Despite the fact that the Torah and the Qur’an were created centuries ago, they remain relevant to many people today. Some still spend their lives according to the laws and ethical norms stated in these sacred writings. Both scriptures are based on distinct religions, but the core ethical principles described in both are fairly similar. The Ten Commandments, which are entrenched in the Torah, are the basic laws of life that God is said to have ordained. Torah implies several principles as related to religion and the broader spectrum of applicability. For instance, the premises of “to have no other gods than God, do not make idols, observe the Sabbath” (The Torah, Leviticus, 19:28) are related purely to the religious aspect. Aside from this, “do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false testimony against one’s neighbor” (The Torah, Exodus, 20:14) are applied broader. Today, not just in Judaism but also in other religions, these commandments serve as the foundation for ethical behavior.
The Qur’an’s regulations are analogous to those of the Torah. “Do not serve any other God than God, so as not to bring shame and destruction upon oneself,” reads the first of these laws. “Show compassion to your parents,” “do not kill your children,” “do not do murder,” and “do not commit adultery,” according to the Qur’an (Qur’an, Al-Isra 17:31-35). This is both religiously and universally consistent with the Torah. “[You] shall not kill any person whom God has prohibited you to murder, unless for a fair cause,” the Qur’an says on the matter (Qur’an, Al-Mai’dah, 5:32). Similarly, the Qur’an establishes the ethical principles that are now observed by individuals who practice Islam.
The perception of what is right and wrong within the concept of killing differs initially in the Qur’an. God simply states in the Torah that murder is wrong. People are authorized to murder another person in the Qur’an, provided they have a valid cause. This assumption is too open to interpretation since what constitutes a just reason varies widely.
Another significant distinction is that the Qur’an was sent to Allah’s Messenger Muhammad in phases, according to unique instances and events, but the Torah was delivered all at once. The final distinction stems solely from Islam’s perspective, which regards Muhammad as the last prophet and the Qur’an as the last holy scriptures. “And we have sent down to you the Scripture [this Qur’an]… confirming the Scripture that was before it over them [Scriptures]” (Qur’an, Al-Mai’dah, 5:48). This indicates that after the conclusion of Muhammad’s mission, all other sacred texts and prophetic teachings are rendered invalid. According to this viewpoint, the validity of the Torah was eliminated since the Qur’an was the final revealed Book and hence superseded all earlier scriptures.
The Torah was fully revealed to Moses around 450-350 BC, which is still disputed among the historians. Allah revealed the Qur’an to Prophet Muhammad in sections beginning in 610 AD and continuing until Muhammad’s death in 632 AD. Both texts represented the unique sociopolitical and historical circumstances of the periods revealed. For instance, Qur’an differs in dealing with other religions, being inclusive (during the Makkah period) and later exclusive (during the Madinah period). Despite the fact that they were written thousands of years ago, the Torah and the Qur’an’s considerations are being observed today and are an integral element of society.
References
Qur’an. Translated by Abdullah Y. A. Wordsworth Editions Limited
The Torah. Translated by Mann, T. W. Wipf and Stock Publishers.