We have recently published the explanation and interpretation a passage covering verses 23-39 of Surah al-Isrāʾ 17:23–39. This passage is considered as one of the Qur’an’s most comprehensive passages on personal morality, family responsibility, social justice, economic ethics and intellectual integrity. It begins with Tawḥīd and ends by returning to Tawḥīd, showing that Islamic morality is not detached from faith: our treatment of parents, money, sexuality, human life, contracts, knowledge and even our manner of walking ultimately flows from accountability before Allah.
Many scholars find a a striking thematic resemblance of the passage of Surah al-Isrāʾ 17:23–39 to the Ten Commandments of the Old Testament. The Qur’anic passage is not simply a repetition of the Decalogue, but it develops many of the same foundational principles into a broader ethical code. Today through this post, we will share the scholarly explanation of the correlation they find with the famous Ten Commandments of the Old Testament, especially Exodus 20:1–17 and Deuteronomy 5:6–21
THE QUR'ANIC CORRELATION
The following explanation should be read with our earlier post: "Al Qur'an spells out a comprehensive charter of personal morality, family responsibility, justice, economic ethics and intellectual integrity" for better understanding and correlation.
1. Quranic Verse 23
- Qur’an: “Do not worship except Him.”
- Ten Commandments: “You shall have no other gods before Me.” — Exodus 20:3
- Relationship: Both begin morality with exclusive devotion to the One God.
2. Quranic Verse 24
- Qur’an: Be excellent to parents; do not even say ‘uff’ to them
- Ten Commandments: “Honor your father and your mother.” — Exodus 20:12
- Relationship: One of the clearest parallels. The Qur’an expands the command by describing tenderness, humility and prayer for parents.
3. Quranic Verse 31
- Qur’an: Do not kill your children for fear of poverty
- Ten Commandments: “You shall not murder.” — Exodus 20:13
- Relationship: The Qur’an applies the sanctity of life specifically to infanticide and economic fear.
4. Quranic Verse 32
- Qur’an: “Do not approach zina.”
- Ten Commandments: “You shall not commit adultery.” — Exodus 20:14
- Relationship: Both protect sexual morality and the family. The Qur’an goes further by prohibiting even the paths leading toward illicit sexual relations.
5. Quranic Verse 33
- Qur’an: Do not kill the life Allah has made sacred except with right
- Ten Commandments: “You shall not murder.” — Exodus 20:13
- Relationship: A direct ethical parallel concerning the sanctity of human life.
6. Quranic Verse 34
- Qur’an: Do not approach the orphan's property except in the best manner
- Ten Commandments: “You shall not steal.” — Exodus 20:15
- Relationship: The Qur’an particularly protects the property of the vulnerable.
7. Quranic Verse 34
- Qur’an: Fulfil your commitments
- Ten Commandments: Moral spirit behind the covenant commandments
- Relationship: Not an exact Decalogue command, but closely connected to faithfulness, honesty and responsibility.
8. Quranic Verse 35
- Qur’an: Give full measure and weigh with an even balance
- Ten Commandments: “You shall not steal.”
- Relationship: Dishonest measurement is effectively a form of theft; the Qur’an explicitly extends property ethics into commerce.
9. Quranic Verse 36
- Qur’an: Do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge
- Ten Commandments: “You shall not bear false witness.” — Exodus 20:16
- Relationship: Closely related to truthfulness: do not make claims, accusations or testimony without knowledge.
10. Quranic Verse 37
- Qur’an: Do not walk arrogantly upon the earth
- Ten Commandments: No direct equivalent
- Relationship: The Qur’an adds an inner moral dimension: pride itself corrupts human conduct.
11. Quranic Verse 26-29
- Qur’an: Give relatives, the poor and traveler their rights; avoid miserliness and extravagance
- Ten Commandments: No direct equivalent
- Relationship: A major Qur’anic expansion: morality includes social responsibility toward the needy.
Where the parallels are strongest
Four commandments are particularly obvious.
- First: Worship God alone.
- The Decalogue begins: “You shall have no other gods before Me.” — Exodus 20:3
- The Qur’anic passage begins similarly: وَقَضَىٰ رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ “Your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him.” — Qur’an 17:23
- Both traditions therefore establish a crucial principle: moral life begins with recognizing the sovereignty of the One God.
- Second: Honour your parents
- The Fifth Commandment says: “Honor your father and your mother.” — Exodus 20:12
- The Qur’an not only repeats the principle but gives it emotional depth:
- “Do not say to them even ‘uff,’ nor repel them, but speak to them a noble word.” — 17:23
- Then: “Lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy and say, ‘My Lord, have mercy upon them as they raised me when I was small.’” — 17:24
- So the Qur’an turns “honour your parents” into a whole philosophy of care for ageing parents.
- Third: Do not murder
- The Old Testament commands: “You shall not murder.” — Exodus 20:13
- Surah al-Isrāʾ gives the same principle:
- “Do not take a life which Allah has made sacred, except with legal right.” — 17:33
- But immediately before it comes another powerful application: “Do not kill your children for fear of poverty.” — 17:31
- The Qur’an therefore links the general sanctity of life with a very specific social evil: killing children because of economic anxiety.
- Fourth: Sexual morality
- The Decalogue states: “You shall not commit adultery.” — Exodus 20:14
- The Qur’an says: وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا الزِّنَىٰ “Do not even approach zina.” — 17:32
- The wording is significant. It does not merely say do not commit adultery; it says do not approach it. Thus Islamic ethics concerns not merely the final act, but also behaviours and circumstances that may lead toward sexual immorality.
Other derived similarities
- Theft becomes a broader economic ethic
- The Ten Commandments say: “You shall not steal.” — Exodus 20:15
- Al Qur'an Surah 17 expands the principle in several directions:
- 17:26 — Give relatives, the needy and traveler their due.
- 17:29 — Neither be miserly nor recklessly extravagant.
- 17:34 — Do not misuse an orphan's property.
- 17:35 — Give full measure and weigh accurately.
- Thus the Qur’anic concept goes beyond simply “do not take what belongs to another.”
- It asks:
- Are you giving people what belongs to them?
- Are you exploiting vulnerable people?
- Are you cheating customers?
- Are you using wealth responsibly?
- That is an important development of the same underlying ethical principle.
- False witness and intellectual honesty
- The Ninth Commandment says: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.” — Exodus 20:16
- The Qur’an gives a broader principle: “Do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart—each of these will be questioned.” — 17:36
- This can encompass false testimony, rumours, accusations, misinformation and irresponsible claims.
- In the modern world this verse has extraordinary relevance to social media, fake news, character assassination and forwarding information without verification.
Important differences
The correspondence is significant, but it is not exact.
- Two of the Ten Commandments do not have direct counterparts in this particular Qur’anic passage: the command concerning the Sabbath and the prohibition against taking God's name in vain.
- Likewise, Surah 17 contains several important teachings absent from the Ten Commandments themselves: responsibility toward the poor and traveler, protection of orphan property, prohibition of extravagance, honest weights and measures, intellectual responsibility, and condemnation of arrogance.
End Note
So we should not say that 17:23–39 is simply the Qur’anic Ten Commandments. Rather, it belongs to the same tradition of Abrahamic moral monotheism, while developing that ethical framework in its own distinctive way.
A particularly interesting Qur’anic conclusion
After giving these commands in 17:23-39, Allah says: “All of this is among the wisdom your Lord has revealed to you.” — 17:39
That is significant. These are not presented merely as disconnected prohibitions. They constitute ḥikmah — wisdom.
The passage (17:23-39) begins with: Your relationship with God: Do not worship anyone besides Him. It then moves to:
- Your family: Honour your parents.
- Your society: Care for the poor and vulnerable.
- Human life: Do not kill.
- Sexual morality: Do not approach zina.
- Economic justice: Do not misuse wealth or cheat.
- Truth and knowledge: Do not speak without knowledge.
- And finally: Your own character: Do not walk arrogantly upon the earth.
The larger message
Seen alongside the Ten Commandments, Al-Isrāʾ 17:23–39 shows the remarkable continuity of the prophetic moral tradition: worship One God, honour parents, protect life, preserve sexual morality, respect property, speak truthfully and live responsibly.
But the Qur’an develops these principles into something even broader:
Tawḥīd → family responsibility → social compassion → sanctity of life → sexual integrity → economic justice → intellectual honesty → humility.
That makes 17:23–39 one of the strongest Qur’anic passages to show a Jewish or Christian reader, because it demonstrates that Islam does not present itself as an entirely disconnected religion; it presents itself as a continuation and restoration of the same fundamental call to One God and righteous living taught by the earlier prophets.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
You may refer to more Selected Verses from Sürah 17. Al-Isra'ʾ (The Night Journey) already published from Sürah 17. Al-Isra'ʾ.
You may also refer to our exclusive reference pages:
- Selected verses from selected Surahs of Al-Qurʾān for compiled verses from other surahs.
- Selected Verses from Al Qur'an about a Specific Subject (Reference Page) to know more about what Qur'an says about specific subjects
- Selected Verses from the Qur'an.
You may also refer to our Reference Pages and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
Disclaimer: This post is not intended to "force" preach, convert, or criticize any belief system. The views shared are meant to inspire dialogue, understanding, and reflection about Islam. Viewer discretion is advised, especially for those navigating sensitive religious experiences. Always seek knowledge with an open heart and mind.
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