An Intertextual Study of the Biblical and Quranic Decalogue
TORONTO SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY(Emmanuel College)Research Paper: An Intertextual Study of the Biblical and Quranic DecalogueHidayatullah Sherzad1002861012November 25th 2015Intertwined TextsDr. Nevin RedaThere is no doubt that, for members of the Judeo-Christian communities, the Ten Commandments mentioned in the Bible are fundamental to their faith. It could be said, that for Jews and Christians, the precepts contained within the Ten Commandments are like the Magna Carta of social order[1]. For many in the Judeo-Christian community, the purpose of these precepts is that is serves as a daily reminder for them of the importance of devoting themselves to God, worshiping him alone, and living their lives by the fundamental guidelines laid out in these divine Commandments. The Judeo –Christian communities are not alone, rather they are part of a bigger family of Abrahamic Religions that include Islam and its Muslim followers. Just like the Jews have their Torah and Christians have their Bible, the Muslims too have a book, the Quran. Predictably then, this prompts the question: whether the Quran also includes a list of the Ten Commandments found in the Judaeo-Christian texts or in the least refers to them. In other words, “do the followers of the three monotheistic religions share a codex of religious and ethical rules equally crucial to their lives and for their coexistence?”
The answer to this question is crucial, especially when it comes to interfaith dialogue between the three Abrahamic faiths. I have noticed in my personal interactions, that the primary focus of interfaith dialogue is towards looking at the stories, characters, Prophets or ethical lessons that are common between the three scriptures: the Torah (Old Testament), the Bible (New Testament) and the Quran. This study will shed light on a new opportunity for interfaith dialogue that focuses on the commonality that exists between the Abrahamic Faiths in relation to the Ten Commandments. If this relationship can be expounded and lead to the conclusion that, indeed, the three Abrahamic Faiths, do share a codex of religious and ethical rules, then  I think it would give life to even better relations and unity between the three monotheistic religions. Subsequently, it is hoped that this will lead to better peace, stability and harmony in the world as these religions combined, undoubtedly, have the largest combined following in the world. In fact, according to the CIA Fact Book (2010), Muslims and Christians together make up 54.6% of the world total population.[2]