Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments were given to the Jewish people, but this does not mean they are exclusively linked to today’s Jews or that their teachings remain unchanged. The commandments were given to Prophet Moses, and at that time, those who followed him were called “Jewish,” but the term “Jewish” itself is linked to a kingdom rather than being a divinely ordained religious name. However, by religion, they were Muslims because they submitted to one God and followed the teachings of Moses, Allah’s message was always complete for a specific time period, and He also confirmed in the scriptures that another prophet would come. This is how divine guidance continued. Each prophet was sent with a message suited for their time, but the final and complete message was revealed through the Quran with Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) as the last messenger.

This is further confirmed in the Quran when Pharaoh, while drowning, exclaimed:

Quran 10:90
I believe that there is no god but He in whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am of those who submit.

This verse clearly shows that the Children of Israel were Muslims, as they submitted to one God. Pharaoh, out of fear while drowning, also declared his submission to the same God believed in by the Children of Israel. However, his declaration came too late, as submission at the moment of death is not accepted.

Additionally, the Quran records the words of Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) advising his children, including Jacob (peace be upon him), to remain steadfast in Islam:

Quran 2:132
And Abraham enjoined his sons and [so did] Jacob, [saying], ‘O my sons! Indeed, Allah has chosen for you this religion, so do not die except while you are Muslims.

This verse further confirms that submission to Allah (Islam) was the religion of all prophets, and their followers were Muslims by faith, even if they were later identified by different names. It reinforces that the original teachings given to previous prophets were based on submission to the one true God, which is the essence of Islam.

Furthermore, the Quran also testifies that Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) and the Children of Israel were Muslims:

Quran 10:84
And Moses said, ‘O my people, if you have believed in Allah, then rely upon Him, if you are Muslims.

This verse explicitly confirms that Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) and his followers were Muslims because they believed in and submitted to Allah. It reinforces that Islam was not a new religion but the continuation and completion of divine guidance.

However, today’s Jews and Christians, if they follow the Ten Commandments, are still holding onto an earlier message. For example, when Jesus came, some Jews did not believe in him, and Christians consider them disbelievers for rejecting him. Likewise, when Prophet Muhammad came, and even today, those who do not accept the Quran and the finality of Prophet Muhammad as the last messenger of God are considered disbelievers in Islam. Similarly, some Jews may consider Christians as idolaters, and there is truth to this, especially when looking at Catholic traditions where statues of Mary and Jesus are worshiped, despite being made by human hands. However, being a disbeliever simply means rejecting what another believes, nothing more, With the coming of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and the final revelation, certain previous commands, such as the Sabbath, were no longer required. This is because the laws given to earlier prophets were specific to their people and time. The Sabbath was a commandment given as a test and a form of discipline. However, when Islam was established as the final and universal message, some of these earlier rulings were replaced with new forms of worship suited for all of humanity.

The Quran highlights the importance of the Sabbath for the Children of Israel and warns about those who transgressed its limits:

Quran 2:65
And indeed, you had already known about those who transgressed among you concerning the Sabbath, and We said to them, ‘Be apes, despised.

• This verse shows that the Sabbath was a strict test for the Jews, and those who violated it faced severe consequences. However, it is important to note that since the time of Adam, every human is born as a Muslim by their natural disposition (fitrah). The ones who transgressed against the Sabbath were originally Muslims, but they disobeyed Allah, just as a Christian today is born a Muslim but grows up and disobeys. This is how the verse should be understood—those who were punished for violating the Sabbath were not followers of a separate religion but were originally upon the path of submission to Allah.
  

  For example, if there were ten people who were called “Jewish” at that time, they used the term “Jewish” but submitted to one God and followed His messenger. Therefore, by religion, they were Muslims. However, if two or three of them disobeyed Allah, they were no longer Muslims because they disobeyed and went out of Islam, so Allah punished them.

In Islam, such restrictions were lifted, and fasting was prescribed as a universal act of devotion. Some scholars believe that fasting in Islam serves as a spiritual replacement for the Sabbath, as it instills discipline, devotion, and obedience to Allah in a different but effective way. However, this view is not universally accepted and remains an opinion among scholars, What is certain is that out of the Ten Commandments given at that time, nine are still present today, while the Sabbath was not necessary, as we have already explained the reason it was given specifically to that time and people. With the coming of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), the previous commandments were reaffirmed, except for the Sabbath, which was no longer required. The most widely accepted view is that Friday prayer (Jumu’ah) was the replacement for the Sabbath, as it became the weekly congregational worship day for Muslims, serving both spiritual and communal purposes.

Thus, while the Ten Commandments were significant for their time, Islam, through the final messenger, completed and perfected divine guidance for all of humanity.

First commandment: You shall have no other gods before Me.

Quran 2:163
Your God is one God. There is no God but him, the Gracious, the Merciful

Quran 46:6
Say: I am only a man like you to whom it has been revealed that your God is one God, so take a straight path to him and seek his forgiveness.

Second commandment: You shall not make idols.

Quran 28:88
Do not call upon another god alongside Allah. There is no God but him. Everything will perish but his countenance. Judgment belongs to him, and to him you will return.

Quran 53:23
They are nothing but names you have named, you and your forefathers, for which Allah has not revealed any authority. They follow nothing but assumption and what their souls desire, yet there has already come to them guidance from their Lord.

Fourth commandment: Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.

Quran 62:9
O you who believe, when the prayer is announced on Friday, then proceed to the remembrance of Allah and leave trade. That is better for you, if you only knew.

The Jews chose Saturday due to their interpretation of Allah’s creation timeline, as mentioned in Exodus 20:8-11, where it states that God “rested” on the seventh day after creating the heavens and the earth. However, in Islam, we do not interpret “rested” as meaning that Allah became tired, rather, it simply means that the process of creation was completed,

The phrase “God rested on the seventh day” in the Bible does not mean that God became tired or weak. Instead, it has been interpreted by scholars to mean that the process of creation was completed in six days, not that God needed rest, It is important to understand that the Bible is a collection of different books, written and compiled over time. While it contains divine revelation, human errors in transmission and interpretation may have influenced certain phrases. However, the word “rested” in this context is best understood as “ceased”, meaning that God’s act of creation was finished, not that He needed recovery from exhaustion.

The Qur’an clarifies that Allah never experiences fatigue or weakness:

📖Quran 50:38
“And We did certainly create the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them in six days, and no weariness touched Us.”

This verse directly refutes any notion that Allah needed rest, emphasizing His absolute power.

Why the Sabbath (Saturday) Cannot Be for Humanity

The concept of the Sabbath was never meant to be a universal law for all people but was a specific commandment given to the Israelites as a test of obedience.

📖 Surah An-Nahl (16:124)
The Sabbath was only appointed for those who differed about it. And indeed, your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that over which they used to differ.”

This verse makes it clear that the Sabbath was a temporary obligation for a particular group, not a universal command for all of humanity. It was a sign of distinction for the Israelites, emphasizing their covenant with Allah. However, it also became a point of dispute and division, which is why it was not included in the final divine guidance for humanity.

The Sabbath Was Replaced with Friday Prayer

The hadith of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) confirms that Friday was obligated as the special day of worship in Islam, while those who remained attached to the previous laws continued to observe Saturday (Sabbath) instead of following the final revelation:

📖 Sahih al-Bukhari 876 (Narrated by Abu Huraira)
I heard Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) (p.b.u.h) saying, “We (Muslims) are the last (to come) but will be the foremost on the Day of Resurrection, though the former nations were given the Holy Scriptures before us. And this was their day (Friday), the celebration of which was made compulsory for them, but they differed about it. So Allah gave us the guidance for it (Friday), and all the other people are behind us in this respect: the Jews’ (holy day is) tomorrow (i.e., Saturday), and the Christians’ (is) the day after tomorrow (i.e., Sunday).”

This hadith highlights that Friday was made obligatory in Islam as the designated day for congregational prayer, while the Sabbath (Saturday) remained for those who did not accept the final guidance and chose to stay with the old law. Instead of a full day of rest like the Jewish Sabbath, Islam replaced it with the Friday prayer (Jumu’ah), a balanced approach that combines worship with the ability to continue daily activities.

What the Sabbath Itself Signifies

The Sabbath was designed as a strict day of rest, where no work was permitted, serving as a symbolic reminder for the Israelites of their covenant with Allah. However, this restriction itself shows that it was not meant for all of humanity, as life requires balance between worship and work. The fact that Islam replaced the Sabbath with Friday prayer (Jumu’ah) shows that divine law evolved to fit the needs of the final and universal community, Thus, Friday prayer (Jumu’ah) replaced the Sabbath, signifying that the final divine law does not require complete rest but rather a dedicated time for communal worship and remembrance of Allah.

Fifth commandment: Honor your father and your mother.

Quran 4:36
Worship Allah and associate nothing with him, and be good to parents and relatives.

Sixth commandment: You shall not murder.

Quran 25:68
The believers are those who do not call upon another god alongside Allah or kill the soul which Allah has made sacred except by right of justice.

Seventh commandment: You shall not commit adultery.

Quran 17:32
Do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse. Verily, it is immoral and an evil way.

Eighth commandment: You shall not steal.

Quran 2:188
Do not consume the wealth of each other in falsehood.

Ninth commandment: Do not take God’s name in vain

Quran 2:224
Do not use Allah’s Name in your oaths as an excuse for not doing good, not guarding against evil, or not making peace between people. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

This Qur’an verse, along with Qur’an 33:70 and Sunan Abi Dawud 4881, clearly shows that it is not permissible to use Allah’s name for everything, especially when lying or using it in vain. Swearing falsely by Allah is a serious sin, and using His name carelessly goes against the respect and honor that should be given to Him, Instead, a person may use the word “God” instead of “Allah” in casual contexts, especially on social media platforms where inappropriate images are present. However, it is not necessary to completely avoid using Allah’s name on social media; rather, it should only be used with sincerity and for a good purpose, not in vain, Additionally, all 99 names of Allah should be used truthfully and with sincerity. It is strictly forbidden to use them falsely or in a deceitful manner.

Tenth commandment: You shall not covet.

Quran 4:54
Do they envy people for what Allah has given them of his bounty?

Additional information

The Ten Commandments serve as a universal moral code that, if followed by all, would create a more just and peaceful world. These commandments are not just religious laws but fundamental ethical principles that promote honesty, respect, and responsibility in human interactions. For example: If everyone worshipped only one God and avoided idolatry, humanity would be united under a single truth, reducing religious conflicts, If people refrained from lying, society would be built on trust, eliminating corruption and deception in business, politics, and personal relationships, If the commandment against stealing was upheld, crime rates would drop, and people would feel secure in their homes and communities, If individuals honored their parents, families would remain strong, leading to a more compassionate and responsible society, If people truly valued the sanctity of life and avoided murder, wars and violence would decrease, creating a safer world, The principles within the Ten Commandments are timeless and apply to all of humanity. By following them sincerely, people can build a world based on justice, peace, and mutual respect.