Once written down and examined, it is easier to logically pick apart 'lawcodes'….such as the way a lawyer studies and examines secular law…
Islamic law, Mosaic law, the edicts of the Catholic Churches, or even other sets and groups of lawcodes such as the 'Code of Hammurabi'.
Many Rabbis are of course famous as 'scholars of the law'.
Regarding, 'teachings' such as those of Jesus which are different from something like 'Mosaic Law', there is of course more 'spirituality' in the matter. Especially when Jesus is saying that He is the prophesied Mashyakh, prophesied of:
כִּסְאֲךָ אֱלֹהִים, עוֹלָם וָעֶד; שֵׁבֶט מִישֹׁר, שֵׁבֶט מַלְכוּתֶךָ.
>Thy throne given of God is for ever and ever; a sceptre of equity is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
אָהַבְתָּ צֶּדֶק, וַתִּשְׂנָא-רֶשַׁע:
עַל-כֵּן מְשָׁחֲךָ אֱלֹהִים אֱלֹהֶיךָ, שֶׁמֶן שָׂשׂוֹן– מֵחֲבֵרֶךָ.
>Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated wickedness; {N}
>therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
I think the lawcodes exist for whatever reason they exist, sure.
There is certainly teachings and value to be had independent of the lawcodes however, in Abrahamic religion. Perhaps 'veiled behind lawcodes'.
Whether or not the codes of law are good or bad, I cannot say. Jesus taught the Jews about this, as is recorded.
Regarding Islam, I know Americans today (not just African-Americans) who are converting to Islam, so there must be a reason for it.
Islam's conquest of Jerusalem and vast empires, as well as the modernity of the Quran compared to the New Testament or Tanakh, says a lot for the religion of Islam. That they claim the God of Abraham and they are a force to be reckoned with.
Also Islam seems to absorb positive influences not only from Arabic folk tradition (men entering caves) but also from Christianity and even a bit from the Persian/Zoroastrian culture.
The Islamic rendition of (if I recall, properly) the last judgment, and I think also the Islamic rendition apocalypse is very compelling and powerful.
So, there is a different between 'lawcodes' and the reality of who God is, and what it all means for humanity, of course.