10 basic commandments of Islam: a memo and the basics of the dogma

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

What does the history of religions say about the basic precepts of Islam? To understand this, they usually turn to the authority of mufassirs - interpreters of the Koran. After all, the interpretation of the Quran is a very complicated matter, it requires appropriate scientific and theoretical training.

One of the most famous commentators on the holy book of Islam was Abdullah ibn Abbas, who was the cousin of the Prophet Muhammad. It was he who founded the first school in Mecca, which trained interpreters of the Koran. Based on the opinion of these Muslim teachers, we will briefly consider the main commandments of Islam.

Prophet Musa

God never left the human race alone. In order for people to achieve perfection and enlightenment, he sent prophets to them, transmitting Divine revelations through them. Prophet Musa was one of these messengers. It is with him that we will begin our consideration of the history of the main commandments of Islam.

Musa (Moses) isrevered by followers of three such world religions as Islam, Christianity and Judaism. His image in them embodies the continuation of the traditions of monotheism. The path traveled by this prophet on earth, described in various religious traditions, largely coincides, although it has its own distinctive features. Consider the transmission of Allah to the Prophet Musa the basic commandments of Islam in the Muslim sense.

Muslim interpretation

According to the opinion of Muslim religious authorities, Musa is a character of the Koran, an ancient prophet sent by Allah to people to convey to them the Holy Scripture - in Arabic "Al-Kitab", or "At-Taurat". It is also called the Torah, the Pentateuch of Moses and the Old Testament. What were the main 10 commandments of Islam sent down by the Almighty Musa?

To answer this question, let's turn to the second sura of the Koran, called "Al-Baqarah", which means "cow". This surah speaks of the sons of Israel, that is, Israel, the Jews, recalls the days when Allah was merciful to them, the times of Musa (Moses), and also indicates the common thing that connects the people of Musa and Muhammad.

Original Testament

Sura Al-Baqarah says that initially the Almighty made a covenant with the Israelites, by which they were prescribed:

• Worship none but one God - Allah.
• Do good to your parents, relatives, the poor and orphans.
• Talking good things to people.
• Pray regularly.
• Pay zakat (taxes).
• Notshedding blood.
• Don't deprive anyone of their home.

At first, the believers listened to the words of Allah, recognized them, but gradually began to depart from these covenants, with the exception of a few, “turned away in disgust.”

And then the Almighty reminded people of some of the duties assigned to them earlier by the sons of Israel, passing them through the prophet Musa. By analogy with Christian and Jewish literature, they are called the main commandments of Islam. Let's take a closer look at them.

Commandments from Exodus

The second sura of the Koran already mentioned above says that the Almighty took the word from the Israelites to fulfill the main commandments of Islam set out in the Torah, in the book of Exodus, the list of which is given below:

1. I am your only God, and you will have no other gods before my face.
2. Do not create an idol for yourself and do not depict anything from what is above - in the sky, below - on the earth, below the earth - in the water. Do not serve or worship idols. I am your jealous God, who punishes children for the guilt of their fathers to the third and fourth generations, if these fathers hate me. For those who love me and keep my commandments, I show mercy to the thousandth generation.
3. Do not pronounce the name of God in the vanity of life, repeating it in vain.
4. Don't forget the holy day of the Sabbath to praise God.
5. Respect with great respect the father and mother who gave birth to you.
6. Don't take another's life.
7. Do not commit adultery to your wife or your husband.
8. Don't steal.
9. Don't bear false witness toyour neighbor in court.
10. Do not wish evil to your neighbor, do not wish his house, wife, slave and ox and nothing of what he has.

The question arises, should Muslims follow these commandments?

Nine out of ten

In the seventeenth sura of the Koran "Al-Isra" ("Night Transfer") it is said that Allah granted the Prophet Musa "nine clear signs". According to the interpretation of some mufassirs, these nine signs correspond to nine of the above ten commandments, with the exception of the fourth, regarding the observance of the Sabbath day.

After all, it is observed exclusively by the followers of the Jewish faith. As for the other nine, they are also considered as the main commandments of Islam and Christianity. They are unifying for all the prophets and appear in all the Holy Scriptures that the Almighty sends to believers who are obliged to fulfill them.

The ratio of the first and second options

From all of the above, we see that similarly to how in the Bible God twice sent the commandments to the prophet Moses, also, according to the Koran, Allah twice transmitted them to the prophet Musa. In the biblical presentation, the first commandments were inscribed on tablets (stone tables), which Moses smashed in anger, looking at the unworthy behavior of his fellow tribesmen. Then the Lord commanded him to make new tablets, on which the records were sealed again.

As for the first version of the tables, nothing is said about it in the Christian presentation, in contrast tothe second sura of the Qur'an, the commandments from which we set out in the section "Muslim interpretation". If we compare the first and second versions of the commandments, we will see that they have much in common. Consider these similarities.

Common in commandments

For example, both versions of the commandments state that:

• God is one and only he should be worshiped.
• You need to love and respect your parents.
• Do not offend others.
• Do not deprive anyone of housing.
• Do not kill or shed blood.

Thus, in each of the two versions of the commandments, two main ideas stand out:

1. Worship only one God.
2. Humanity towards the life, he alth and property of others.

It follows that the commandments originally given by Allah are also the basic commandments of Islam. As a matter of fact, the five pillars of Islam "grew" from them, which we will discuss below.

Five Pillars

The pillars on which Islam is based are not directly listed in the Qur'an, but they became known from the hadith of the prophet (traditions about the words and actions performed by the prophet Muhammad). The vast majority of Muslims adhere to these elements, which help them fulfill the basic precepts of Islam. Each of them requires the observance of three important points: a special inner spiritual state, intention (niyat) and correct completion. The five pillars refer to the five actions required to fulfill them.every true Muslim. Among them:

1. Shahada. Declaration of the true faith, which consists in the recognition of the One God and the mission of the Prophet Muhammad.
2. Prayer. Five daily prayers.
3. Ramadan. Observance of the monthly fast.
4. Zakat. Religious tax paid to benefit those in need.
5. Hajj. Making a pilgrimage to Mecca.

Let's consider each of them in more detail.

What's the point?

The main content of the five pillars in Islam is the following:

1. Shahada, or Testimony. This is a reproduction of the dogma that Muslims profess monotheism and recognize the prophetic mission of Muhammad. Its pronunciation is obligatory at the beginning of the reading of a prayer, any event, both religious and secular, held in Islamic states.
2. Prayer. Every Muslim who has reached the age of majority must pray five times every day. This is done at a strictly fixed time, in compliance with the prescribed ritual and the pronunciation of certain formulas. The whole procedure for the implementation of prayers was formed as an imitation of the movements and postures of the Prophet Muhammad, which have survived to this day, thanks to the stories of the first Muslims, enshrined in the memory of people.
3. Alms are paid by adult Muslims with legal capacity. The right to receive assistance from zakat has such categories as the poor and impoverished people, those who collect it, insolvent debtors, visitors who do not have money to returnhome, persons who deserve encouragement.
4. Fasting involves complete abstinence from food and drink, intimate marital relations, everything that distracts from a pious lifestyle, during daylight hours. As the sun goes down, the restrictions are lifted. The night is spent in reciting the Quran and meditating. During the whole month of Ramadan, you need to do more things that are pleasing to God, give alms and avoid quarrels.
5. Pilgrimage. Hajj to Mecca and Medina is the dream of every devout Muslim. In Mecca is the Kaaba - the main shrine of Islam, and in Medina - the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad.