November 27, 2020

The Life of This World is Chattel of Deception #27

Review of Commandments in Scripture and the Quran

Last week, I opened a discussion about some commandments in the Quran and made a comparison to the Ten Commandments. This week and next, I will delve into the Ten Commandments in more detail and make a one-to-one comparison to similar commandments in the Quran.

1- The First Commandment: You may worship no other god than Me.

This command is stated in plain and simple words that can’t be the subject of interpretation. Yet we find many people of scripture resort to praying to different saints and many churches conclude their sermons by praying directly to Jesus Christ (our lord). So, the Quran, being the final revelation unto mankind, came down and removed any ambiguity if there was any and stated unequivocally that to God belongs the seen and the unseen and no intercession is accepted except as He wills it. From the Quran:

“Assert, He God is One.

He does not beget, and neither is He begotten

And there is not to be any comparable to Him.”

Quran, 112:1–3

2- The Second Commandment: Never make any idols, and don’t worship any images.

When the prophet entered Mecca victoriously, he ordered the removal of all idols from the Ka’ba and the rest of the land and ordered them destroyed. Any idol worshipper caught would be subjected to severe punishment. From the Quran:

“Those who believe fight for the cause of God,

And the disbelievers fight for the cause of idols

So do battle with the minions of the devil.”

Quran, 4:76

3- The Third Commandment: Never use My name to make a vow you don’t intend to keep.

That subject was covered in last week’s article and just the command will be restated. From the Quran:

“Fulfill the covenant of God when you make a promise

and don’t break your oath after making it”

Quran, 16:94

4- The Fourth Commandment: Keep the sabbath a holy day.

The Jews have the strictest laws regarding the sabbath. They are so strict that very few follow them today and many don’t even remember them. I grew up in a neighborhood where I knew firsthand that my observing Jewish neighbors would not accept or open a letter, not ride any means of transportation and not even turn a heater or a light on in their homes. When urgently necessary, they would call on us to do it for them. The Christians are less strict regarding sabbath. Initially blue laws were enacted here in the U.S. and Europe mandating the observance of the sabbath on Sundays. Most of those laws were revoked. The Muslims have the least restrictive rules on the sabbath. From the Quran. Here is how the Quran instructs us:

“O! you who believe,

when the call is made for the Friday’s prayers (sabbath day))

Hasten to the remembrance of God

And cease doing any business…

…And after the prayers, disperse in the land

And seek of God’s bounties“ (resume your activities)

Quran, 62:9–10

5- The Fifth Commandment: Honor your father and mother.

One can’t find more beautiful words than the words of the Quran defining the relationship:

“God has decreed that you worship no one save Him

And to show kindness towards your parents

If one or both reach an old age, don’t express any displeasure

By as little as uttering “faugh”

nor rebuke them but only say kind words

And lower unto them the wings of mercy in humility

And pray ‘My Lord have mercy on them

As they had taken care of me when I was young’.”

Quran, 17:25–26

The balance of the commandments and their equivalence will be covered next week.