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al-isl§m and al-Êm§n 41they should when it is they who weigh or measure for others!’( Al-MuãaffifÊn 83:1-3, AH).8. ‘ Whenever you speak, speak justly, even if a near relative is concerned’:The eighth moral commandment is a powerful call to give testimonytruthfully and in all sincerity. This commandment hasbeen given an even stronger note in MuÈammad’s (ß) message:‘O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses toGod, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin’( Al-Nis§" 4:135). 379. ‘ Fulfil the covenant of God’:The ninth moral commandment requires believers to avoidperjury or disloyalty against a person’s individual beliefs and,most naturally, against the covenant between God and humankind.Loyal believers are ‘those who fulfil the covenant of Godand fail not in their plighted word’ ( Al-Ra#d 13:20). The covenantof God consists of an alliance that people—by swearingan oath—publicly agree to act upon. Most importantly, thisrefers to the covenant of al-isl§m but can include others, forexample, the covenant of faith ( al-Êm§n), a marriage contract,the covenant of a nation state (the oath of citizenship), or thecovenants of an occupational association (guild), a politicalparty, or a sports club.10. ‘ Verily, this is My way, leading straight, follow it; follow not (other)paths’:The tenth and last moral commandment urges people to followthe path of God and to fulfil the divine commandmentsunharmed by friction, animosity, and sectarian strife. It impliesthat unity, agreement, and concord between religions anddenominations is a law of human nature and that it is a greatoffence to violate this law by stirring up animosity and hatredbetween religious communities. As the tenth commandment itcomprises all other nine commandments as it urges the muslimånto fulfil them all and not to be content with only adhering to afew of them.These are the commandments, or universal moral laws of al-isl§m,which we call general ethics ( al-furq§n al-#§mm). Revealed long beforethe seventh century they were further elaborated and fully perfected37Also, ‘You who believe, be steadfast in your devotion to God and bear witnessimpartially’ ( Al-M§"ida 5:8, AH).