Ten Commandments
Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala is addressing His Messenger Muhammad sallAllahu `alayhi wa sallam to convey to those idolators who worshipped other than Allah, forbade what Allah provided them with and killed their children, following their opinions and the lures of the devils, “…I will recite what your Lord has prohibited to you…” meaning I will inform you about what your Lord has forbidden for you in truth, not guessing or wishful thinking. Rather, it is revelation and an order from Him.
1) Shirk is Forbidden
“…[He commands] that you not associate anything with Him…” This was the first task that do not make idols like the polytheists nor call prophets God or son of God nor take angels to be daughters of God nor equate prophets and saints with Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala in His attributes of knowledge and power like the ignorant masses.
2) The Order for Kindness to Parents
“… [He commands] … to parents, good treatment…” The purpose at this place is to tell not to be disobedient to parents and not to cause pain to them. But it is in a way of wisdom that the prohibition has been sublimated as ‘be good to parents’. The aim is to point out that, in the matter of parents, it is not enough that one does not disobey parents or does not cause any pain to them, but it is one’s duty to keep them pleased with decent, generous and obliging treatment.
It is recorded in the two Saheehs that Ibn Mas`oud said, “I asked Allah’s Messenger about which deed is the best. He said, ‘The prayer, when it is performed on time.’ I said, ‘Then?’ He said, ‘Being dutiful to parents.’ I asked, ‘Then?’ He said, ‘Jihad in Allah’s cause.’ Ibn Mas`oud said, “The Messenger of Allah said these words to me, and had I asked him for more, he would have said more.”
And certainly deprived and disgraced is he who has allowed such an easy bargain of Paradise slip out of his hands. This bargain is easy because parents are naturally affectionate to their children on their own. A little consideration here and there would make them all too happy. So, pleasing parents does not depend on or require a major act of grace. The restriction of old age placed here is because parents, when healthy and strong, take care of their needs by themselves – rather, would not hesitate to come to their assistance when needed, financially, physically or morally. At that time, neither do they need being served, nor would that service carry any distinct weight of its own. Serving parents can only be worthwhile and praiseworthy at a time when they need it because of their old age.
3) Killing Children is Forbidden
“… [He commands]…and do not kill your children out of poverty; We will provide for you and them…” First the rights of parents due on children were taken up and now it is the right of children due on parents. Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala commands the children to be kind to their parents and grandparents, and orders the parents and grandparents to be kind to their children and grandchildren. The idolators used to kill their children obeying the lures of the devil. They used to bury their daughters alive for fear of shame, and sometimes kill their sons for fear of poverty.
Abdullah Ibn Mas`oud said, I asked the Messenger of Allah, “Which sin is the biggest?” He said, “To call a rival for Allah while He alone created you.” I said, “Then what?” He said, “To kill your son for fear that he might share your food.” I said, “Then what?” He said, “To commit adultery with your neighbor’s wife.” Then the Messenger recited Ayah 68 of Surah al-Furqan, “And those who invoke not any other god along with Allah, nor kill such persons as Allah has forbidden except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual intercourse…”
4) Shameful Acts
“… And do not approach immoralities – what is apparent of them and what is concealed…” Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala prohibits even coming near shameful acts. The Arabic word Fawahish applies to all kinds of impure acts whose obscenity is absolutely obvious. The Qur’an declares adultery, sodomy, nudism, calumny, marriage with father’s wife as “indecencies”. Besides these, theft, drinking and beggary have also been included in the list of the indecencies in the ahadeeth.
If fawahish is taken in a broad and general sense, it will become inclusive of all evil traits and sins, whether of speech, or those of hands and feet and the heart. And if it is taken in the commonly and widely understood sense, that is, in the sense of immodesty, then, it would be referring to shameful acts, their preliminaries and their means and motives.
All outward indecencies would mean all sins committed through speech or through the use of hands and feet etc., and inward indecencies would be referring to sins which issue forth from the heart, such as, envy, malice, greed, ungratefulness, impatience and others of this nature.
5) The Prohibition of Unjustified Killing
“…And do not kill the soul which Allah has forbidden [to be killed] except by [legal] right…” This is the declaration of the sanctity of human life by Allah. The details of this right to kill appear in a hadeeth narrated by `Abdullah ibn Mas`oud radhiAllahu `anhu in al-Bukhari and Muslim. The Prophet sallAllahu `alayhi wa sallam said,
لَا يَحِلُّ دَمُ امْرِىءٍ مُسْلِمٍ يَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَأَنِّي رَسُولُ اللهِ، إِلَّا بِإِحْدَى ثَلَاثٍ: الثَّيِّبُ الزَّانِي، وَالنَّفْسُ بِالنَّفْسِ، وَالتَّارِكُ لِدِينِهِ الْمُفَارِقُ لِلْجَمَاعَة
“The blood of a Muslim person who testifies that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah is prohibited, except for three offenses: a married person who commits illegal sexual intercourse, life for life, and whoever reverts from the religion and abandons the Jama`ah (the community of faithful believers).) There is a prohibition, a warning and a threat against killing the Mu`ahid, i.e., non-Muslims who have a treaty of peace with Muslims.”
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