What does the history of religions say about the basic commandments of Islam? To understand this, they usually turn to the authority of mufassirs - interpreters of the Koran. Indeed, the interpretation of the Qur'an is a very complicated matter; this requires appropriate scientific and theoretical preparation.
One of the most famous commentators on the holy book of Islam was Abdullah ibn Abbas, who was a cousin to the Prophet Muhammad. It was he who founded the first school in Mecca, which trained the interpreters of the Koran. Based on the opinion of these Muslim teachers, we will briefly examine the basic commandments of Islam.
The Prophet Musa
The Almighty never left the human race alone. In order for people to achieve perfection and enlightenment, he sent prophets to them, passing through them Divine revelations. One of these messengers was the prophet Musa. It is with him that we will begin our consideration of the history of the basic commandments of Islam.
Musa (Moses) is revered by the followers of three world religions such 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 by Allah to the Prophet Musa of the basic commandments of Islam in the Muslim sense.
Muslim interpretation
According to Muslim religious authorities, Musa is a character of the Qur'an, an ancient prophet sent by Allah to people to give them the Holy Scriptures - in Arabic, Al-Kitab, or At-Taurat. It is also called the Torah, the Pentateuch of Moses and the Old Testament. What are the main 10 commandments of Islam that were sent down by the Most High Musa?
To answer this question, we turn to the second sura of the Qur'an, called "Al-Bakara", 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 points to the general that connects the people of Musa and Muhammad.
Original covenant
In the Sura al-Bakar, it is said that initially the Almighty and the Israelites made a covenant by which they were ordered:
- Do not worship anyone but God alone - Allah.
- Do good to your parents, relatives, poor and orphans.
- Talk with people about the good.
- Constantly perform namaz.
- Pay zakat (taxes).
- Do not spill blood.
- Do not deprive anyone of their homes.
At first, 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 with disgust."
And then the Almighty reminded the people of some of the duties prescribed 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 basic commandments of Islam. Let's consider them in more detail.
Commandments from Exodus
In the second Surah of the Qur'an already mentioned above, it is said that the Almighty took the word from the Israelites to fulfill the main commandments of Islam, listed in the Torah, in the book “Exodus,” which are listed below:
- I am your only God, and you will not have any other gods in my face.
- Do not create an idol for yourself and do not depict anything of what is above - in heaven, below - on earth, below earth - in water. Do not serve or worship idols. I am your God jealous who punishes children for the guilt of their fathers to the third and fourth tribes, if these fathers hate me. To those who love me and keep my commandments, I am doing mercy to the thousandth generation.
- Do not pronounce the name of God in the bustle of life, in vain repeating it.
- Do not forget about the holy day of the Sabbath to praise God.
- Respect the father and mother who gave birth to you.
- Do not deprive another life.
- Do not commit adultery to either your wife or your husband.
- Do not steal.
- Do not give false evidence against your neighbor in court.
- Do not wish evil to your neighbor, do not desire his house, wife, slave and his ox, and nothing of what he has.
The question is, should Muslims follow these commandments?
Nine out of ten
In the seventeenth Suran of the Qur'an “Al-Isra” (“Night Carriage”) it is said that Allah gave the Prophet Musa “nine clear signs”. According to the interpretation of some mufassirs, these nine signs correspond to the nine commandments of the above ten, with the exception of the fourth concerning the observance of the Sabbath.
After all, it is observed exclusively by the followers of the Jewish faith. As for the other nine, they are also considered as the basic commandments of Islam and Christianity. They are unifying for all the prophets and appear in all the scriptures that the Almighty sends to believers who are obligated to fulfill them.
The ratio of the first and second options
From all of the above, we see that in the same way that in the Bible God sent the commandments to the prophet Moses twice, also, according to the Qur'an, Allah twice passed them to the prophet Musa. In biblical presentation, the first commandments were written on tablets (stone tables), which Moses broke in anger, looking at the misbehavior of his fellow tribesmen. Then the Lord commanded him to make new tablets, on which the records were again imprinted on him.
As for the first version of the tables, the Christian statement does not say anything about it, in contrast to the second surah of the Qur'an, the commandments of 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 a lot in common. Consider these similarities.
Common in the commandments
For example, in both versions of the commandments it is said that:
- God is one, and only he should worship.
- You need to love and respect your parents.
- Do not offend others.
- Do not deprive anyone of housing.
- Do not kill or spill blood.
Thus, in each of the two versions of the commandments, two main thoughts stand out:
- The veneration of only one God.
- Humane attitude to life, health and property of other people.
It follows that the commandments originally given by Allah are also the main commandments of Islam. As a matter of fact, the five pillars of Islam, of which we will talk below, “grew” from them.
Five pillars
The pillars on which Islam is based are not directly listed in the Qur'an, but they became known from the hadiths of the prophet (legends about the words and actions performed by the prophet Muhammad). The vast majority of Muslims adhere to these elements that help them fulfill the basic commandments of Islam. Each of them requires observing three important points: a special inner spiritual state, intention (niyat) and proper completion. By the five pillars is meant the five actions necessary for each faithful Muslim to carry them out. Among them:
- Shahada. Declaration of the true faith, which consists in the recognition of the One God and the mission of the prophet Muhammad.
- Namaz. Five prayers performed daily.
- Ramadan. Compliance with the monthly fast.
- Zakat. Religious tax paid in favor of the needy.
- Hajj. Making a pilgrimage to Mecca.
Let's consider each of them in more detail.
What is the point?
The main content of the five pillars in Islam is as follows:
- Shahada, or Testimony. This is a reproduction of the dogma that Muslims profess monotheism and recognize the prophetic destiny of Muhammad. Its utterance is obligatory at the beginning of the reading of prayers, any event - both religious and secular, held in Islamic states.
- Prayer. Every Muslim who has come of age must pray five times a day. This is done at a strictly set time, in compliance with the prescribed ritual and the pronunciation of certain formulas. The whole order of prayers was formed as an imitation of the movements and poses of the Prophet Muhammad, which have survived to this day, thanks to the stories of the first Muslims, fixed in the memory of people.
- Alms are paid by adult Muslims with legal capacity. The right to receive help from Zakat has such categories as the poor and impoverished people, those who collect it, insolvent debtors, visitors who do not have money to return home, people who deserve encouragement.
- Fasting involves complete abstinence from food and drink, intimate marital relations, everything that distracts from a pious lifestyle in the daytime. With sunset, restrictions are removed. The night is spent reading the Qur'an and thinking. Throughout the entire month of Ramadan , more deeds pleasing to God must be done, alms given, and quarrels avoided.
- Pilgrimage. Hajj to Mecca and Medina is the dream of every Orthodox Muslim. In Mecca is the Kaaba - the main shrine of Islam, and in Medina - the grave of the Prophet Muhammad.