 153. In v. 151, we have the moral laws which it is for our own sake
to follow: Thus does He command you, that you may attain wisdom. In v. 152, we have to deal justly
and rightly with others; we tend to think too much of ourselves and forget others: Thus does He command
you that you may remember. In v. 153, our attention was called to the Straight Path, the Path to God,
the only Path that leads to righteousness, Thus does He command, you that you may remain righteous
(conscious of Him).

The Significance of the Quranic Ten Commandments

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) emphasized the importance of the above verses from Surah Al-Anam as
indicated from the following Ahadeeth [5&6]:

Narrated from Ibn Masoud, may Allah bless him, he said: who wish to look at Muhammads
legacy/guidance which carried his seal (his signature), then he should recite these verses Say (O
Muhammad): Come, let me recite unto you what your Lord has forbidden to you to His saying:
that you may remain conscious of Him.

Narrated from Ebadah ibn El Samette, may Allah bless him, he said; The Prophet (PBUH) said: who is ready
to give me his covenants on these three verses? Then, he recited: Come, let me recite unto you what
your Lord has forbidden to the end of these verses.

Also, narrated from Ali Ibn Abi Taleb, may Allah bless him, he said: when God ordained His messenger to
present himself to the Arabian tribes, he went to Mona along with Abou Baker and I. He stopped at the
peoples homes. Among these people was Mafrook ibn Amer who has been known for his eloquent tongue
and clarity of speech. He looked at the Prophet (PBUH) and said to him: what are you preaching our
brother from Quraich? The Prophet replied: I am preaching the oneness of Allah and that I am His
messenger. And what are you preaching brother of Quraich? said Mafrook. The Prophet recited these
verses (from Surah Al-Anam (6:151-153). Mafrook said to him: What else are you preaching brother of
Quraich? By God, this speech is not from the people of the earth, and if it was from their speech we would
have known it. The Prophet recited: Behold, God enjoins justice, the doing of good, and generosity
towards [ones] follow men; and He forbids all that is shameful and all that runs counter to reason as
well as (all) kinds of oppressions. He admonishes you so that you may take heed (Al Nahl 16:90).
Mafrook said to him: By God, O Quraichi, you have preached superior manners and good deeds, and
verily, liars are those people who denied your message and gang up against you.

As we can see from the above sayings (Ahadeeth) of the Prophet and his companions, these three verses
in Surah Al-Anam have a significant place in Islam. No wonder they compose in few words, a strong
message and powerful moral values regarding the principles of virtues in the creed, in the family, in the
wealth, in the souls, in the justice, in the commitments, and in purification of souls from filthy sins. They
then end up with the ultimate goal which is attaining the straight path to God; the path of the prophets,
the true faithful, the martyrs, and the good doers. They present the same values listed in the Biblical Ten
Commandments but in a comprehensive, accurate style which is characteristic of the Quranic revelations.
The following verses spells out the place of the Quran with regard to the earlier divine books, namely the
Torah and the Gospel:

And to you (Muhammad) We have sent the Book (The Quran), setting forth the truth, confirming the
truth for whatever remains of earlier revealed books (The Torah and the Gospel), and determining what
is true therein; so judge between them (the people of the Book) according to what God has revealed,
and follow not their whims, diverging from the truth that has come to you. To each of you (Jew,
Christians and Muslims), We have appointed a law and a way to follow. And had God so willed, He
would have made you all one single nation, but (He willed it otherwise) so as to test you through what
He has given you. So compete, then, with one another in good deeds; unto God all of you shall return,
and He will make you understand all in which you used to differ. (5:48)

Muslims believe that the Quran, the divine revelation which they follow, is the final word of God. It has
remained intact since that time of revelation. The Quran does not impose one system of beliefs at the
expense of others, nor does it claim a monopoly on righteousness and Gods grace in this life or the life to
come.

WHY DO WE NEED A BOOK ON THE QURANIC TEN COMMANDMENTS?

Although the Biblical Ten Commandments are well known to the people of the Book (the Christians & the
Jews) [Cf. 8-12], very little is known about the Quranic Ten Commandments, and most Muslims do not
even know about their existence.

To the best of our knowledge there are only two books were published in Arabic on the Quranic Ten
Commandments. One book published in 1975 was written by an eminent Muslim Scholar Sheikh Mahmoud
Shaltout, the Grand Imam of Al Azhar University [5]. The other book was published in 1980 written by
Imam Abdel Hameed Kichk, a Muslim Scholar and an Egyptian Islamic activist [6]. Unfortunately, both
books are out of print.

Most recently we have seen a renewed interest on the Quranic Ten Commandments with the wide spread
of Islamic Web sites on the internet. Most of these sites provided comparison between the Biblical and the
Quranic Ten Commandments and some have provided brief discussions on their contents. In December
2010, an Islamic Conference was held in Toronto, Canada which was entitled Rules for the Road of Life-
Reviving the Ten Commandments in the Modern World. The speakers in this conference demonstrated
the Islamic cognates of each of the Ten Biblical Commandments and one presentation was dedicated to
the Quranic Ten commandments based on verses from Surah Al-Isra (17:23-39).

This book is written with the following objectives in mind:

1. Provide a reference book to Muslims teachers and students on the basic Islamic morale values based on
the Ten Quranic Commandments.

2. Illustrate the comprehension approach of the Quran as the last message from God in dealing with global
moral issues of modern times.

3. Demonstrate to Muslims and non-Muslims the commonality of the moral principles between the Islam,
Christianity and Judaism and hopefully correct some of the misconceptions about Islam as an align
religion, particularly in the Western Hemisphere.

OUR APPROACH FOR UNDERSTANDING

THE QURANIC TEN COMMANDMENTS

The Ten Commandments are not as simple as they look. At first they seem thoroughly straight forward.
There are only ten of them-one for each finger- so they are relatively easy to remember. They are not very
long either. It takes only a minute or so to recite them. God has giving us ten short rules that apply to all
people, at all times, in all places. What could be simpler?

When these simple commandments are studied carefully, however, they turn out to have amazing depth
and broad meanings. When properly understood, they turn out to be relevant for any and every situation-
one law for all of life. To make full and proper use of this law we need to know how to analyze and
understand them. In this book the following approach is applied:

Understand Every Command In the Context of the Entire Quran.

The way to know the full and true meaning of any Quranic passage is to know what the rest of the Quran
is saying on the same subject. This is also applied to the Ten Commandments. We need to know what the
entire Quran is teaching, including the teachings of the Prophet and his companions.

Look at Each Command from Both Its Positive and Negative Side.

Where a sin is forbidden, the corresponding virtue is required; and where a virtue is required, the
corresponding sin is forbidden. Accordingly the Quran presents the Ten Commandments in this two sided
approach. On one side the forbidden act was negatively expressed (as one shall not do it), namely,
partnership with God, murder of children or any human soul, and never to approach shameful deeds
(Fawahish) and the Orphans property. On the other side, the forbidden act is positively expressed by the
corresponding virtue required (as one should do it), namely, benevolence to parents, equity in weight and
measure, justice in talk, fulfillment of commitments and following the straight path. It should be noticed
that whether it is mentioned in the positive or the negative format there is always a flip side to every
command. Each command condemns a particular vice while at the same time it commands a particular
 virtue. For example, the command that forbids murder simultaneously requires the preservation of life.
The benevolence to parents does not only require goodness to parents but it also forbids any malevolent
act.

Consider the Comprehensiveness of the Ten Commandments.

The Ten Commandments are comprehensive. This means that each command stands for a whole category
of sins and/or virtues. It governs not only the specific sin or virtue that is mentioned, but all the sins and
virtues that lead to it and all the supposedly lesser acts of the same kind. For example, the command that
forbids murder it includes in addition to outright murder, any form of physical violence. It even condemns
fist fighting, bodily injury and domestic violence. It condemns neglecting our personal health. It is also
includes everything that leads up to these sins, such as fits of anger, reckless driving, or even playing
violent video games. What God forbid is not simply murder but every thing that harms the body, threatens
physical well-being or exposes us to the dangers of violence.

Using Authentic Reliable Islamic Sources of Legislation.

The Ten Commandments covered many issues in our daily life. They are Gods Laws that lead and guide
us to resolve these issues. These issues cover our relationship with God, with our parents, with our
children, with our relatives and in dealing with all people at large. In addition to basic belief in God, they
address traditional moral values such as adultery, murder, stealing, and lying. They also cover moral
controversies such as the death penalty, physician assisted suicide, abortion, same sex marriage, and
Cyber-sex issues.

To address these issues, the writer has taken the view and the interpretation of mainstream Muslim
Scholars (Fauquhat) and used the most authentic references which are commonly accepted by Muslim
legislators.

May Allah accept our deeds and guide us to the right path.

References

1. http://www.religioustolerance.org

2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Commandments

3. Life Application Study Bible, New International Version, Published by Tyndale House Publishing, Inc.,
Wheaton, Illinois and Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan (1978).

4. http://pantheon.org/mythica/articles/t/ten_commandments.html

5. Mahmoud Shaltout, Al Wasaya Al Ashr, Published in Arabic by Dar El Shorouk, Cairo, Egypt (1975).
6. Abdel Hameed Kichk, Al Wasaya Al Ashr Fil Quran Al Kareem, Published in Arabic by Al Maktab Al
Misery Al Hadeeth, Cairo, Egypt (1980).

7. A. Yusuf Ali, The Holy Quran: Text, Translation an Commentary, Published in USA by the Muslim
Students Association of the United States and Canada (1975)- See note 979, page 336.

8. J. Douma, The Ten Commandments: Manual for Christian Life, Published by P&R Publishing Company,
Phillipsburg, New Jersey (1966).

9. Laura C. Schlessinger and Stewart Vogel The Ten Commandment: The Significance of Gods Laws in
Everyday Life, Published by HarperCollins Publishers, Inc, New York, N.Y. (1998).

10. Robert L. Schenck, Ten Words That Will Change a Nation: The Ten Commandments, Published by Albury
Publishing, Tulsa, Oklahoma (1999).

11. William Barclay, The Ten Commandments selected passage from William Barclay, Westminster John
Knox Press, Louisville, Kentucky (2001).

12. Philip G. Ryken, Written in Stone: The Ten Commandments and Todays Moral Crisis, Published by
Crossway Books, Wheaton, Illinois (2003).
 THE TEN COMMANDMENTS IN THE QURAN

PART: 2

THE FIRST COMMANDMENT

CONTENTS
DR. HUSSEIN M. NAGUIB

Meaning of the Words

What Constitutes Polytheism?

Forms of Polytheism

Rationale against Polytheism

Consequences of Polytheism

Monotheism Definition

Monotheism in the Abrahamic Religions

The Origin of Monotheism

Implications of the First Commandment

Summary

References

THE FIRST COMMANDMENT

MEANING OF THE WORDS

In Arabic the First Quranic Commandment from Surah Al-Anam (6:151) read as follows:

alla Tushriku bihi shayann.
Let us examine the meaning of each word in this statement:

Alla in Arabic means Do not. Tushriku is the plural grammatical format of the verb Ashraka which
means to associate, to share, to make a partner (shereek), to make someone or something an
associate of another, and to associate something with something else. Bihi means with Him and
Shayann means thing or something. Thus the First Commandment is translated in this text as:

Do not associate anything with Him

Other translations of the First Quranic Commandment include the following: Join not anything as equal
with Him [1], That you associate nothing with Him [2], that ye ascribe nothing as partners unto Him
[3], Join not anything in worship with Him [4], Do not ascribe divinity, in any way, to aught beside
Him [5], and Do not associate partners with Him [6].

Associating anything with God (SWT) is called shirk which has been translated in English as
partnership, polytheism, or idolatry. The opposite of shirk is Tawheed which is translated as
monotheism, i.e. the belief in the Oneness of God. Thus, the First Quranic Commandment prohibits
Shirk and calls for Tawheed.

WHAT CONSTITUTES POLYTHEISM (SHIRK)?

It is important to understand exactly what is meant by associating partners with God which is the first of
all forbidden acts. According to Muslim scholars [e.g.7&8], people should associate none with God in the
following five domains:

1. Association with God in His Worshipping

It is to recognize someone or anything beside God (SWT) as legitimately deserving to be worshipped: that
is because God alone is the Ultimate Truth, and what they invoke besides Him is sheer falsehood, and
because God alone is the Most Exalted, the Most Great. (22:62)

Acts of worship include bowing and prostrating, standing in awe and reverence with folded hands,
devotional greeting and kissing the earth, slaughtering animals and making any other offering in
thanksgiving for His grace and benevolence and in acknowledgement of His over-lordship, vowing offering
in His name, calling Him to rescue one from ones affliction and misfortune, and other forms of prayers,
adoration, and reverence. These acts of worship must be exclusive for God- and- God alone.
 In addition, with the exception of God-and God alone, no one has the right to be loved to the exclusion
of all other attachments, or to be held in such awe that one always fears his wrath and dreads the violation
of His commands, both openly and in secret. Likewise, it is God-and-God alone- Who has the right to be
obeyed unconditionally and Whose guidance should be considered the only criterion for right and wrong.

2. Association with God in His Divinity

Divinity is the nature or quality of God. It is what belongs to God (SWT) alone. To associate someone or
something with God in His Divinity is to declare that the former shares the essence of Gods divinity.
Examples are the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, for Those who said: God is one of the Three, certainly
they are denying the truth, for there is no god save the One God (5:73); the belief of the pagan Arabs
that angels are daughters of God: and in their ignorance they have invented for Him sons and
daughters (6:100); and the belief of other polytheists in the divine character of their self-created gods
and goddesses and in some cases, of their royalty.

3. Association with God in His Attributes

God (SWT) has the most beautiful names (Al-asmaa Al-husna). Each name is descriptive for a perfect and
supreme quality or attribute which is infinite and free of any kind of defect or weakness. God (SWT) says:
And all the Most Beautiful Names belong to God, so call on Him by them, and leave the company of
those who belie (or deny) His Names. They will be requited for what they used to do (7:180).

A Muslim confesses only the Names and Attributes that have been attributed to God (SWT) by Himself
(i.e. in the Noble Quran) or by His Messenger (PBUH). A person associates others with the attributes of
God (SWT) when he/she considers someone other than God (SWT) to be gifted with those perfect
attributes which belong exclusively to Him. Thus, one would be a victim of this type of shirk if he/she
believes that someone knows all the mysteries of the universes, or the existence of what is beyond the
reach of human perception (Al Ghayb), or to be all seeing and all hearing, or to be free of all defects and
weaknesses and thus being infallible.

4. Association with God in His Divine Power

A person associates others with the divine power of God (SWT) when he/she recognizes someone to
possess a power which belongs to God alone by virtue of His godhead. For example the power to either
 benefit or harm people in a supernatural manner, to fulfill the needs of people or rescue them from
distress, to protect and shield them, to hear their prayers, to make or to change their fate.

5. Association with God in His Sovereignty

The sovereignty of God means that all things are under His rules and control and that nothing happens
without His direction or permission. This belief requires that no human being, individually or collectively
with others, should claim rights of lordship, power of legislation, or exercise authority over others.
Accordingly, a person associates others with Gods sovereignty when he recognizes someone as
possessing the rightful authority to determine what is lawful and what is unlawful, and to make laws for
the regulation of human life. Shall I seek a judge other than God while it is He Who has sent down unto
you the Book (the Quran) explained in details (6:114). Such authority belongs to God (SWT) alone, and
recognizing anyone other than God as possessing such authority is equivalent to associating others with
God in His sovereignty. Thus, they who do not judge in the light of what God (SWT) has revealed are
indeed the disbelievers (Al-Kafiroun) (5:44), the true transgressors (Al-Zalimoun) (5:45), and the
true rebellious (Al-Fassoqoun) (5.47)

FORMS OF POLYTHEISM

Worship of Idols

The history of Idol worshipping may go back to Prophet Noahs time [e.g. 9&10]. According to Al Bukhari,
Ibn Abbas (May Allah bless him) explained the origin of idol worship as follows: The early idols named
Wadd, Suwa, Yaghuth, Yauq, and Nasr (71:23) were the names of righteous men of Noahs people, and
when they died Satan inspired their people to build and place idols at the places where they used to sit, and
to call those idols by the names of the pious men. The people did so to remember these pious men and not
to worship them. However, as the time goes, the origin of the idols had become obscure whereupon people
began worshipping them as deities.

Prophet Abraham (PBUH) was then appointed by God (SWT) to lead a worldwide movement against
worshipping of idols and other man-made deities (Cf. the Quran (29:16-27)). He succeeded in establishing
monotheism (tawheed) in many parts of the world and constructed a focal point for it, namely the Kaaba
in Mecca. He showed his awareness to the dangers and evil effects of idolatry through his prayers: O my
Lord! Make this city secure, and preserve me and my children from ever worshipping idols. O my Lord!
They (false objects of worship) have indeed led many people astray (14:35)
Assad (Ref. 5, note 50 pp 422) has pointed out that: the term idols does not apply exclusively to actual,
concrete representations of false deities; for shirk may consist also in a worshipful devotion to all manner
of causative agencies and outward means to an end- an obvious allusion to wealth, power, luck, peoples
favor or disfavor, and so forth- whereas genuine faith in the Oneness and Uniqueness of God (SWT) consists
in diverting oneself of all inner attachments to such causative agencies and in being convinced that there
exists no real directing power apart from God (SWT).
Worship of Planets and Stars

People worship stars and other heavenly bodies such as the sun, the moon and the planet Venus. They
believed in their impact on earth and superstitions might read fortunes on them. They build temples, created
idols and established rituals to please them! God (SWT) says: And among His signs are the night and the
day, as well as the sun and the moon. Prostrate yourselves neither to the sun nor to the moon, but
prostrate yourselves to God Who created them, if it is Him Whom you really worship. (41:37).

Worship of Angels

Some Arab pagans believed that Angels were Gods daughters and were intermediaries or intercessors
between man and God. Of course, this was mere conjecture and superstition of the ignorant. God (SWA)
Says: And there are many angels in the heavens, whose intercession will avail nothing except after God
has given leave for whom He wills and pleased with. Verily, those who believe not in the Hereafter, name
the angels with female names. But they have no knowledge thereof. They follow but a guess (a
conjecture), and verily, guess is no substitute for the truth (53:26-28).

There were other people who thought angels as beings of great power who could do either good or harm to
human beings. The Quran clears up this misconception: And to God prostrate all that is in the heavens
and all that is in the earth of living creatures and the angels and none are arrogant before their Lord.
They fear their Lord above them and do what they are commanded. (16:49-50)

Worship of Jinn

Jinn worship was a pagan practice which the Quran condemned as being wrong and misleading belief. God
(SWT) says: And on the Day when He will gather them all together and He will say to the angels: was
it you that these people used to worship? They (the angels) will say: Glory to You. You are our protector
(Wali) instead of them. Nay, but they used to worship the Jinn; most of them. (34:40-41).

The most common belief about Jinn(s) is that they have the knowledge of the unseen world (alamo al
ghaib) and thus they can affect human destiny. The Quran has repudiated this claim in strong terms and has
made it quite clear that Jinn(s) know nothing of the Unseen. Thus in the story of Prophet Solomon
(Suleiman), God (SWT) says: and there were Jinn that worked for him (Solomon) by the Leave of His
Lord. And whoever of them turned aside from our Command, We shall cause him to taste the torment of
the blazing fire. Then when We decreed death for him (Solomon), nothing informed them (Jinn) of his
death except a little worm of the earth which kept (slowly) gnawing away at his stick. So when he fell
down, the Jinn saw clearly that if they had known the Unseen, they would not have stayed in the
humiliating torment (34:12-14).

Worship of Saints and Spiritual Leaders

Christians had attributed divinity to Jesus and some aspects of divinity to their saints. Also, the Jews had
assigned a quasi-divine authority to Ezra and even to some of their great Talmudic scholars (Cf. Ref 5,
(3:64)). God (SWT) says: .how prevented is their minds. They have taken their rabbis and their monks-
as well as the Christ, son of Mary- for their lords beside God, although they had been bidden to worship
none but the One God, save whom there is no deity; the One who is utterly remote, in His limitless glory,
from anything to which they may ascribe a share in His divinity. (9:30-31).

Islam rejects the notion of intercession and mediation between God (SWT) and man, except as God wills
and permits. God (SWT) says: they choose to worship side by side with God intercessors (shufaaa).
Say: why-even though they have no power over anything and no understanding?. Say: to God alone
belongs all intercession. He has the dominion (the Sovereignty) over the heavens and the earth, and in
the end, unto Him you will be brought back. (39:43-44)

In addition, exaggerated respect for spiritual and religious heroes lead to the worship of their graves. People
ask them for help, refuge and salvation, all of which should only be sought from the Almighty God (SWT).
Unfortunately, even some Muslims are practicing this kind of shirk due to their ignorance. The Prophet
(PBUH) Said: Beware of becoming like those people who preceded you and used to take the graves of
their saints and pious men as places of worship; you must not take graves as mosques. I forbid you from it
(Reported by Muslim).

Worship of Kings and Pharoahs

Some Kings and Pharoahs claimed a relationship with their deities while others claimed divinity for
themselves. Among them the Quran mentioned King Nimrod, of Babel, who was challenging Prophet
Abraham in the subject of Tawheed or the Oneness of God: Have you not looked at that king who
argued with Abraham about his Sustainer, (simply) because God had granted him kingship? When
Abraham said to him: My Sustainer is He Who granted life and cause death He said, I give life and
cause death. Abraham said: God brings the sun from the east; then, bring it you from the west So
 the disbeliever was utterly defeated, for God does not guide people who are transgressors (Zallmeen).
(2:258)

The Pharoahs of Egypt claimed deity to themselves and accordingly they challenged and rejected Prophet
Moses invitation of Tawheed: Pharaoh said: O you nobles! I know not that you could have any deity
other than me (28:38). Also, Pharaoh issued a call to his people, saying: O my people! Does not the
dominion over Egypt belong to me, since all these running waters flow at my feet? Can you not, then,
see (that I am your lord supreme)? (43: 51). And as any modern politician, Pharaoh said: I but want to
make you see what I see myself; and I would never make you follow any path but that of righteousness!
(40:29).

Worship of Ones Desires

This is one of the most devious kinds of Shirk nowadays [11]. It is the Shirk of individualism and
permissiveness, the Shirk of the illusion and imagination, and the Shirk of weaknesses and humiliation:
Have you seen him who takes his own desires as his deity, and whom God has (thereupon) let go astray
and sealed his hearing, and his heart, and put a cover on his sight. Who then will guide him after God?
Will you not then remember? (45:23)

People may believe in God (SWT) and they are truly accepting His existence. But the belief in God does
not only mean the belief in His existence and that He is the Creator of the Universe. In fact, if you ask the
idolaters: Who has created the heavens and the earth? They said: They are created by the All-Mighty,
the All Knower (43:9). However, the Quran states that there are many believers who associate others with
God -despite their admission that God (SWT) is the creator of everything in heavens and earth -
And most of them (the people) do not even believe in God without also ascribing divine powers to other
beings beside Him (12:106)

Indeed, in recent years, the disease of Shirk has taken many shapes and colors in our so called modern
society. Thus, true believers should know that:

Hypocrisy in the worship of God is Shirk.

Refusing or changing Gods legislation and divine limits (Huduud Allah) is Shirk.

Causing division between believers is Shirk.

Allying with the enemies who are spreading corruption on earth is Shirk.

Denying Gods sustenance from reaching the poor and the needy is Shirk.

Submission to tyrants and dictators and ignoring Gods commands to stand against them and counter act
their wrongdoing is Shirk.
 Propagating secular ideology and permissive culture in society is Shirk.

Neo-Pagan

Neo-Pagans are community of faiths bringing ancient Pagan and magical traditions to the 21st century! [12].
For example, the Druidic religion is based on the faith and practices of the ancient Celtic professional class
in Western Europe; followers of Asatru adhere to the ancient pre-Christian faith of the Nordic/Germanic
people; Wiccans also trace their root back to the Pre-Celtic era in Europe. Other Neo-Pagans follow
Hellenisms (ancient Greek religion), Religio Romana (ancient Roman religion), Kemetism (ancient
Egyptian religion) and others.

Most Neo-Pagan traditions have the following elements in common [13 - 15]:

Their faith was almost or completely wiped out in the past and has since been reconstructed from
ancient information sources.

A dualistic (recognize a goddess and god) or polytheistic (multi-god) belief system.

Many followers are solitary practitioners; others are involved in small groups.

They celebrate four main seasonal days of celebration each year, associated with the equinoxes (two
times of the year when the day and the night have equal length) and solstices (two times of the year when
the sun is at its greatest distance from the celestial equator).

They have a minimal or no hierarchical structure.

They feel close to nature and its cycles.

They follow a behavioral code that requires them to avoid hurting themselves or others.

For these Neo-Pagans we recall Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim)s dialogue with his pagan people: When he
said to his father and his people: What do you worship? They said: We worship idols and to them
we are ever devoted. He said: Do they hear you, when you call on them? Or do they benefit you or do
they harm you? They said: No, but we found our fore-fathers doing the same. He said: Have you
then ever considered what it is that you have been worshiping- you and those ancient forefathers of
yours? Verily these deities are my enemies, save the Sustainer of the worlds (26: 70-77).

RATIONALE AGAINST POLYTHEISM

 Why should it be only One God? The Quran provides the following answer to this question through the
following verses:

1. Had there been any deities in the heavens and the earth beside God, the order of the heavens and the
earth would have gone to ruin. Glory to God, the Lord of the Throne, Who is far above their false
description of Him (21:21-22).

So had there been any other deities who shared with God (SWT) His godhead, each of these deities would
act as an independent god. This multiplicity of gods is intellectually indefensible, considering the unity of
the design and purpose of this vast and wonderful universe. It is simply inconceivable that several deities,
who are independent and sovereign, would always concur on all matters. This concurrence is necessary
for the perfect, harmony, uniformity, coherence and balance which characterize the workings of this vast
universe.

2. Never did God take unto Himself any son, nor has there ever been any deity side by side with Him:
(for had there been many deities,) Lo! Each deity would surely have stood apart (from the others) in
whatever it had created and some deities would have lorded over others! Glory to God (He is free) from
(the sort of) things they attribute to Him! (23:91).

This verse indicates once again that the existence of multiple gods would create confusion and chaos as
each god would try to overpower the other gods. It is God and God alone Who has infinite unique
attributes and it is inconceivable that such attributes be shared with other deities.

3. Say: if there were other deities side-by-side with Him- as some people claim- then they would
certainly have strive to find a way unto Him who is enthroned on His Almightiness. Limitless is He in His
glory and far above all that what they say (17: 42-43)

If there are multiple gods, one of these gods is the true God (SWT), the rest are subordinates to Him but
have some of His power delegated to them. Once any of these subordinates had the faintest suspicion of
divinity it would be sufficient to turn their heads, making it impossible to be satisfied with anything other
than becoming the Lord of the universe.

According to Assad (Cf. Ref. 5, note 50, pp 473), another interpretation of this verse assumed that those
who believe in the existence of other gods or divine powers apart from God (SWT) regard them to be no
more than mediators between man and God (SWT). Being no more than mediators, these alleged divine
or semi-divine mediators would have to recognize Him as the Supreme Being. This would amount to
admitting that they have no power on their own but are entirely dependent on Him. Such an avoidable
 conclusion denies any divinity in those imaginary mediators. It is far more reasonable to turn directly to
God (SWT) who is All-Mighty, All-Hearing, and All-Seeing and therefore has no need for any mediator.

4. And God has said: Do not take to worshipping two deities. He is the One and Only God: hence, of Me,
and of Me alone stand in awe (16:51)

This verse uses a double dual expression in ilahayn ithnayn (two deities) to emphasize the prohibition
of worshipping more than one deity-i.e., anything but One God (Cf. Ref. 5, note 59, pp 448).

).

CONSEQUENCES OF POLYTHEISM

Polytheism (Shirk) has plagued human history and disgraced the behavior of humankind, past and present.
Thus, how could an intelligent, sensible human being prostrate before a status made of a stone? How
could a man or a woman kill an innocent human being just to please a tyrant leader? How could an airplane
pilot believe that his safety and that of his plane are determined by a horseshoe that would bring him
luck? There could be many reasons for peoples behavior but their ignorance of God (SWT) must be the
first and foremost reason.

The Quran describes polytheism as a major act of wrong doing. The wise man Luqman said to his son: O
my dear son! Do not ascribe divine powers to aught beside God, such (a false) ascribing of divinity is
indeed an awesome wrong! (31:13). Also, polytheism is considered to be an unforgivable sin, unless and
until the sinner repents: Verily, God does not forgive those who ascribe partners (divinity) beside Him,
although He forgives any lesser sins unto whomever He wills; and whoever ascribes divinity to aught
beside God has indeed gone far astray (4:116).

The Quran stresses the fact that the religion whether based on monotheism or polytheism is a matter of
choice and could not be forced unto anyone. But such a choice will determine the loser from the winner
in this life and the hereafter. God (SWT) says: There is no compulsion in religion. The Right Path has
become distinct from the wrong path. Hence he who rejects false deities and believes in God has indeed
grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will not give away; for God is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.
God is the Guardian of those who believe. He brings them out of the deep darkness into light. But as
those who disbelieve, their guardians are false deities; they take them out of the light into deep
darkness. Those are the dwellers of the Fire, and they will abide therein forever. (2:256-257). And
indeed it has been revealed to you as to those before you if you join others in worship of God, (then)
surely (all) your deeds will be in vain and you will be certainly among the losers. Nay! But worship God
(alone and none else) and be among the grateful (39: 65-66).
 In addition, there are numerous verses in the Quran regarding the punishment of those who associate
partners with God (SWT) and the rewards for the believers in One and Only One God. The following are
some examples of these verses:

Behold, whoever ascribes divinity to any being beside God, unto him will God deny paradise and
his final destination will be the fire, (5:72)

God will punish the hypocrites men and women, as well as, the men and women who ascribe divinity
to aught beside Him. And (so too, it is) that God turns in His mercy unto the believing men and the
believing women: for God is indeed most forgiving and most merciful (33:73)

And (God has willed) to impose suffering (in the life to come) on the hypocrites men and women and
on those men and women who ascribe divinity to aught beside Him: all who entertain evil thoughts
about God (i.e. who deny His existence or mans responsibilities to Him, or to offend against the concept
of His oneness). For them is a disgraceful torment (evil encompasses them from all sides) and Gods
condemnation rests upon them; and He has cursed them (rejected them from His grace), and prepared
Hell for them, and how evil indeed is that destination (48:6)

Do not set up any other deity side by side with God or you will find yourself humiliated and helpless
For the sustainer has ordained that you shall worship none but Him) (17:22-23)

Do not set up any other deity side by side with God or you will find yourself cast into Hell blamed (by
yourself) and rejected (by Him) (17:39)

MONOTHEISM (TAWHEED)
DEFINITION

Monotheism (in Greek mono=single and Theos = God) is the belief in the existence of One God or the
Oneness of God (Tawheed ). As such, it is distinguished from polytheism (Shirk), the belief in the existence
of many gods, and from atheism (ilhad), the belief that there is no god [16 & 17].

Monotheism is characteristic of the three Abrahamic religions, namely Judaism, Christianity and Islam, all
of which view God as the Ultimate Creator of everything in Havens and earth, Who oversees and
intervenes in human events, and as Beneficent and Holy being, the source of the highest good. However,
the concept of God is different between the three Abrahamic religions as briefly described in the following
section.
 MONOTHEISM IN THE ABRAHAMIC RELIGIONS

Judaism

The monotheism that characterized Judaism began in ancient Israel with the adoption of Yahweh as the
single deity of worship. But the Old Testaments conception of God was initially henotheism rather than
monotheism. This is because early Jews were rejecting the gods of other tribes and nations without
denying their existence and many times even acknowledged them [17]. In later times-beginning in the 6th
century- Judaic monotheism developed in the same direction as did Christianity and Islam and became
monotheistic in the strict sense of the word, i.e. affirming the One God for all people everywhere.

Although God (SWT) has been described in the Bible as being Divine, Omniscience, and Omnipresence,
the language in the Old Testament tends to personalized God (SWT) with human traits
(anthropomorphism). Thus, a pure monolithic faith does not accept depicting a Supreme God (SWT) who
takes a walk through the Garden of Eden hunting down Adam and Eve, or who places a rainbow in the
clouds to remind himself about his promise not to flood the earth again, or that God (SWT) worked for six
days and then had to rest on the seventh, or that anyone wrestled with God (SWT) and almost defeated
Him (for more discussion on the problem of anthropomorphism in the Bible (Cf. Ref. [18]).

Christianity

Among the great monotheistic religions, Christianity has been placed apart because the Trinitarian creed
of this religion in contradiction to the Unitarian creed of Judaism and Islam [17]. The Christian doctrine
says that though God is one God, He exists in three distinct persons, usually referred as God the Father,
God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Although the term does not appear in the New Testament, it
has been acknowledged by the three classic forms of Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and
Protestantism. According to Christian theology, this acknowledgement is not recognition of three gods,
but that three persons are essentially one. This conception of Trinity was unknown to the early Christians.
Historically it was affirmed as an article of faith for the Roman Empire in the congress of Nicaea in the
year 325 C.E. [19].

Islam
 No religion has interpreted monotheism in a more consequential and literal way than Islam [17].
According to Islamic doctrine the Christian dogma of a Trinitarian god is a form of shirk (polytheism). There
is no issue upon which the religion is so intransigent as the one of monotheism. The declaration of faith,
the first of the so called the Five Pillars of Islam, states clearly and unambiguously that there is no deity
but Allah, pronounced in Arabic as La Ilaha Ella Allah.

The Quran provides the most concise description of God (SWT) in Islam:

Say: He is God, the only One God. God is the Eternal, the Absolute infinite. He begets not, neither
He is begotten, and there is nothing that could be compared with Him (112:1-4)

Being the Absolute Infinite, God (SWT) is not limited by time or space, and His dimensions and all His
attributes are unlimited or infinite [20] (expressed with the special sign ()) which is the state of being
greater than any finite number, however large. So God (SWT) is infinite in His Mercy, in His Knowledge, in
His Power, in His Fairness, in ...etc. Mathematically [21], this implies that anything (x) compared to Him
is zero (x/ = 0). And since infinity cannot be divided by 2 or 3 or more, it follows that there cannot be
one God for Jews, another for Christians, another for Muslims, and yet another for Hindus. God is one and
it is this Oneness of God that is the root of the Islamic faith and the belief of Muslims [22].

So many verses in the Quran stressed the Oneness and Uniqueness of God (SWT). Thus, we learn from the
Quran the following:

God (SWT) does not take human forms. The Quran says:

There is nothing like unto Him (42:11)

God (SWT) is eternal and would never die. The Quran says:

Everything is bound to perish save His (eternal) Self (28:88)

God (SWT) does never sleep nor does He take nab. The Quran says:

GOD-there is no deity save Him, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsistent Fount of All Beings. Neither slumber
nor sleep overtakes Him (2:255)

God (SWT) does not get tired nor does He need rest. The Quran says:
 And indeed We have created the heavens and earth and all between them in six days and that no
weariness could ever touch Us (50:38)

God (SWT) does not make mistakes. The Quran says:

My Lord never errs. (20:52)

God (SWT) does never forget. The Quran says:

And never does your Sustainer forget anything (19:64)

God (SWT) is aware of everything. The Quran says:

Verily, nothing on earth or in the heavens is hidden from God (3:5)

God (SWT) is everywhere but He is very close to us The Quran says:

We are closer to him (human being) than his nick-vein (50:16)

God (SWT) is never unjust in the least degree. The Quran says:

Verily, God is never unjust by as much as an atoms weight (4:40)

God (SWT) is most truthful. The Quran says:

And whose word could be more truthful than Gods? (4:87)

God (SWT) does always fulfill His promises. The Quran says:

And who could be more faithful to His covenant than God? (9:111)

THE ORIGIN OF MONOTHEISM

According to the Quran, the spiritual instinct (fitrah) which is ability to perceive the existence of God as
the only Supreme power is inborn in human nature, i.e. engraved in their genes:
So turn your face in exclusive devotion towards the (one-ever true) faith, in accordance with the natural
instinct (fitrah) which God has installed (programmed) into man, no change (let there be) on what God
has created. This is a valuable (ever true) faith; but most people know it not (30:30).

Dean Hamer, the author The God Gene: how faith is hardwired into our genes [23], pointed out the fact
that Homo species have had spiritual beliefs since the dawn of our human race. More than 30,000 years
ago, our ancestors painted the walls of their caves with images of strange figures with human bodies and
animal heads, representing sorcerers or priests. These early humans buried their dead with elaborate
preparations for their afterlife. Today peoples faith and spiritual convictions remain just as strong.
Surveys show that more than 95% of Americans believe in God, while 90% meditate or pray, 82% say that
God performs miracles and more than 70% believe in life after death. Even in China and the former Soviet
Union, where powerful governments used every possible form of persuasion to replace God with
communism, more than half of the people retained their spiritual beliefs. Meanwhile, the forces of
fundamentalism (whether Christian, Jewish or Islamic) are sweeping across the globe from America to the
Middle East to Africa. The author asks; Why is spirituality such a powerful and universal force? Why do
so many people believe in things they cannot see, smell, taste, hear or touch? Why do people from all
walks of life, around the globe regardless of their backgrounds or the name of their religion, value
spirituality as much as, or more than, pleasure, power, or wealth?. He argued that the answer is, at least
in part, hardwired in our genes. Spirituality is of our basic human inheritances; it is an instinct (fitrah).
Thus, Hamer came to the same fact revealed in the Quran 1500 years ago and made his goal to initiate a
scientific project to identify what he called the God gene(s).

According to the Quran, this spiritual instinct- which may or may not be subsequently blurred by self-
indulgence or environmental influences- that makes every human being bear witness about himself
before God in the Day of Resurrection: And whenever your Lord brought forth descendants from the
lions (seeds) of the sons of Adam, and make them witness against their own selves, asking them: Am I
not your (only) Lord? They said: Yes, indeed we do bear witness thereto! We did so lest you claim on
the Day of Resurrection: We were unaware of this, Or lest you should say: our forefathers who, in time
gone by, began to associate others with God in His divinity, and we were merely their offspring who
followed them: and would You, then, destroy us for the doings of those inventors of falsehoods (Al-
Mobtiloun)? (7:172-173)

In addition, God (SWT) sent messengers and prophets throughout history to remind human-beings with
the ever-true faith i.e. monotheism (Tawheed). Their message was the same do not associate any thing
with God: And We have never sent any messenger before you (Muhammad) without having revealed
to him that there is no deity save Me, (and that) therefore you shall worship Me (alone)! (21:25).
Therefore, monotheism is not a new development in the history of man kind. It is in fact the message
started with Adam (PBUH) and continued with all Prophets until it ended with the last message of
Muhammad (PBUM). Examples from the Quran included:
 The message of Prophet Noah (PBUH) to his people: O my people! Worship God, you have no other
deity than Him. (Certainly) I fear for you the torment of a Great Day! (7:59).

The message of Prophet Hud (PBUH) to the tribe of Ad: He said: O my people! Worship God, you
have no other deity than Him. Will you not, then, fear (be conscious of) Him? (7:65).

The message of Prophet Saleh (PBUH) to the tribe of Thamoud: He said: O my people! Worship God,
you have no other deity than Him. (7:73).

The message of Prophet Shuayb (PBUH) to the people of Median: He said: O my people! Worship
God, you have no other deity than Him.(7:85).

The message of Prophet Abraham (PBUH) to his people: O my people! I am indeed free from all that
you join as partners with God. Verily, I have turned my face in exclusive devotion (hanifan) to the One
Who originated the heavens and the earth, and I am not certainly one of those who associated others
with God in His divinity (6: 78-79)

The message of Prophet Jacob (YaQub) (PBUH) to his children as he was dying: What will you worship
after me? They said: We shall worship your God, the God of your fathers Abraham, Ishmael, and
Isaac, One God and to Him we submit (ourselves) (2:133)

The message of Prophet Joseph (Yusuf) (PBUH): I have left behind me the ways of people who do
not believe in God and who persistently refused to acknowledge the Hereafter. and I have followed the
religion of my forefathers Abraham (Ibrahim), Ishmael (Ismail), Isaac (Ishaq), and never could we
attribute any partners whatsoever to God. This is (an outcome) of Gods blessing unto us and unto all
mankind, but most people are ungrateful. (12:37-38)

The message of Prophet Moses (PBUH) to his people: Your only deity is God - He save whom there is
no deity (and who) embraces all things within His knowledge (20:98)

Prophet Jonah (Yuness) (PBUH) said: There is no deity save You (God); Glorified (and Exalted) are You
(above all that they associate with You). Truly, I have been of the wrong-doers (21:87)
 The message of the Messiah Jesus (Isa) son of Mary (PBUH) to his people: O Children of Israel! Worship
God my Lord and your Lord (5:72). He also said to his people: Truly1 God is your Lord and my Lord, so
worship Him (alone). This is the Straight Path (3:51)

God, Glory to Him, said to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH): Follow whatever was revealed to you from
your Lord, no deity save Him, and turn away from those who ascribe partners to Him (6:106)

The wise man Luqman advised his son: O my son! Do not ascribe divine powers to aught beside God:
for, behold, such (a false) ascribing of divinity is an awesome wrong! (31:1).

Even the Pharaoh, the enemy of God, said as he was drowning in the sea: I have come to believe that
there is deity save Him in whom the children of Israel believe, and I am of those who surrender
themselves unto Him! (10:90).

It should be noticed that the Bible as the Quran, insists on the Oneness of God, i.e. there is only One God
and that every other deity is false. Examples from the Bible include the following:

God said through His Prophet Isaiah; there is no other God beside Me, a righteous God and a Savior,
there is none beside Me (Isa.45:21).

As Joshua renewed the covenant to the Israelites he said: Put away the gods that your fathers served
in Egypt, and serve the Lord Choose, this day, whom you will serve (Josh. 24:14-15a).

On Mount Carmel, Elijah went before the people and said: How long will you waver between two
opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, then follow him He liberated the Israelites from their
bondage to Baal, and prayed: O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel (Jacob), let be known today that
you are (the only) God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your
command (1 King 18:21).

In the same way Jesus Christ said: No one can serve two mastersYou cannot serve God and money
(Matt. 6:24).

As we see from both the Bible and the Quran, there have always been plenty of other gods clamoring for
peoples attention and worship, and God has always demanded our exclusive loyalty to Him alone.
 IMPLICATIONS OF THE FIRST COMMANDMENT

Complete Submission to the Will of God

God demands that all we are and all we have to be submitted to His service and praise God (SWT) says:
Say: Behold, my prayer, and all my acts of worship, and my living and my dying are for God alone, the
Sustainer of all the worlds. He has no partner and of this I have been commanded- and I shall be among
those who surrender themselves into Him (6:162-3).

The above verses express the complete dedication to God (SWT) with every pulse in our hearts and every
part of our souls. It is a form of glorification to God and submission to Him in the most absolute terms. It
combines obligatory and voluntary prayers, fasting, Hajj, Zakah, sacrifices, Quranic recitations,
supplications and all acts of worship as well as life and death. All is dedicated to God alone, the Lord of
the worlds, who controls and sustains them all, and conducts and determines their entire affair. Such
sincere submission to God leaves out nothing within oneself, whether conscious or subconscious, without
dedicating it totally to Him.

In this state of total submission to God (SWT) lies the ultimate freedom of human beings. The one who
serves God will live under His blessing but the one who serves false gods will always languish in bondage,
oppressed by the powers of this world. God (SWT) says: And whomsoever assigns partners with God
it is if he had fallen from the sky and the birds had snatched him or the wind had thrown him to a far
off place (22:31).

As pointed out by Husain [9], a person who submitted his will to God would never be narrow minded. He
looks upon everything in this universe as belonging to the same Master to Whom he himself belongs. He
ceases to be a partisan in his thinking and behavior. His support, love and sympathy do not remain
confined to a particular group, party, club, society or sphere of activities. His vision is enlighten,
intellectual horizon widened and outlook broadened. God (SWT) says: Whomever God wills to guide, He
opens his breast wide open to Islam (submission to God), and whomever He wills to let go astray, He
makes his breast tight and constricted as if he is climbing up to the sky. Thus God inflicts horror upon
those who refuse to believe. (6:125).

Unparallel Love for God

God (SWT) says: Say: if your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your clans, the wealth that
you have gained, a business in which you fear decline, and dwellings in which you delight are dearer to
you than God and His Messenger, and striving hard in His cause then wait until God brings around His
Decision (torment); and God does not guide those people who are rebellious. (9:24)

In these verses God (SWT) is challenging the believers to examine their love and adoration to Him, and His
Messenger, and struggle for His cause compared to worldly self-interest matters such as family, national
affiliation, money, business, and properties. If one places any of these self-interest matters above ethical
values, he/she should expect the inevitable degeneration and decline of his/her communities and the
punishment on the Day of Judgment. But if one constantly expresses his love to God by obeying and
following His commands God would love him and forgive his sins. God (SWT) says: Say: If you do love
God, follow me, God will love you and forgive your sins; for God is Much Forgiving, Most Merciful (3.31).

The Prophet (PBUH) said: Allah Al Mighty said: Whoever is the enemy of my favorite servant, I will wage
a war against him; there is nothing better for My servant to be closer to Me than performing his obligations
to Me. My servant continues to come closer to Me by performing the supererogatory deeds, till I love him.
When I love him, I become his hearing that he listens with, his sight that he sees with, his hand that he
uses to fight with, and his leg that he walks with; whenever he asks Me, I do protect him. (Reported by
Bukhari).

Thus love of God is the ultimate source of peace, happiness and success in this life, and the eternal reward
in the hereafter. May Allah bless us with His love.

Total Trust in God

Monotheism is a choice and could not be forced on anyone. God (SWT) declares that:

There is no compulsion in religion. The Right Path has become distinct from the wrong path. Hence he
who rejects false deities and believes in God has indeed grasped the most trustworthy handhold that
will never give away: for God is All-Hearing, All- Knowing. (2:256).

God (SWT) describes the true believers as those who put their trust in Him alone: The believers are only
those who, when God is mentioned, feel the fear in their hearts and when His verses (this Quran) are
recited unto them they (the verses) enhance their faith and they put their trust in their Lord (alone).
(8:2)
 Prophet Moses (PBUH) said to his followers O my people! If you have believed in God, then put your
trust in Him if you are Muslims (those who submit to Gods will).They said: In God we put our trust. Our
Lord! Make us not a trial (test) for the folk who are wrong doers. (10:84-85)

So what do you trust? Some trust their addictions. When they are in trouble-when they are lonely or
discouraged-they count on drugs and alcohol or sex or food or shopping or some other obsession to pull
them through. Other people trust things that are good in themselves, but that nevertheless have a way
of replacing our confidence in God (SWT). Some trust their jobs, their bank account, their insurance policy,
or their pension plans for security. Some put their faith in the government and its control of the economy.
Some trust their families and their social position. Some people trust science and medicine. God (SWT)
can use all of these things to care and provide for us, we are to place our confidence in Him alone: Our
Lord! In You alone we put our trust, and to You alone we turn in repentance, and to You alone our final
return (60:4).

Indeed the ultimate trust must be in the Creator, the Master of the Day of Judgment, Whose powers are
infinite, and Whose grace and mercy have no limits. He provides the believer with extraordinary courage
and patience in time of calamities and adversities. The Prophet (PBUH) said: I am amazed from the affair
of a believer. All his affairs are good and nobody but the believer is like that; if he is tested with a good
affair, he thanks Allah, and if he is tested with a hardship, he becomes patient, and that is also good for
him

SUMMARY

Do not associate anything with God is the First Commandment which defines the relationship
between man and God. It is therefore a fundamental Command, the one that comes before all the others
and lays the foundation for all of them.

The First Commandment forbids association with God in His Worshipping, in His Divinity, in His
Attributes, in His Divine Power, and in His Sovereignty.

The First Commandment frees people from the bondage of their own idols and exclusively chooses God
as the only deity worth of worship, the only one to obey unconditionally, the only one to love dearly, and
the only one to trust in times of ease and times of calamities.

The essence of the first Commandment is the concept of monotheism (Tawheed) which is the belief in
only One God, the only Supreme Power and the Ultimate Creator of everything in havens and earth.

Although Monotheism is the basic belief of the three great Abrahamic religions, there are fundamental
differences regarding the concept of God between the three religions. Islam rejects the Christians
Trinitarian creed and the Bibles personalization of God with human traits.
 The belief in Monotheism (Tawheed) implies the complete submission to God which is first step towards
the straight path to Him in a life of virtue and righteousness, happiness and success, and the ultimate
reward of Paradise in the Hereafter.
 REFERENCES

1. Yusuf Ali, The Holy Quran: Text, Translation and Commentary, published in the USA by The Muslim
Students Association of the United States and Canada (1975)
2. Sayyid A, Al Mawdudi, Towards Understanding the Quran, translated and edited by Zafar I. Ansari,
Published by the Islamic foundation, UK (1988)
3. Mohammad Pickthall, The Holy Qur-aan (Translation and Transliteration), Published by the Burney
Academy, Hyderabad, India (1981).
4. Muhammad T. Al-Hilali & Muhammad M. Khan, The Noble Quran: English Translation of the Meanings
and Commentary, Published by .King Fahd Complex for the printing of the Holy Quran, Madinah, K.S.A.
(1417 H)
5. Muhammad Assad, The Message of the Quran, (Translation, Transliteration, and Explanations),
Published by the Book Foundation, Bristol, England (2003).
6. Sayed Qutb, In the Shade of the Quran, Translated and edited by Adil Salahi, Published by the Islamic
Foundation, UK (2006).
7. Sayyid A. Al Mawdudi, Ref.2, Vol. 2, note 128, pp 290-291
8. Ahmad Bahgatte, Allah Fi Al Aquidah Al Islamiah (in Arabic), Published by Al Ahram Center of
Translation and Publication, Cairo, Egypt, 3rd Edition (1986).
9. Ibrahim Husain, Tawheed and Shirk, Published by the Islamic Teaching Center, Plainfield, Indiana, USA
(1978).
10. Muhammad A. Al-Beltagy, Min Wasaya Al Quran Al Kareem, Published in Arabic by Dar Al Manar, Cairo,
Egypt, 3rd Edition (1997), Part 1, Ch. 2.
11. Mahmoud Shaltout, Al Wasaya Al Ashr, Published in Arabic by Dar El Shorouk, Cairo, Egypt (1975).
12. Neopaganism: Overview of Neopagan Religions http://www.religioustolerance.org/neopaga1.htm
13. Neopaganism: Description of Neopagan Religions, http://www.religioustolerance.org/paga_des.htm
14. What Neo-Pagans Believe, http://www.beliefnet.com/Faith/2001/06/What-Neo-Pagans-Believe.aspx
15. Steve Morris, Chants, chalices and chocolate fingers with 21st-century pagans of Dorset, The
Guardian, Friday 21 March 2008, www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/21/religion
16. Monotheism, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monotheism
17. Monotheism (Theology)- Britannica Online Encyclopedia-
www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/39010/monotheism pp 9 & 10 of 24
18. Michael Lodahl, Claiming Abraham: Reading the Bible and the Quran Side by Side, Published by the
Brazos Press, MI, USA (2010)
19. Trinity- Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity
20. Chester A. McCalley, The Infinity and Veracity of God, http://www.e-grace.net/CAMinfinityveracityof
god.html
21. Infinity- Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinity
22. Hassan Hathout, Reading the Muslim Mind, American Trust Publication, Plainfield, Indiana, USA, Reprint
(1997), pp3.
23. Dean Hamer, The God Gene: How Faith is Hardwired into Our Genes, Published by Doubleday, New
York, USA (2004)
 Comparison of the Ten Commandments
with similar passages in the Qur'an

Overview:

The Ten Commandments are also called the Decalogue. There are three versions of
the Ten Commandments mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures -- a.k.a. Old Testament.
All are different. They can be found at Exodus 20:2-17, Exodus 34:12-26, and
Deuteronomy 5:6-21. They all differ. However, the version in Exodus 20 is by far the
most commonly cited.

Depending upon how Ten Commandments are interpreted, the Exodus 20 version
contain a total of 19 to 25 separate instructions that various faith groups have sorted
into ten commandments. They form part of the 613 injunctions, prohibitions and
commands which make up the Mosaic Code.

The Qur'an is the revealed text that Muslims believe was dictated by the angel Gabriel
to Muhammad, the greatest and final of the prophets of God.

The Qur'an appears to refer to the Decalogue and to urge that they be followed;
however it does not contain the actual text:

007.145 "And We ordained laws for him in the tablets in all matters, both
commanding and explaining all things, (and said): 'Take and hold these with firmness,
and enjoin thy people to hold fast by the best in the precepts'..."

Although it does not contain the Decalogue as a unit, phrases throughout the Qur'an
are very similar to the Ten Commandments. Some comparisons are listed below:

Comparison of verses from the Hebrew Scriptures and Qur'an:

Hebrew Scriptures: Exodus 20 Qur'an

17:22: Do not associate another deity

with God.
3: Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
47:19: Know therefore that there is no
god but God.

6:103: No visions can encompass Him,

4-6: Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven
but He encompasses all visions.
image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven
14:35: My Lord, make this a peaceful
above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in land, and protect me and my children
the water under the earth.... from worshiping idols.
42:11: There is nothing that equals
(like) Him.

2:224: Do not use God's name in your

oaths as an excuse to prevent you
from dealing justly.
7: Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God
73:8: Remember the name of your
in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that
Lord and devote yourself to Him
taketh his name in vain.
exclusively.
76:25 Glorify the name of your Lord
morning and evening.

8-11: Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six

days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the
seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it
thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor See below.
thy daughter, thy manservant [male slave], nor thy
maidservant [female slave], nor thy cattle, nor thy
stranger that is within thy gates....

17:23-24: You shall be kind to your

parents. If one or both of them live to
their old age in your lifetime, you shall
not say to them any word of contempt
12: Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days
nor repel them, and you shall address
may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God
them in kind words. You shall lower to
giveth thee.
them the wing of humility and pray: "O
Lord! Bestow on them Your blessings
just as they cherished me when I was a
little child."

17:33: And do not take any human

being's life - that God willed to be
13: Thou shalt not kill.
sacred - other than in [the pursuit of]
justice."

17:32: You shall not commit adultery.

14: Thou shalt not commit adultery. Surely it is a shameful deed and an evil
way.

5:38 & 39: The thief, male or female,

you shall mark their hands as a
15: Thou shalt not steal. punishment for their crime, and to
serve as an example from GOD. GOD is
Almighty, Most Wise.
 25:72: And (know that the true
16: Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy
servants of God are) those who do not
neighbour.
bear witness to falsehood.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou

shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his 4:32: Do not covet the bounties that
manservant [male slave], nor his maidservant God has bestowed more abundantly on
[female slave], nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing some of you than on others.
that is thy neighbour's.

Concerning the Sabbath:

The Qur'an, at 16:124, states that the Sabbath day of complete rest was only required
for Jews.

However, congregational prayer (called Salat Al-Jumu`ah) is held on Friday evenings.

Muslims are expected to attend. In 62:9, it states: "O you who believe, when the
Congregational Prayer is announced on Friday, you shall hasten to the
commemoration of GOD, and drop all business."

Imam Hamad Ahmad Chebli, spiritual leader of the Islamic Society of Central Jersey,
near Princeton, said: "While the notion of Sabbath rest is not found in Islam, more
and more Muslims are finding time for Fridays communal midday prayers" 3
According to Monique Parsons' essay in Beliefnet.com: "As many as 1,500 people break
from work on Fridays to enter Cheblis mosque to pray quietly, reflect on a weekly
sermon and worship as a community." 3
 TEN COMMANDMENTS OF THE BIBLE
IN QURAN

You shall have no other gods before me ~[Deuteronomy 5:7]

there is no god but Allah.. ~[Surah Muhammad 47:19]

And He is Allah: There is no god but He. To Him be praise, at the first and at the last: for Him
is the Command, and to Him shall ye (all) be brought back. ~[Surah Qasas 28:70]

Say, He is Allah , [who is] One, ~[Surah Ikhlas 112:1]

You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the
earth beneath or in the waters below ~[Deuteronomy 5:8]
[He is] Creator of the heavens and the earth. He has made for you from yourselves, mates, and
among the cattle, mates; He multiplies you thereby. There is nothing like unto Him, and He is
the Hearing, the Seeing.

~[Surah Shra 42:11]

Vision perceives Him not, but He perceives [all] vision; and He is the Subtle, the Acquainted.

~[Surah Anaam 6:103]

And [mention, O Muhammad], when Abraham said, My Lord, make this city [Makkah] secure
and keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols.

~[Surah Ibrahim 14:35]

You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God ~[Deuteronomy 5:11]

And make not Allahs (name) an excuse in your oaths against doing good, or acting rightly, or
making peace between persons; for Allah is One Who heareth and knoweth all things.

~[Surah Baqarah 2:224]

Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded
you ~[Deuteronomy 5:12]

The sabbath was only appointed for those who differed over it. And indeed, your Lord will judge
between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that over which they used to differ.

~[Surah Nahl 16:124]

O you who have believed, when [the adhan] is called for the prayer on the day of Jumuah
[Friday], then proceed to the remembrance of Allah and leave trade. That is better for you, if you
only knew.

~[Surah Jumuah 62:9]

Honor your father and your mother ~[Deuteronomy 5:16]

And your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to parents, good treatment.
Whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, say not to them [so much as], uff,
and do not repel them but speak to them a noble word.

~[Surah Isra 17:23]

Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him, and to parents do good
~[Surah Nisa 4:36]

You shall not murder ~[Deuteronomy 5:17]

Because of that, We decreed upon the Children of Israel that whoever kills a soul unless for a
soul or for corruption [done] in the land it is as if he had slain mankind entirely

~[Surah Maidah 5:32]

And do not kill the soul which Allah has forbidden, except by right. And whoever is killed
unjustly We have given his heir authority, but let him not exceed limits in [the matter of]
taking life. Indeed, he has been supported [by the law].

~[Surah Isra 17:33]

You shall not commit adultery ~[Deuteronomy 5:18]

And do not approach adultery. Indeed, it is ever an immorality and is evil as a way.

~[Surah Isra 17:32]

You shall not steal ~[Deuteronomy 5:19]

[As for] the thief, the male and the female, amputate their hands in recompense for what they
committed as a deterrent [punishment] from Allah . And Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.

But whoever repents after his wrongdoing and reforms, indeed, Allah will turn to him in
forgiveness. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.

~[Surah Maidah 5:38-39]

You shall not give false testimony ~[Deuteronomy 5:20]

And do not conceal testimony, for whoever conceals it his heart is indeed sinful, and Allah
is Knowing of what you do.

~[Surah Baqarah 2:283]

O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allah , even if it
be against yourselves or parents and relatives. Whether one is rich or poor, Allah is more worthy
of both. So follow not [personal] inclination, lest you not be just. And if you distort [your
testimony] or refuse [to give it], then indeed Allah is ever, with what you do, Acquainted.

~[Surah Nisa 4:135]

You shall not covet your neighbors wife and possessions ~[Deuteronomy 5:21]
Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him, and to parents do good, and to relatives, orphans,
the needy, the near neighbor, the neighbor farther away, the companion at your side, the traveler,
and those whom your right hands possess. Indeed, Allah does not like those who are self-
deluding and boastful.

~[Surah Nisa 4:36]

From Hadith :

Ibn Umar reported Allahs Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Gabriel impressed
upon me (the kind treatment) towards the neighbour (so much) that I thought as if he would soon
confer upon him the (right) of inheritance.

~Muslim :: Book 32 : Hadith 6356