by Fatimah Gorin
When you make the decision to submit to God, you face many challenges. There
are many different ways for you to deal with these challenges. There are
also practices you can implement in your life that will help you, God ,being
the Creator of all things knew that there will be times in your life when
you will need guidance or support. For this reason, God gave Moses the Ten
Commandments for him to share with the people. The Ten Commandments are a
list of do's and don'ts intended to guide you in life. They are a set of
values that you are encouraged to follow in order to strengthen your faith.
Just like in society where you follow the laws, the Commandments are God's
laws, Each one addresses critical area of your life such as dealing with
temptations and avoiding actions that wilt keep you away from God, Following
this guidance is for your own benefit and helps your soul grow. In chapter
20 of Exodus we learn about some of these Commandments which include:
You shall have no other gods but Me.
You shall not take the name of your Lord in vain.
You shall remember & keep the Sabbath day holy.
Honor your father and mother.
You shall not kill.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness.
You shall not covet your neighbor's goods
The Quran, which is another revelation of God that confirms the Bible and
clarifies areas of the Bible that have been changed over time also describes
these commandments.
In Chapter 6 verse 151 through 153 we read:
"Say,' Come let me tell you what your Lord has really prohibited for you:
You shall not set up idols besides Him, You shall honor your parents. You
shall not kill your children from fear of poverty - we provide for you and
for them, You shall not commit gross sins, obvious or hidden You shall not
kill - God has made life sacred except in the course of Justice, These are
His commandments to you, that you may understand, You shall not touch the
orphan's money except in the most righteous manner until they reach maturity.
You shall give full weight and full measure in trade, equitably. We do not
burden any soul beyond its means. You shall be absolutely just when you bear
witness even against your relatives. You shall fulfill your covenant with
God. These are His commandments to you that you may take heed . This is my
path - a straight one. You shall follow it, and do not follow any other paths,
lest divert you from His path. These are His Commandments to you, that you
may be saved."
In addition to these commandments, God has revealed in the Quran practices
that help you purify your soul and bring you closer to your Creator. These
practices are often referred to as the five pillars of Submission (Islam).
These five pillars originated from the prophet Abraham (22:78) and are practices
that were performed by all the prophets and messengers who came after him,
including Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad. These pillars include bearing witness
that there is no other God besides the One God, praying five times a day,
giving 2.5% of your income to charity each time you earn money, fasting,
and pilgrimage once in your lifetime to the shrine built by Abraham. Perhaps
these practices are called pillars because they give you the support and
strength you need to build and enjoy a meaningful life.
The Ten Commandments and Five Pillars have one thing in common: they emphasis
the importance of worshiping one God. It sounds simple, but we often forget
the main reason God created us: to worship Him alone and prove that He is
more important than any other preoccupation we may have in our lives.
God does not need our prayers or practices. He gives us these instructions
as a blessing so that we can show by our actions and conduct that we truly
love, respect, and worship Him atone.
Quran 22:32-35 "Indeed, those who reverence the rites decreed by God demonstrate
the righteousness of their hearts"...For each congregation we have decreed
rites...Your god is one and the same god; you shall submit to Him. Give good
news to the obedient. They are the ones whose hearts tremble upon mentioning
God, they steadfastly persevere during adversity, they observe the Contact
Prayers, and from our provisions to them, they give to charity."
Also, please see " The ten Commandments in the
Quran"
info@submission.org
