Ask A (Born Again) Muslim
#9 You shall not testify falsely against your neighbor. Exodus 20: 16, Deuteronomy 5:20
Islamic Commandment:
“…and do not conceal testimony, and whoever conceals it, his heart is surely sinful; and Allah knows what you do. The Qur’an 2:283
And they who do not bear witness to what is false, and when they pass by what is vain, they pass by nobly. The Qur’an 25:72
#10 You shall not covet your neighbor. Exodus 20: 17, Deuteronomy 5: 21
The commandment further goes on to say:
‘You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife; and you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.
Islamic Commandment:
And do not covet that by which Allah has made some of you excel others; The Qur’an 4:32
The closest single passage in the Qur’an in similarity to the Ten Commandments occurs in the chapter 6, that combines many of the commandments.
Say: Come and I will recite what your Lord has forbidden for you: that you not associate anything with Him, and be good to parents. Do not kill your children out of poverty, for We will provide for you and them. Do not approach lewdness, whether it is public or private. Do not kill the soul which Allah has made sacred except in the course of justice. This He has instructed you so that you may learn wisdom.
Do not approach the property of the orphans, except in a way that is best, until he reaches maturity. Give full measure and weight in justice. We do not charge any soul except within its capability. When you testify, be just even if it concerns a relative, and fulfill the covenant of Allah. This He has instructed you that you may be mindful.
The Qur’an 6:151-152
Love Your Neighbor
Of all these commandments, what are the most important ones? Rather than coming up with our own answers, let’s see what Jesus himself considered the most important.
“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”
Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’[a This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40
I know my Jewish cousins would insist that Moses taught Judaism and NOT Islam, and that the Ten Commandments are “Jewish”, not Islamic. You might further claim that Prophet Muhammad learned from the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures and adopted many of these teachings into Islam.
Muslims would counter by pointing out that it should not surprise anyone that the TEN commandments and many of the other Jewish commandments, or mitzvot (613 in all) are very much in line with Islamic teachings because in its broad perspective, Islam is considered one religion from Abraham to Jacob to Moses, and onto Jesus.
Muslims therefore believe Prophet Muhammad completed Islam, and not started it. At least that’s what the Qur’an teaches us.
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