ABSTRACT
One can only marvel at how the same precepts as one encounters in the Hammurabi Codes and Buddhism are also found in monotheism. The Ten Commandments of the Hebrew Bible represented a code of morality, justice, and mutual respect shared by the three monotheistic religions, namely Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. From the conquest of Canaan to the last judgment, the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament frequently treated violence as not only justified, but divinely commanded. The Qur’an, like Judaism and Christianity, also provides universal moral guidance for all believers. Charity is a central injunction of the Qur’an, which reminds believers not to waste property vainly or show off, but to help the poor and the needy. In the Qur’an, a war is just when waged for self-defense against internal or external aggression by non-Islamic populations, and against those who violate their oaths by breaking a treaty.
