A free thinker who reflects on the interfaith commandments will conclude that Islam stems from the Judeo-Christian tradition. Therefore, he thinks regarding the "Judeo-Christian-Islamic tradition.” (3) The Islamic values overlap with other religions, two of the greatest commandments. First: To love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength and Second: To love our neighbors; that is, our fellow human beings—regardless of race, religion, or cultural background—as we love ourselves.
The Quran defines righteous deeds as follows: “Righteousness is not to turn your faces towards east or west. The truly righteous are who believes in God, and the day of judgment, the angels, the book, and the prophets; (who) give money out of loving [God] to the relatives, the orphans, the indigent individuals, the needy travelers (including refugees), to those who ask and for freeing humans from bondage. [The truly righteous] is who perform ritual prayer and charity duty. They are who honor their covenants and be steadfast and patient in adversity, hardship, and time of striving. Such are the people of truth, the pious” (Quran 2:177).
Let us compare this quotation to Jesus’ reply to a Jewish religious teacher who asked him; which of all the teachings of God was the most important? Jesus answered; this is the first commandment: "Hear, O Israel. The Lord our God, the Lord, is One, and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength," and the second is this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:28-34). Incidentally, Jesus was not the first to use these words as teaching. He was quoting what was called the Shema and the Torah commandment to love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19, 18).
The Shema flows from the assertion of the oneness of God. In the first portion, there is a commandment to love God with all one's heart, soul, and might and to remember and teach these words throughout the day. The second portion says that obeying these commands will lead to rewards, and disobeying them will lead to punishment. The third portion is a practical reminder to ensure fulfillment of these key commands, wearing the fringes: "That you may remember and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God" Numbers 15:40).
What Muslims do, is fulfill the first commandment through acts of worship: the ritual prayer, fasting, and pilgrimage. All these actions express and are devoted to the primary pillar of faith: adoration and remembrance of the one God. At a social level, Muslims fulfill the second commandment through a strong sense of valuing community over individualism and teaching a deep-seated responsibility to help others and have practical compassion through charity duty, almsgiving and care of orphans and indigent individuals.
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- You shall have no other gods before Me: "…There is no deity, but God" (Quran 47:19) and “…You shall not set up rivals before God” (Quran 2:22).
- You shall not make for yourself an idol: "My Lord, make this a peaceful land, and protect me and my children from worshiping idols" (Quran 14:35).
- You shall not make wrongful use of the name of your God: "And make not God's (name) an excuse in your oaths against doing good, or acting rightly, or making peace between persons; for God is One Who hears and knows all things" (Quran 2:224).
- Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy: the Sabbath was decreed for the Jews as a test (Quran 16:124). Believers are commanded to make every effort to attend the Friday noon prayer. They are permitted to go about their affairs during the rest of the day: "O you who believe, when the Congregational Prayer is announced on Friday, you shall hasten to the commemoration of God, and drop all business" (Quran 62:9).
- Honor your father and mother: "...and your parents shall be honored. As long as one or both of them live, you shall never insult them, nor shall you shout at them; you shall treat them amiably" (Quran 17:23).
- You shall not murder: "...if anyone murders any person, who had not committed murder or horrendous crimes, it shall be as if he murdered all the people" (Quran 5:32).
- You shall not commit adultery: "…Do not even go close to adultery; it is a gross sin, and evil behavior" (Quran 17:32).
- You shall not steal: "…They shall not steal" (Quran 60: 12) and “You shall not take each other’s property by false means” (Quran 4:29).
- You shall not bear false witness: "… And avoid saying falsehood” (Quran 22:30) and “…those (Servants of God) shall not bear false witness” (Quran 25:72).
- You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor: "…And do not covet what we bestowed upon any other people. Such are temporary ornaments of this life, whereby we put them to the test. What your Lord provides for you is far better and everlasting" (Quran 20:131).