Hello, I'm reading Al-Baqarah. I know a little about Judaism, having studied it earlier on as a possible religion for me. Some of the things I am reading don't make sense to me. From Muhammad Asad's 'Message of the Qur'an':

Judaism says that as long as you follow the Noachide Laws you will go to heaven. Muslims most definitely follow those laws.

Judaism's concept of heaven and hell is different from Islam and Christianity's. Hell is a year of reflection (undoubtedly painful as you look over your past wrongs) and at worst, the annihilation of the most evil souls. But basically every righteous gentile goes to heaven.
The Qur'an actually states that the Jews are God's chosen people:
And Jews do believe they have been chosen by God to follow His laws, but they think of it as a burden. There are midrashes that state that God offered the Torah to all the people of the Earth, and they all refused. There's a midrash that even states that God pressured the Jews to accept the Torah by holding a mountain over their heads. The burdened nature of Judaism means that rabbis try to discourage people from converting to Judaism. You don't have to be a Jew to get into heaven, you're equal in God's eyes whether you're a gentile or born to a Jewish mother.

Perhaps the Jews of Arabia held different beliefs to the Jews of the Levant? I don't see how these verses could apply at all to the Jews of nowadays.

Assalamoalikum Green
I agree that Muslims follow those laws but muslims also follow many other laws. Just following Noachide laws will not get you to heaven. We actually follow Muhammad pbuh so some of his teachings may match noachide laws (since they have the same source i.e God). To get to heaven, one needs to believe in prophet Muhammad pbuh and follow Quran. Hence according to this verse, if jews claim that only jews will enter heaven, they are wrong. If they say that only following noachide Laws can get you to heaven, they are wrong.
The verse further tells the Jews to produce their proof. Naturally the Jews will produce their Torah. It is a Muslim's duty to explain to a jew that the book he possesses is unauthentic, because it has many unscientific and unethical points. Hence it cannot be from God, and the proof presented has to be disregarded. Actually the Muslim concept of the Torah is that it was a book given to Moses but it has not retained its original form. It contains word of man, not just God.
How can guidance be a burden? Brother, you have been reading Surah Al Baqarah. It explains us all the blessing bestowed upon Jews by God. For starters God got rid of the Pharoh for them and freed them
002.049 وَإِذْ نَجَّيْنَاكُمْ مِنْ آلِ فِرْعَوْنَ يَسُومُونَكُمْ سُوءَ الْعَذَابِ يُذَبِّحُونَ أَبْنَاءَكُمْ وَيَسْتَحْيُونَ نِسَاءَكُمْ وَفِي ذَلِكُمْ بَلاءٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ عَظِيمٌ
002.049 And remember, We delivered you from the people of Pharaoh: They set you hard tasks and punishments, slaughtered your sons and let your women-folk live; therein was a tremendous trial from your Lord.

002.057 وَظَلَّلْنَا عَلَيْكُمُ الْغَمَامَ وَأَنْزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَنَّ وَالسَّلْوَى كُلُوا مِنْ طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ وَمَا ظَلَمُونَا وَلَكِنْ كَانُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ
002.057 And We gave you the shade of clouds and sent down to you Manna and quails, saying: "Eat of the good things We have provided for you:" (But they rebelled); to us they did no harm, but they harmed their own souls.

002.058 وَإِذْ قُلْنَا ادْخُلُوا هَذِهِ الْقَرْيَةَ فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمْ رَغَدًا وَادْخُلُوا الْبَابَ سُجَّدًا وَقُولُوا حِطَّةٌ نَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ خَطَايَاكُمْ وَسَنَزِيدُ الْمُحْسِنِينَ
002.058 And remember We said: "Enter this town, and eat of the plenty therein as ye wish; but enter the gate with humility, in posture and in words, and We shall forgive you your faults and increase (the portion of) those who do good."

002.059 فَبَدَّلَ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا قَوْلا غَيْرَ الَّذِي قِيلَ لَهُمْ فَأَنْزَلْنَا عَلَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا رِجْزًا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْسُقُونَ
002.059 But the transgressors changed the word from that which had been given them; so We sent on the transgressors a plague from heaven, for that they infringed (Our command) repeatedly.
God gave them so many prophets to guide them. He gave them Moses, Jesus, David, Solomon and so many others. He made the path to heaven so much easier for them. I fail to understand how that is a burden.
God blessed all the Jews, not just the Jews of Arabia. God saved their ancestors, he provided them with guidance etc. So these verses apply to Jews of all times.
May God guide you and me to the right path
ALI

I am sorry to interject this and certainly won't reply to other than the 'children of Israel' that indeed being the 12 sons of Jacob, Jacob PBUH being 'Israel' bani meaning his progeny!

modern day Jews aren't the progeny of Jacob PBUH, they are not semitic save for a handful of them less than 5%..
modern day Jews from Russia, Poland and most parts of Eastern Europe have NO
genetic link to the ancient Hebrews - they for the most part are decendents
of Khazars, who converted to Judaism in the 7th century (this has been
documented by Jewish scholars, not Arabs). The modern day Palestinians can
claim a more direct link to the Hebrew tribes than the founders of modern day
"Israel."

from that I'll leave it to folks to draw their own conclusions

Allah knows best

Salaam/peace;


here is a link for explanation.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir


http://www.tafsir.com/Default.asp