The Charter for the Establishment of the Ummah: An Analysis of the Social Function of the "Ten Commandments" (Al-An'am: 151-153) in the Transition from Pre-Islamic ʻAṣabiyyah to a Monotheistic Social Contract
Document Type : مقاله پژوهشی
Authors
1 Ph.D. Graduate, Islamic Jurisprudence and Law, Faculty of Theology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
2 Postdoctoral Researcher, Quranic and Hadith Studies, Faculty of Theology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
10.22084/qss.2025.30714.1116
Abstract
Verses 151-153 of Sūrat al-An‘ām, famously known as the "Ten Commandments," transcend mere individual ethical precepts by offering a coherent charter for the transition from a social order rooted in "Jāhilīyyah ʻAṣabiyyah" (Pre-Islamic Tribalism) to a "Monotheistic Social Contract." The main problem addressed by this research is the analysis of the function of these commandments as a systematic whole in the reconstruction of social structures and the Establishment of the Ummah. This study answers this question using a descriptive-analytical method and a qualitative content analysis approach of authoritative exegeses (Tafsīr). The findings indicate that the principle of Tawḥīd (Monotheism) is the cornerstone of this social contract, achieved by negating arbitrary rule and governance. The other commandments play specific roles in strengthening the family institution based on intergenerational justice, establishing economic justice based on mutual trust, and ensuring the ideological cohesion of the Ummah through adherence to the Ṣirāṭ al-Mustaqīm (Straight Path). In conclusion, these verses offer a comprehensive model for social engineering and the transition from a tribe-centric society to a law-abiding and ethical Ummah.
Keywords
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Volume 4, Issue 1
September 2025Pages 68-83
- Receive Date: 26 March 2025
- Revise Date: 20 July 2025
- Accept Date: 17 September 2025