Commandments
Ten Ethical Injunctions in Qur'an 6:151–153
A connected sequence concerning worship, parents, children, sexual morality, life, orphan property, commercial justice, testimony, covenant and a unified path.
- Tradition or school
- Islam
- Framework type
- Commandments
- Authority classification
- Scriptural
- Observance
- Mandatory
- Research status
- Published and reviewed
- Origin period
- Seventh-century Qur'anic revelation
- Origin region
- Arabian Peninsula
- Attributed origin
- Presented in Islam as revelation from God through Muhammad
- Intended audience
- The Qur'anic audience and Muslims generally
- Published constituent items
- 10
- Last reviewed
- 28 June 2026
Names and terminology
Alternative names: Ethical injunctions of Surah al-An'am; sometimes called the Qur'anic Ten Commandments
Primary texts and authority
Qur'an 6:151–153.
Rules, principles or steps
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Do Not Associate Partners with God
Do not direct worship to another being as a partner with God.
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Treat Parents with Goodness
Act with care and good conduct toward parents.
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Do Not Kill Children Because of Poverty
Do not kill children from fear of material scarcity or inability to provide.
-
Do Not Approach Open or Hidden Indecency
Avoid conduct classified by the passage as flagrant or concealed sexual and moral indecency.
-
Do Not Kill a Protected Person Except by Right
Do not take human life except under an asserted lawful justification.
-
Protect an Orphan's Property
Do not use an orphan's property except in the orphan's best interests until maturity.
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Give Full Measure and Weight with Justice
Conduct trade honestly and do not cheat through false measurement.
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Speak Justly Even About Close Relatives
Give fair and truthful judgment even when personal loyalty creates pressure.
-
Fulfil the Covenant with God
Honour obligations understood as forming part of the covenant with God.
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Follow the Straight Path Rather Than Divisive Ways
Remain committed to the unified path presented by the revelation rather than competing paths.
Historical development
Some Muslim writers enumerate ten commands in these verses and compare them with the biblical Decalogue. The Qur'an itself does not title the passage the Ten Commandments.
Variations
The number ten depends on how clauses are divided. Translations also vary over indecency, covenant, the straight path and killing 'except by right'.
Traditional interpretation
The passage joins exclusive worship with family, social, economic and legal duties.
Controversies and disputes
The exception attached to killing requires interpretation. Rules concerning religious allegiance and sexual conduct also interact with modern freedom and equality rights.
Truth By Reason analysis
Protection of children, life, orphans and commercial fairness has clear ethical force. Religious and sexual rules must be evaluated separately where coercive enforcement affects rights.
Ethical themes
Explanations, comparisons and discussions
Comparison
Qur'an 6:151–153 and the Ten Commandments
A careful comparison that does not claim the Qur'an itself labels the passage a second Decalogue.
Sources
- Qur'an 6:151–153 Primary source