What is the Quran's view of Jews?

[primitivefuture]

As a Muslim, I realize that it is the duty of Muslims to follow our prophet Muhammad (pbuh). However, there are some anti-Jewish quotes in the Quran that give the impression that anti-Semitism by Muslims is supported by the Quran.

Can anyone please refute this? Can anybody provide some quotes that expose the truth?

Thanks, and Salaam :)

[Muslim Knight]

As a Muslim, I realize that it is the duty of Muslims to follow our prophet Muhammad (pbuh). However, there are some anti-Jewish quotes in the Quran that give the impression that anti-Semitism by Muslims is supported by the Quran.

Can anyone please refute this? Can anybody provide some quotes that expose the truth?

Thanks, and Salaam :)

Al-Quran does not support racism or anti-semitism. Prophet Muhammad salallahu 'alayhi wassalam was an Arab, and effectively, a Semite as well. Could he be possibly be teaching anti-semitism? I think not.

[chacha_jalebi]

salaam

the quran has always been right, its not racist or nefin, what u need 2 undastand is dat sum verses wer meant 4 d times bk in day,

lik wen it says "do not take any jew or christian as your friend, they are friends of each other" this was regardin wen d Prophet (saw) went 2 madinah & he signed d treaty with d jews & d jews tried 2 betray d muslims, but Allah (swt) already had revealed dat verse!

bro/ sis wot verses are u particularly talking bout :)

[primitivefuture]

Quote:
1. "They used to fabricate things and falsely ascribe them to Allah. Allah Almighty says: 'That is because they say: We have no duty to the Gentiles. They knowingly speak a lie concerning Allah.' (Al-'Imran: 75) Also: 'The Jews say: Allah's hand is fettered. [But it is] their hands that are fettered and they are accursed for saying [Allah's hands are fettered]. Nay, but both His hands are spread out wide in bounty. He bestoweth as He will' (Al-Ma'idah: 64) In another verse, Almighty Allah says: 'Verily, Allah heard the words of those who said, (when asked for contributions to the war): 'Allah, forsooth, is poor, and we are rich! We shall record their words with their wrongful slaying of the Prophets and we shall say: Taste ye the punishment of burning!' (Al-'Imran: 181)

2. "They love to listen to lies. Concerning this Allah says: 'And of the Jews: listeners for the sake of falsehood, listeners on behalf of other folk.' (Al-Ma'idah: 41)

3. "Disobeying Almighty Allah and never observing His commands. Allah says: 'And because they broke their covenant, We have cursed them and hardened their hearts.' (Al-Ma'idah: 13)

4. "Disputing and quarreling. This is clear in the verse that reads: 'Their Prophet said unto them: Lo! Allah hath raised up Saul to be a king for you. They said: How can he have kingdom over us when we are more deserving of the kingdom than he is, since he hath not been given wealth enough?' (Al-Baqarah: 247)

5. "Hiding the truth and supporting deception. This can be understood from the verse that reads: '… [They] distort the Scripture with their tongues, that ye may think that what they say is from the Scripture, when it is not from the Scripture.' (Al-'Imran: 78)

6. "Rebelling against the Prophets and rejecting their guidance. This is clear in the verse: 'And when ye said: O Moses! We will not believe in thee till we see Allah plainly.' (Al-Baqarah: 55)

7. "Hypocrisy. In a verse, we read: 'And when they fall in with those who believe, they say: We believe; but when they go apart to their devils they declare: Lo! we are with you; verily we did but mock.' (Al-Baqarah: 14) In another verse, we read: 'Enjoin ye righteousness upon mankind while ye yourselves forget (to practice it)? And ye are readers of the Scripture! Have ye then no sense?' (Al-Baqarah: 44)

8. "Giving preference to their own interests over the rulings of religion and the dictates of truth. Allah says [to the Jews]: '… When there cometh unto you a messenger (from Allah) with that which ye yourselves desire not, ye grow arrogant, and some ye disbelieve and some ye slay?' (Al-Baqarah: 87)

9. "Wishing evil for people and trying to mislead them. This is clear in the verse that reads: 'Many of the People of the Book long to make you disbelievers after your belief, through envy on their own account, after the truth hath become manifest unto them.' (Al-Baqarah: 109)

10. "They feel pain to see others in happiness and are gleeful when others are afflicted with a calamity. This is clear in the verse that reads: 'If a lucky chance befall you, it is evil unto them, and if disaster strike you they rejoice thereat.' (Al-'Imran: 120)

11. "They are known for their arrogance and haughtiness. They claim to be the sons and of Allah and His beloved ones. Allah tells us about this in the verse that reads: 'The Jews and Christians say: We are sons of Allah and His loved ones.' (Al-Ma'idah: 18)

12. "Utilitarianism and opportunism are among their innate traits. This is clear in the verse that reads: 'And of their taking usury when they were forbidden it, and of their devouring people's wealth by false pretences.' (An-Nisa': 161)

13. "Their rudeness and vulgarity is beyond description. Referring to this, the Qur'anic verse reads: 'Some of those who are Jews change words from their context and say: We hear and disobey; hear thou as one who heareth not, and Listen to us!, distorting with their tongues and slandering religion. If they had said: We hear and we obey; hear thou, and look at us, it had been better for them, and more upright. But Allah hath cursed them for their disbelief, so they believe not, save for a few.' (An-Nisa':46)

14. "It is easy for them to slay people and kill innocents. Nothing in the world is dearer to their hearts than shedding blood and murdering human beings. They never give up this trait even with the Messengers and the Prophets. Allah says: '… And [they] slew the prophets wrongfully.' (Al-Baqarah: 61)

15. "They are merciless and heartless. In this meaning, the Qur'anic verse explains: 'Then, even after that, your hearts were hardened and became as rocks, or worse than rocks, for hardness.' (Al-Baqarah: 74)

16. "They never keep their promises or fulfill their words. Almighty Allah says: Is it ever so that when ye make a covenant, a party of you violates it?' The truth is, most of them believe not.' (Al-Baqarah: 100)

17. "They rush hurriedly to sin and compete in transgression. Allah says: 'They restrained not one another from the wickedness they did. Verily, evil was what they used to do!' (Al-Ma'idah: 79)

18. "Cowardice and love for this worldly life are undisputable traits [of the Jews]. It is to this that the Quran refers when saying: 'Ye [Muslims] are more awful as fear in their [the Jews'] bosoms than Allah. That is because they are people who understand not. They will not fight against you in a group save in fortified villages or from behind walls. Their adversity among themselves is very great. Ye think of them as a whole whereas their hearts are diverse.' (Al-Hashr: 13-14) Allah Almighty also says: 'And thou wilt find them greediest of mankind for life and (greedier) than the idolaters.' (Al-Baqarah: 96)

19. "Miserliness runs deep in their hearts. Describing this, the Qur'an states: 'Or have they even a share in the Sovereignty? Then in that case, they would not give mankind even the speck on a date stone.' (An-Nisa': 53)

20. "Distorting Divine Revelation and Allah's Sacred Books. Allah says in this regard: 'Therefore woe be unto those who write the Scripture with their hands and say, 'This is from Allah,' that they may purchase a small gain therewith. Woe unto them for what their hands have written, and woe unto them for what they earn thereby.' (Al-Baqara: 79)

These are some quotes. I know they are taken our of context.

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[czgibson]

Greetings,

12. "Utilitarianism and opportunism are among their innate traits. This is clear in the verse that reads: 'And of their taking usury when they were forbidden it, and of their devouring people's wealth by false pretences.' (An-Nisa': 161)

I'm not sure how utilitarianism is implied by this verse.

Peace

[primitivefuture]

The quotes portrayb Jews as deceptive and infidels. Is there anyway I can refute this and reassure my Jewish brothers that Islam respects Jews?

[Rabi'ya]

:sl:

im gonna let one of the more knowledgable brothers or sister answer your question directly. But, Islam respects all people, regardless of their faith. Ultimately we are all creations of Allah and in such terms we should all learn to respect each other. Some people(and itsonly up to Allah to judge) may need guidance. Perhaps we as Muslims will try to give the guidance but only because we have the best of intentions at heart.

are you Muslim PrimitiveFuture?

:w:

Rabi'ya:rose:

[NJUSA]

The Jews are addressed in two roles in the Qur'an: in their role as an earlier community of believers, prior recipients of revelation, and in their role as a group living in Yathrib(the city that would become Madina), whose interests sometimes agreed with those of Muslims, and sometimes not. The Jews are sometimes praised for values that they held on to, sometimes chastised for values they abandoned in the former role, and revelations concerning their latter role guided the politics of the early Muslim community, which did sometimes involve opposing the Jews in Yathrib in military campaigns. What has happened is that verses that were revealed for a very specific circumstance were deemed to be normative, and verses praising the values that the Jews maintained have been habitually ignored. While the Qur'an was revealed during a time of conflict with a Jewish community, it does not espouse anti-Semitism as a value. It's a bit like saying that Christians should despise modern Romans because of the persecution that the early Christian community endured from the Roman empire.

[chacha_jalebi]

salaam :)

u got dese surahs, from dat place describin d bad qualities of d jews init lol :okay:

hmmm lol, now now before i try 2 answer inshallah, im gona say wen we read d quran we need 2 b open minded, lik Hadhrat Umar (ra) he said, wen he read surah Al fatiha, he found over 30 meanings 4 it & surah Fatiha is short!! :)

now lol

d 1st line from surah al Imran, remem surah al imran was revealed in Madinah, so obviously it had sumfin 2 do wit madinah & it tells bout past events aswel.

dis verse verse 75 is quoted completely out of context bcos if u read d whole surah it says

Some followers of the scripture can be trusted with a whole lot, and they will give it back to you. Others among them cannot be trusted with a single dinar; they will not repay you unless you keep after them. That is because they say, "We do not have to be honest when dealing with the gentiles!" Thus, they attribute lies to GOD, knowingly.

basically it is tellin dat d sum ppl of d book (christians, jews) wil pay bk stuf dey owe u & sum wont, but d 1s dat dnt dey say we dnt gota bcos dey r jews or christians so we can lie 2 dem, sorted

d nex line verse 76 says

Those that keep their plighted faith and act aright,-verily Allah loves those who act aright.
so basically Allah (swt) is sayin dat he loves dose who will pay bk & keep der promises,

so d verses wer quoted out of context, lik in d quran it says "wen ur attacked u can defend urself" now i can quote out of context & say d quran says "attack" lol do u understand lol

u no d surahs u provided read all of dem & read d lines dat follow dem or cum before dem, i hope i hav helped :)

[czgibson]

Greetings,

The quotes portrayb Jews as deceptive and infidels.

I can see that - I just wasn't sure where the writer got the idea that utilitarianism was implied by the verse I quoted. I'm also not sure where they got the idea that utilitarianism is a bad thing.

Is there anyway I can refute this and reassure my Jewish brothers that Islam respects Jews?

I am sure that someone more knowledgable than me will be able to explain how these verses do not in fact imply what they appear to imply. I would say this, though: this is yet another example of an issue mentioned in the Qur'an which can very easily be misinterpreted by someone who has not studied the book at great length.

I used to teach English at an international language school. One year I had a contingent of Muslims from the UAE and Saudi Arabia who formed my class. They were generally very pleasant gentlemen, but it became clear over time that they were all virulently anti-Semitic. They weren't just anti-Zionist - they talked openly of their hatred of Jews of any kind, and claimed that this was the Qur'anic view. I'm not saying that this is a reflection of Islam; simply their interpretation of it. In various other classes at the school were students from Israel, and Jews from other parts of the world. We deliberately kept this a secret from the guys in my class, because we believed that had they been aware that there were Jews at the school, violence would have been inevitable.

I believe that these Muslims had interpreted their religion wrongly. I don't know enough about the Qur'an to be able to demonstrate this; I believe this simply because I have known many Muslims who were clearly not anti-Semitic.

I mention this as support for my view that this issue in the Qur'an can be interpreted in different ways, as against the view often given by Muslims that the Qur'an clearly expresses itself - beyond that, I can say no more.

Peace

[Mythical Eagle]

As a Muslim, I realize that it is the duty of Muslims to follow our prophet Muhammad (pbuh). However, there are some anti-Jewish quotes in the Quran that give the impression that anti-Semitism by Muslims is supported by the Quran.

Can anyone please refute this? Can anybody provide some quotes that expose the truth?

Thanks, and Salaam :)

Assalamualaikum.

The verses which you say are anti-Jewish do not apply to all Jews. They only apply to the ones who do evil.
The Quran says that there are good Jews who "guide and do justice in the light of truth":

"Of the people of Moses there is a section who guide and do justice in the light of truth." (Quran 7:159)

[chacha_jalebi]

ya future & dey hav been mis quoted, lik i said!!

[Abdullah4ever]

:sl:

The quran praises the jews in Surah Jathiya "And verily We gave the Children of Israel the Scripture and the Command and the Prophethood, and provided them with good things and favored them above (all) peoples.” (Al-Jathiyah:16) i.e. the peoples of their time.



The following are the bad qualties of the jews in the quran:

1. They used to fabricate things and falsely ascribe them to Allah. Allah says: “ That is because they say: We have no duty to the Gentiles. They speak a lie concerning Allah knowingly.” (Al-`Imran:75) Also: “The Jews say: Allah's hand is fettered. Their hands are fettered and they are accursed for saying so. Nay, but both His hands are spread out wide in bounty. He bestoweth as He will.” (Al-Ma`idah:64)

In another verse Almighty Allah says: “Verily Allah heard the saying of those who said, (when asked for contributions to the war): "Allah, forsooth, is poor, and we are rich! We shall record their saying with their slaying of the Prophets wrongfully and We shall say: Taste ye the punishment of burning!” (Al-`Imran:181)

2. They love to listen to lies. Concerning this Allah says: “and of the Jews: listeners for the sake of falsehood, listeners on behalf of other folk” (Al-Ma’idah: 41)

3. Disobeying Almighty Allah and never observing His commands. Allah says: “And because of their breaking their covenant, We have cursed them and made hard their hearts.” (Al-Ma’idah: 13)

4. Disputing and quarreling. This is clear in the verse that reads: “Their Prophet said unto them: Lo! Allah hath raised up Saul to be a king for you. They said: How can he have kingdom over us when we are more deserving of the kingdom than he is, since he hath not been given wealth enough?” (Al-Baqarah: 247)

5. Hiding the truth and standing for misleading. This can be understood from the verse that reads: “…distort the Scripture with their tongues, that ye may think that what they say is from the Scripture, when it is not from the Scripture.” (Al-`Imran: 78)

6. Staging rebellion against the Prophets and rejecting their guidance. This is clear in the verse: “And when ye said: O Moses! We will not believe in thee till we see Allah plainly.” (Al-Baqarah: 55)

7. Hypocrisy. In a verse, we read: “And when they fall in with those who believe, they say: We believe; but when they go apart to their devils they declare: Lo! we are with you; verily we did but mock.” (Al-Baqarah: 14) In another verse, we read: “Enjoin ye righteousness upon mankind while ye yourselves forget (to practice it)? And ye are readers of the Scripture! Have ye then no sense?” (Al-Baqarah: 44)

8. Giving preference to their own interests over the rulings of religion and the dictates of truth. Allah says: “…when there cometh unto you a messenger (from Allah) with that which ye yourselves desire not, ye grow arrogant, and some ye disbelieve and some ye slay?” (Al-Baqarah: 87)

9. Wishing evil for people and trying to mislead them. This is clear in the verse that reads: “Many of the People of the Scripture long to make you disbelievers after your belief, through envy on their own account, after the truth hath become manifest unto them.” (Al-Baqarah: 109)

10. They feel pain to see others in happiness and are gleeful when others are afflicted with a calamity. This is clear in the verse that reads: “If a lucky chance befall you, it is evil unto them, and if disaster strike you they rejoice thereat.” (Al-`Imran:120)

[czgibson]

Greetings,

The following are the bad qualties of the jews in the quran:

Is all of this supposed to help in answering the question, or to reinforce the view that Muslims are instructed by the Qur'an to hate Jews?

Peace

[chacha_jalebi]

lol, bro abdullah has posted exactly d same thin dat positive posted as his Q,

neway d verses r quoted out of context!!!! :) i xplained dem b4 in my above post, :)

[czgibson]

Greetings,

lol, bro abdullah has posted exactly d same thin dat positive posted as his Q,

neway d verses r quoted out of context!!!! :) i xplained dem b4 in my above post, :)

Sorry, I can't really understand what you've written.

Peace

[Abdullah4ever]

:sl:

He wrote

Lol bro abdullah has posted exactly the same thing that positive posted as his question

Anyway the verses are quoted out of context! I explained them before in my above post

[czgibson]

Greetings,

:sl:

He wrote

Lol bro abdullah has posted exactly the same thing that positive posted as his question

Anyway the verses are quoted out of context! I explained them before in my above post

Thanks for the translation. I can't see the post where this explanation is meant to have happened, but since chacha_jalebi's posts are written in a language I don't understand I'm guessing it's one of his. Never mind.

Peace

[Abdullah4ever]

Greetings,


Thanks for the translation. I can't see the post where this explanation is meant to have happened, but since chacha_jalebi's posts are written in a language I don't understand I'm guessing it's one of his. Never mind.

Peace

Looooooooool his own translation... i think its cool ;D

[Ansar Al-'Adl]

:sl:
These issues have been answered over and over again on the internet:
http://www.islamtoday.com/showme2.cf...sub_cat_id=497

Does the Qur'an Sound Anti-Semitic?
| Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi|

This article was written as a response to the following question:

Sir, I am a Jew and in reading the Qur'an, I find that it is very harsh in its criticism of the Jewish people. For example in Chapter 5: 60-64 I see that Jewish people are called as those whom Allah has cursed, is angry with them and has turned them into apes and swine. This is very offensive and it sounds outright anti-Semitic. How do you explain this? Anticipating your answer please!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Sir, we appreciate your question and your efforts in pursuit of knowledge and that is what everybody, irrespective of his religion, is required to do.

As regards your question, "Anti-Semitism means condemning and hating a people because of their Semitic race. Anti-Semitism is bigotry and racism. It is wrong and it has no place in Islam or in Islamic scripture. The Qur'ân does not allow hate against any race, nationality or color. Throughout the history of Islam, Muslims have never used passages from the Qur'ân to justify acts of anti-Semitism. The ill-effects of racism, including ethnic cleaning, genocide and Holocaust, which has been suffered by Jews and non-Jews alike over the past several centuries, has never been done under the banner of any passages from the Qur'ân. Jews were among the earliest converts to Islam (in Madinah) and, throughout the Middle Ages, Jews found sanctuary to practice their own religion under Islamic rule. It is truly disappointing and naive to ignore 1430 years of history and learned discourse on the Qur'ân and argue that the current political situation in the Middle East has its roots in passages from the Qur'ân.

As with all scriptures, passages from the Qur'ân must be read within the proper context. The Qur'ân was not just revealed to Muslims, but to all people, including Jews and Christians. Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was in the line of previous Prophets of Allah, including Prophets Abraham, Moses and Jesus, and the Qur'ân is in the line of previous scriptures revealed by Allah. The Qur'ân does not condemn the Semitic race and, in fact, accords Jews a special status given their shared Prophetic traditions with Islam.

The Qur'ân instead criticizes those Jews who turned away from Allah's authentic message and admonishes those who scorned and ridiculed Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and the message of the Qur'ân. Such criticism is similar to the criticism against Jews found in other scriptures, including the Bible, and should be taken by all people as a reminder and warning against forsaking and straying from the authentic message of Allah. Such specific criticism has never been interpreted by learned scholars of the Qur'ân to incite hatred against all Jewish people and should not be confused with anti-Semitism.

The Qur'an speaks extensively about the Children of Israel (Banû Isrâ'îl) and recognizes that the Jews (a-Yahûd) are, according to lineage, descendants of Prophet Abraham through his son Isaac and grandson Jacob, peace and blessings be upon them all. They were chosen by Allah for a mission: "And We chose them, purposely, above (all) creatures." [Sûrah al-Dukhân: 32] Allah raised among them many Prophets and bestowed upon them what He had not bestowed upon many others: "And (remember) when Musa said unto his people: O my people ! Remember Allah's favor unto you, how He placed among you Prophets, and He made you Kings, and gave you that (which) He gave not to any (other) of (His) creatures." [Sûrah al-Mâ'idah: 20] He, also, exalted them over other nations of the earth and granted them many favors: "O Children of Israel! Remember My favor wherewith I favored you and how I preferred you to (all) creatures." [Sûrah al-Baqarah: 47]

Passages from the Qur'an which criticize the Jews fall primarily into two categories:

First, the Qur'an speaks of how some of the Children of Israel turned away from the authentic message revealed to them. They disobeyed Allah and showed ingratitude for Allah's favors on them. They lost the original Tawrat (Torah) and introduced their own words and interpretations in the divine books. They became arrogant and claimed that they were Allah's children and went about vaunting their position as His most chosen people [Sûrah al-Nisâ':155; Sûrah al-Mâ'idah:13,18]. They also brazenly committed sins and their rabbis and priests did not stop them from doing so [Sûrah all-Mâ'idah: 63, 79). Allah raised His Prophet, Jesus, among them so that he might show them several miracles and thereby guide them to the right path, but they rejected him, attempted to kill him, and even claimed that they had indeed killed him although they had not been able to do so [Sûrah al-Nisa': 157-158]. Allah specifically addresses the Children of Israel in many of these passages. This is important, because it shows that the message of the Qur'an was intended for all people, including the Jews, and the criticism was directed against a specific group of people for their specific actions. This criticism should be distinguished from cursing people merely because of their race.

Second, the criticism of the Jews which is found in passages including those you referenced from [Sûrah al-Mâ'idah: 60-64] . These verses criticize the Jews and Christians who ridiculed Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and his message. They made mockery and sport of his call to prayer, and they rebuked him even though he was calling them to believe in what Allah revealed to him and to what was revealed before him through their own Prophets. They became spiteful towards him and rejected him since he did not belong to the Children of Israel [Sûrah al-Baqarah:109; Sûrah al-Nisâ': 54].

The Qur'ân specifically notes that such criticism is not directed against all Jews. Even when the Qur'ân criticizes the Jews it always notes that "among them there are some..." who are pious and righteous people, who command what is right and forbid what is wrong and try to excel each other in acts of charity and goodness. The Qur'ân says that such people are assured that whatever good they will do will not be denied them and they shall receive their reward with Allah [Sûrah آl `Imrân: 113-115].

Taking a few passages from the Qur'an out of proper historical and textual context will not give a proper understanding of the religious scripture. This is not only true of the Qur'ân but also of the Bible. Many passages from the Bible also criticize the Jews. Read the Hebrew Bible, particularly Micah (Chapter 3:1-12) and Hosea (Chapter 8:1-14), in which these Prophets condemned the Jews "who abhor justice and pervert all equity" and who "build Zion with blood and Jerusalem with wrong." These Prophets cursed Israel as a "useless vessel among nations," and called for the curse of Allah to "send a fire upon [Judah's] cities" and to make Jerusalem "a heap of ruins." Similarly, in the Book of Deuteronomy (Verses 16-68), Moses (Musa) warns the Jews that Allah "will send upon you curses, confusion, and frustration, in all that you undertake to do, until you are destroyed and perish quickly, on account of the evil of your doings, because you have forsaken me" (28: 20). In Matthew (Chapter 23:13-39), Jesus (`Isa) repeatedly admonishes the Jews for their hypocrisy and injustice, and condemns them for the killing of past Prophets. Jesus says, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the Prophets and stoning those who are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! Behold, your house is forsaken and desolate." It would indeed seem strange if, based on these passages, one were to argue that the Bible and the Hebrew Prophets were anti-Semitic and called for the destruction of present-day Israel. Yet, questioning passages from the Qur'an as anti-Semitic is similarly without merit.

Allah Almighty knows best.

If any specific verses need to be clarified, feel free to specify.

:w:

[Skillganon]

Well If you read the OT Jews are not really potrayed in a good light themselve. So I find a bit stupid to say Quran is anti-semite. The Quran is relating some of the stuff that some of the Jews use to do and stuff like that back during the prophet time and before the prophets time.

[chacha_jalebi]

gibson chap, calm down!! they are quoted out of context, they have just picked lines out, without reading what comes before the lines and what comes after

do you understand now? :)

good!! :okay:

[Woodrow]

One complex aspect here is more then one subject is being discussed and being treated as just one subject.

To begin with we need to define exactly what is meant by a Jew in each ayyat Jew is mentioned. You can not take any ayyat out of context and not know the entire Surah, and be able to understand it.

If you read carefully you will find that in each incident the word Jew is used as applying to a specific group of people in a specific area and time. There are some ayyats were Jew is used as a general term, and that is understood if you know the entire Surah.

Now to get to fair treatment of Jews, proper attitudes about and etc: Look at these ayyats 2: 136-140, 9: 1-4 there are more. The Qur'an has many ayyats speaking of fair treatment of all people.

[Lateralus63]

If i quoted one (or several) lines from a novel, that would still not be sufficient to understand it fully. The link Ansar Al-'Adl provided answers the issue perfectly.

[czgibson]

Greetings,

gibson chap, calm down!! they are quoted out of context, they have just picked lines out, without reading what comes before the lines and what comes after

Yes, I know this. All I'm saying is that they allow scope for misinterpretation, and that this has happened in the cases of several Muslims that I've known.

Peace

[Skillganon]

Greetings,


Yes, I know this. All I'm saying is that they allow scope for misinterpretation, and that this has happened in the cases of several Muslims that I've known.

Peace

Well, I am concerned about who is spreading those missinterpreations, if you have not notice it is mainly non-muslims who are and from non-muslim sites, and those who pretend to be muslim and selectively quote to lead people astray, I seen it myself in some blogs. I really get the feeling how do they ignore the other passage and message of the Quran if they truly have read it.

[czgibson]

Greetings,

Well, I am concerned about who is spreading those missinterpreations, if you have not notice it is mainly non-muslims who are and from non-muslim sites, and those who pretend to be muslim and selectively quote to lead people astray, I seen it myself in some blogs. I really get the feeling how do they ignore the other passage and message of the Quran if they truly have read it.

It's a good question and I don't know the answer. This is why I'm confused about this, you see.

Peace

[akulion]

Salam Alaikum

Mostly the Children of Isreal are looked upon in the quran as the "fallen people" mainly because of their own actions.

1. The Children of Isreal were sent Moses who showed them great miracles and led them out of the hands of the Pharoh and into safety. Yet when he left them they turned away from his message and started worshipping idols.

2. They were told to march into Jeuresulem and it would fall wihout a battle - yet their answer was "you can your God do it"

3. They were sent food from Paradise yet they said we prefer our onions and garlic, thus rejecting Gods gift

4. they were sent Jesus the living miracle, yet they plotted to kill him

5. They were told not to fish on one day and they still did it making a "bypass" of the commandment, thinking themselves too wise.

Basically their story is the same as that of satan - he was once a choosen being - but he grew so arrogant that he believed he could do anything and he would come out on top. same with the children of Isreal that because God said you are the choosen ones, they considered themselves above all others..thus their down fall.

that is why in the Quran God has told the Muslims clearly that even though you are the choosen ones ow but do not think that I cannot replace you as easily as I selected you.

The mention of them in the Quran is basically based on their own actions in the past and their continuing actions - like - writing their books with their own hands, plotting to kill the prophets and men of god, spreading mischeif in the world in general (we even see evidence of this today) and foremost rejecting the message of God and considering themselves to be above others simply because they think they have been given a promise by God that they will always be the choosen ones.

anyways now i lost my train of thought lol...

so ill stp here

[seek.learn]

Assalaam o alaikum wa rahmatullah,
Peace,

Allahu Alim.

I do not consider myself knowledgable in anyway but since I've started the tafseer of Surah Baqarah this is what I've learnt so far.
In this chapter of the Quran, the second one, or second Surah, a little way into it starts off with the Bani Israel, or the children of Isreal. Now one might think that its just having us muslims hate the jews, but there really is so much more to it.

The Bani Israel were the chosen people of Allah. Allah says in Surah Baqarah, " O Children of Isreal! call to mind the (special) favor which I bestowed upon you, and that I preferred you to all others (for my message)" 2:47 [ YusufAli translation]

This in itself holds the answer. Bani Israel was the chosen nation. After them it is the followers of Muhammed (SAWS). We, the Muslims, are the chosen nation now. So everything that the Quran says about the Jews. Its not hatred. Its for us to learn the lesson. It pinpoints in various places everything they did wrong, everything that was a 'cause for their becoming misguided. It is telling us, Muslims, do not do the same things. If you look at every thing they did wrong, and if you were to look at the state of our ummah today, you would see the striking similarities. There is so much in us that is just like what they did. There are even hadith where the summary is that we, the Muslims, will follow the Jews and Christians and imitate them in every way. We are meant to think, ponder, Learn!

The Quran is the book of guidance. It is meant to show us the straight path. Yes, when seen in context of the time it was revealed, it has its purpose there, just as the above link and everyone else has said so far. But this book is for all times, and for all people. What more guidance could this miraculous book be intending to give me when it continuously pinpoints our preceding nations errors?? Learn from them!

And if you further look into it, really place yourself in it, and read. You will see its not hatred at all. Israel was the name of Prophet Yaqoub (PBUH) [Jacob]. Over and over again, "Oh the children of Israel". That isnt being said with hatred at all. You hate someone you dont call them as if you truly care for them. Im afraid my language skills are not good enough for me to be able to explain this point further. I hope you can understand it. Or maybe someone better than me can explain.

And Allah knows best.
May Allah forgive me and us all, and Guide us. Aameen.

Alaikum salaam wa rahmatullah,
Peace

EDIT: As brother Akulion mentioned. He beat me to it!

[akulion]

Regarding the "choosen nation" one has to understand this is not a "race thing"

But rather its a "duty thing"

Like I say to my employee "you are the choosen one to do this task"

same way the Children of Isreal were the choosen people to do Gods work - but they took it the opposite way around that they were "choosen" so now God must do everything for them and they can all chill out.

Thats the difference between the current choosen people and the choosen people of the past. Today the Muslim ummah carries the message forward at the risk of their own lives.

the world looks on and thinks "these muslims are crazy" simply because the mujahideen stand in the midst of bombs and bullets and dont give up their prayer or the invitation to others towards the word of God

In the face of persecution and supression we do not see the muslims in majority turn around and leave Islam but we see them clinging to it harder!

So Alhamdolillah that Allah swt has choosen us to carry his word forth - we should all look upon this great duty as a previlidge and not a burden.

And none should forget their place, that it is we who are here to Gods will - and not the other way around!

As the Prophet Mohammed(s) said, "My Ummah has been given the task of the Prophets" (to carry the word forward)

Allah hu Akbar

[czgibson]

Greetings,

From the article posted by Ansar:

Throughout the history of Islam, Muslims have never used passages from the Qur'ân to justify acts of anti-Semitism.

See here for examples of some Muslims appearing to do just that.

These issues may have been "answered", but clearly anti-Semitism is something that still goes on among some Muslims, and it needs to stop. How can this be achieved?

Peace

[Muhammad]

Greetings,

Perhaps it can be achieved through study and education of Islam.

It is quite easy to pick out a verse mentioning the mistakes of the Jews, yet if people have read the Qur'an they will find verses that teach us not to treat them all in the same way, as the following passage demonstrates:

3:112 Ignominy shall be their portion wheresoever they are found save (where they grasp) a rope from Allah and a rope from men. They have incurred anger from their Lord, and wretchedness is laid upon them. That is because they used to disbelieve the revelations of Allah, and slew the Prophets wrongfully. That is because they were rebellious and used to transgress.
3:113 They are not all alike. Of the People of the Scripture there is a staunch community who recite the revelations of Allah in the night season, falling prostrate (before Him).
3:114 They believe in Allah and the Last Day, and enjoin right conduct and forbid indecency, and vie one with another in good works. They are of the righteous.
3:115 And whatever good they do, they will not be denied the meed thereof. Allah is Aware of those who ward off (evil).

So while there were some that disobeyed Allaah, there were others who were righteous.

By simply understanding the teachings of Islam, such as being respectful to others and discussing in a way that is better, it becomes quite clear that harbouring unjust hatred is not something taught by it:

[60.8] Allah does not forbid you respecting those who have not made war against you on account of (your) religion, and have not driven you forth from your homes, that you show them kindness and deal with them justly; surely Allah loves the doers of justice.

[16.125] Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and goodly exhortation, and have disputations with them in the best manner; surely your Lord best knows those who go astray from His path, and He knows best those who follow the right way.

I hope this has been of some help :)

Peace.

[sharvy]

"Throughout the history of Islam, Muslims have never used passages from the Qur'ân to justify acts of anti-Semitism" (Ansar)



See here for examples of some Muslims appearing to do just that.

These issues may have been "answered", but clearly anti-Semitism is something that still goes on among some Muslims, and it needs to stop. How can this be achieved?

Peace

:sl:
Hi CZ,

The examples from the Wikipedia article are truly astonishing. I was especially impressed by the documentation of this passage:

Muslim beliefs that certain Jews had been transformed into apes and pigs

A number of verses in the Qur'an refer to Jews being transformed into apes or pigs, specifically Suras 5:60-65, 2:65 and 7:166. According to Prof. Khaleel Mohammed, Assistant Professor at the Department of Religious Studies at San Diego State University, "many Muslim preachers use the verses in a manner that is totally wrong, demonizing all Jews." [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

Thus Hamas says:
"Allah did not mete out the punishment of transformation on any nation except the Jews. The significance of it is actual change in the appearance of the Jew and perfect transformation from human to bestial condition... from human appearance to the form of genuine apes, pigs, mice, and lizards..." [9]

Similarly, the following quotes are excerpted from a sermon broadcast on Palestinian TV by Dr. Mustafa Najem, Dec. 6, 2002:
"The Jews...are the brothers of monkeys and pigs...Allah has warned us against their evil and their arrogance, and has said: 'You will find that the most brazen among mankind, with hatred towards the believers, are the Jews and the Idolaters.' [(Quran 81:5)]...The Jews are Jews, and we are forbidden to forget their character traits even for a moment, even for a blink of an eye. O Servants of Allah! The Jews are those who tried to murder your Prophet in order to expunge the call (to Islam)....Prayer and blessing to the Imam of the Jihad fighters, Mohammed, who waged a Jihad against the Jews...The Jews...are Idolaters, heretics, whose faith is false."
In the Muslim Aghlabid dynasty (9th through 11th century, North Africa) Jews were forced to wear a patch that had an image of a monkey, and were also forced to affix the same image to their homes. For Christians, the image was that of a pig. [10]

A May 2006 study of Saudi Arabia's revised schoolbook curriculum discovered that the 8th grade books included the following statements:

They are the people of the Sabbath, whose young people God turned into apes, and whose old people God turned into swine to punish them. As cited in Ibn Abbas: The apes are Jews, the keepers of the Sabbath; while the swine are the Christian infidels of the communion of Jesus.
Some of the people of the Sabbath were punished by being turned into apes and swine. Some of them were made to worship the devil, and not God, through consecration, sacrifice, prayer, appeals for help, and other types of worship. Some of the Jews worship the devil. Likewise, some members of this nation worship devil, and not God.[11]

I notice that Ansar has not bothered to retract his claim:

Throughout the history of Islam, Muslims have never used passages from the Qur'ân to justify acts of anti-Semitism

Peace,

Sharvy
:sl:

[Ansar Al-'Adl]

Hi Sharvy,
I can use links, I don't see what you feel you've accomplished by repasting what czgibson already posted. I didn't see the need to respond because anyone who checks the site can scroll down and see references like MEMRI, FrontPageMag, James Arlandson and more of the most rabid anti-islamic hate sites and writers on the internet, which easily demolishes the alleged factuality and neutrality of the article. See Dr. Habib Siddiqui's devastating refutation of Arlandson's lies and distortions here:
http://www.bismikaallahuma.org/archi...ionary-myopia/
In fact, let me quote a relevant pert of the article:

Scores of Jewish scholars and historians can be cited, including Ben-Sasson27 and Abba Eban28 to prove him unreliable, hostile and lying.

Let me quote from the scholarly work, A History of the Jewish People, edited by Haim Hillel Ben-Sasson (Harvard University Press, 1976), an Israeli historian:

"The height of magnificence and luxury was reached by the wealthy Jews in the lands of Islam, particularly in Moslem Spain. We know that the court bankers of Baghdad in the tenth century kept open house for numerous guests and for the poor. Similarly, the ceremonies of the Jewish leaders in Babylonia [Iraq] and the patronage of the leading Jews in Moslem Spain, indicate conditions of ease and plenty.

"The attitude toward these non-Moslems in the Islamic territories was shaped in principle in accordance with the concept of dhimma, meaning protection granted to them by agreement or treaty… In return, their lives and property were protected and, in accordance with the general attitude of Islam to infidels, they were assured liberty of faith and worship. They were also permitted to organize themselves as they wished, and the Jews fully availed themselves of that permission.

"From the Jewish viewpoint, this conglomerate of Moslem attitudes to infidels was easier to live with than the one that had been established by Christianity, particularly in the Byzantine Empire. As we have noted above, for hundreds of years the overwhelming majority of Jews lived in the Islamic territories. Although it is possible to perceive some Christian impact on the Moslem attitude towards non-believers and even towards the Christians themselves, the moderation with which the Moslems applied this influence proved to be of great importance to the majority of Jewry over a long period. Unlike the masses of Christians and pagans who joined the Moslems over the first half century or so, the overwhelming majority of the Jews under Moslem rule held firmly to their own faith."29

As to the settlement and economic activity in the 16th and 17th centuries and the establishment of the Sephardic Diaspora in the Ottoman Empire, the above book states:

"A considerable stream of exiles from Spain overflowed into the Ottoman Empire. Once the latter had annexed Erez Yisrael, it became a lodestone for Marranos who wished to repent and return to their former faith…. The sultan at the time of the expulsion, Bayezid, welcomed the refugees fleeing from the fanatical Christians. As recorded by a Jewish contemporary ‘the Sultan sent men ahead, and spread the word through his kingdom in writing as well, declaring that none of his officers in any of his cities dare to drive the Jews out or expel them, but all of them were to welcome the Jews cordially.’ It can be assumed that this imperial protection and the order granting right of domicile were issued through the influence of the leaders of the long-established Jewish community in the Ottoman Empire… Success was not restricted exclusively to medical and court circles. It seems that in the Ottoman Empire it was felt that the absorption of the exiles from the West provided social, cultural and even military advantages… The exiles gradually dispersed throughout the main cities of the Empire. Many synagogues were to be found in Constantinople during the sixteenth century. In this city they settled in quarters where Jews had not formerly resided. Salonika also became one of their main centres, and similarly Adrianople and Smyrna (Izmir). The exiles also established themselves in smaller cities. Expulsions from southern Italy helped to diversify the Jewish community and increase the various congregations in the Empire."30

What is clear is that historically the relationship between Jews and Muslims living under Muslim Sultans was rather amicable and, that even in places like Palestine, Muslim people did not have any problem with Jews living there. The relationship soured only after the Balfour Declaration (1917) when the British allowed European Jews to colonize Palestine.31

As for the misquotations themselves, which of them contradict the assertion that Muslims have never used the Qur'anic verses to justify acts of anti-semitism?

Regards

[czgibson]

Greetings Ansar,

I don't really see how you can still hold onto your claim that no Muslim has ever used the Qur'an to justify acts of anti-Semitism.

As for the misquotations themselves, which of them contradict the assertion that Muslims have never used the Qur'anic verses to justify acts of anti-semitism?

How about this one? This is a clear example of someone using the Qur'an to justify acts of anti-Semitism.:

The following sermon was delivered at the Sheik 'Ijlin Mosque in Gaza, Palestinian Authority. The speaker was Sheik Ibrahim Madhi, and it was broadcast on Palestinian Authority television. August 3, 2001

"We must all seek a role in the Jihad and the battle. We said and we still say: 'Even if we, the entire (Palestinian) people, stood in line and signed for the Jews that we want peace, they would not accept it. The Qur'an is very clear on this: The greatest enemies of the Islamic nation are the Jews, may Allah fight them...'
"All spears should be directed at the Jews, at the enemies of Allah, the nation that was cursed in Allah's book. Allah has described them as apes and pigs, the calf-worshipers, idol-worshipers.
"Whoever can fight them with his weapons, should go out [to the battle]; whoever can fight them with a machinegun, should go out; whoever can fight them with a sword or a knife, should go out; whoever can fight them with his hands, should go out; This is our destiny. The people who are the most hostile toward the believers are the Jews and the Polytheists... The Jews have exposed their fangs. Nothing will deter them, except the color of their filthy people's blood; nothing will deter them except for us voluntarily detonating ourselves in their midst. They have nuclear power, but we have the power of the belief in Allah..."
"The Prophet [Muhammad] said: 'The Jews will fight you, and [Allah] will establish you as rulers over them...' We blow them up in Hadera, we blow them up in Tel Aviv and in Netanya, and in this way, Allah establishes us as rulers over these gangs of vagabonds.
"Blessings for whoever assaulted a soldier... Blessings for whoever has raised his sons on the education of Jihad and Martyrdom; blessings for whoever has saved a bullet in order to stick it in a Jew's head."

Is this a misquotation? Did Sheik Ibrahim Madhi not actually say these words?

Peace

[Ansar Al-'Adl]

Hi Callum,
First of all, it appears to me that no source whatsoever has been given for this quotation. Seems a little odd.

Secondly, even the quote itself is not using Qur'anic verses to justify acts of anti-semitism. He's obviously speaking withing the context of the Isreali-Palestinian conflict, calling for a relentless military opposition and attempting to incite anger towards them with some anti-semitic comments. But has he used the Qur'an to justify an act of anti-semitism? Has he said that we are allowed to kill any Jew because an evil group from amongst them thousands of years ago was transformed into apes and pigs? I don't see any of that here.

I think its a correct statement that someone who carries out anti-semitic acts will find no justification in the Qur'an. Of course people will use whatever they want to justify themselves - if they already misquote and distort the Qur'an for terrorism, why not anti-semitism? The fact is that the Qur'an condemns this unequivocally.

Regards

[czgibson]

Greetings Ansar,

First of all, it appears to me that no source whatsoever has been given for this quotation. Seems a little odd.

The source was given as being Palestinian Authority Television. If you like, you can watch clips from this sermon here. Extracts from that particular sermon begin at 1:44 on the video.

Secondly, even the quote itself is not using Qur'anic verses to justify acts of anti-semitism. He's obviously speaking withing the context of the Isreali-Palestinian conflict, calling for a relentless military opposition and attempting to incite anger towards them with some anti-semitic comments. But has he used the Qur'an to justify an act of anti-semitism? Has he said that we are allowed to kill any Jew because an evil group from amongst them thousands of years ago was transformed into apes and pigs? I don't see any of that here.

True, he does not quote verses from the Qur'an. However, he does make direct references to them:

The Qur'an is very clear on this: The greatest enemies of the Islamic nation are the Jews, may Allah fight them...

All spears should be directed at the Jews, at the enemies of Allah, the nation that was cursed in Allah's book. Allah has described them as apes and pigs, the calf-worshipers, idol-worshipers.

Are these not references to the Qur'an?

Secondly, the Sheik is clearly speaking in the context of the Israel-Palestine conflict. However, the word he used repeatedly is 'Jews'. Not 'Zionists', or 'the Israeli forces', but 'Jews'.

I think its a correct statement that someone who carries out anti-semitic acts will find no justification in the Qur'an. Of course people will use whatever they want to justify themselves - if they already misquote and distort the Qur'an for terrorism, why not anti-semitism? The fact is that the Qur'an condemns this unequivocally.

I'm not disputing that the Qur'an condemns this, I'm simply taking issue with your statement that no Muslim has ever used the Qur'an to justify acts of anti-Semitism, since it seems very clear to me that this is precisely what is happening here. You've even half-admitted as much:

if they already misquote and distort the Qur'an for terrorism, why not anti-semitism?

The issue is not whether the Sheik has interpreted the Qur'an correctly or not; if he has made a mistake in this then it is hardly surprising that many non-Muslims look at the Qur'an and interpret it as being anti-Semitic. The point is that here we have a clear example of a Muslim using the Qur'an to justify acts of anti-Semitism.

Peace

[sharvy]

I'm not disputing that the Qur'an condemns this, I'm simply taking issue with your statement that no Muslim has ever used the Qur'an to justify acts of anti-Semitism, since it seems very clear to me that this is precisely what is happening here. You've even half-admitted as much:

The issue is not whether the Sheik has interpreted the Qur'an correctly or not; if he has made a mistake in this then it is hardly surprising that many non-Muslims look at the Qur'an and interpret it as being anti-Semitic. The point is that here we have a clear example of a Muslim using the Qur'an to justify acts of anti-Semitism.

Peace

:sl:
Dear Ansar,

CZ is clearly right: he provided a legitimate example of a Muslim using the Qur'an to justify acts of anti-semitism. Another clear example is the case of the Saudi textbooks:

"God told His Prophet, Muhammad, about the Jews, who learned from parts of God's book [the Torah and the Gospels] that God alone is worthy of worship. Despite this, they espouse falsehood through idol-worship, soothsaying, and sorcery. In doing so, they obey the devil. They prefer the people of falsehood to the people of the truth out of envy and hostility. This earns them condemnation and is a warning to us not to do as they did."

"They are the Jews, whom God has cursed and with whom He is so angry that He will never again be satisfied [with them]."

"Some of the people of the Sabbath were punished by being turned into apes and swine. Some of them were made to worship the devil, and not God, through consecration, sacrifice, prayer, appeals for help, and other types of worship. Some of the Jews worship the devil. Likewise, some members of this nation worship the devil, and not God."

According to the report, in the textbooks, no attempt was made to provide any historical context for the quotes and the result in the mind of the children is pure anti-semitism.

The Arab world is rife with genuine anti-semitism - not just anti-zionism. The view that Jews perpetrated 9/11 is (or was) a very widespread popular claim supported by mainstream Arab newspapers. Much of the Arab world takes the Protocols of the Elders of Zion as a fact - not the Czarist forgeries they certainly are. I've had more than one Arab acquantaince, rightly or wrongly, tell me they were raised to hate Jews in general - often on the basis of verses from the Qur'an.

Ansar, you should have the grace to concede a mistake: Some Muslims do in fact (wrongly) use Qur'an verse to justify anti-semitism.

Peace,

Sharvy
:sl:

[Ansar Al-'Adl]

Are these not references to the Qur'an?

Yes they are, but where is he using them to justify acts of anti-semitism? He isn't. He is recalling God's anger those that deviated from the truth, not using this as a reason to attack them. His reasoning behind opposition to them is the Israeli agression and he quotes the Qur'an to say that the Jews acting like those Jews condemned by the Qur'an. That's clearly not the same as quoting the Qur'an and saying, "We can go attack Jews because the Qur'an says they are evil".

Secondly, the Sheik is clearly speaking in the context of the Israel-Palestine conflict. However, the word he used repeatedly is 'Jews'. Not 'Zionists', or 'the Israeli forces', but 'Jews'.

True, but the context shows what he is referring to.

For his purposes he could just as well quote the Torah and God's condemnation of some of the Jews in the Torah. I think your example only solidifies Muzammil Siddiqi's statement. It is not because of the Qur'an that he is inciting hatred - it is because of the political situation and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. If there was no conflict would there be the same hatred and anger? It is only because of conflict that such anger has arisen.

He is not justifying the anger on the basis of the Qur'an, he is justifying the anger on the basis of the Israeli agression and the perceived refusal of peace, and he is saying they are like those Jews condemned by God in the Qur'an.


Sharvy,
Where is the example of using the Qur'an to justify acts of anti-semitism?? The quote you've provided speaks of the deviation amongst the Jews condemned by both the Torah and the Qur'an. And you're only deluding yourself if you think the anger towards the Jews is religious - it has everythign to do with the political and military conflict in the middle-east. If Muslims are being killed by the Israeli forces, why wouldn't the arab world be rife with anti-semitism? Obviously it is wrong, but people need to see the real cause is politics and military conflict - not religion.

[sharvy]

Sharvy,
Where is the example of using the Qur'an to justify acts of anti-semitism?? The quote you've provided speaks of the deviation amongst the Jews condemned by both the Torah and the Qur'an. And you're only deluding yourself if you think the anger towards the Jews is religious - it has everythign to do with the political and military conflict in the middle-east. If Muslims are being killed by the Israeli forces, why wouldn't the arab world be rife with anti-semitism? Obviously it is wrong, but people need to see the real cause is politics and military conflict - not religion.

:sl:
Dear Ansar,

If a teacher tells a child:

"God told His Prophet, Muhammad, about the Jews, who learned from parts of God's book [the Torah and the Gospels] that God alone is worthy of worship. Despite this, they espouse falsehood through idol-worship, soothsaying, and sorcery. In doing so, they obey the devil. They prefer the people of falsehood to the people of the truth out of envy and hostility. This earns them condemnation and is a warning to us not to do as they did."

without any context, saying those words is itself an act of anti-semitism. It doesn't matter if there is some other context where the words are not anti-semitic. The issue is not whether the passage itself is inherently anti-semitic, but rather whether the act of instilling a certain image in the mind of a child is anti-semitic.

Peace,

Sharvy
:sl:

[czgibson]

Greetings Ansar,

Frankly, I'm stunned that you won't concede this point. This example clearly negates your original point, and I'm sure that any independent jury would acknowledge that.

Yes they are, but where is he using them to justify acts of anti-semitism? He isn't.

You've already stated that the speaker has made anti-Semitic comments; it is also clear that he is using the Qur'an to support his viewpoint.

He is recalling God's anger those that deviated from the truth, not using this as a reason to attack them. His reasoning behind opposition to them is the Israeli agression and he quotes the Qur'an to say that the Jews acting like those Jews condemned by the Qur'an.

I accept that he is talking within the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but he doesn't emphasise that the Jews he speaks of when referring to the Qur'an are those specific Jews that angered god. The way his speech is presented makes it seem as if he longs for the blood of all Jews, and any independent reader could be forgiven for making this interpretation.

That's clearly not the same as quoting the Qur'an and saying, "We can go attack Jews because the Qur'an says they are evil".

How clear?

The Qur'an is very clear on this: The greatest enemies of the Islamic nation are the Jews, may Allah fight them...

That seems pretty unambiguous to me.

For his purposes he could just as well quote the Torah and God's condemnation of some of the Jews in the Torah. I think your example only solidifies Muzammil Siddiqi's statement. It is not because of the Qur'an that he is inciting hatred - it is because of the political situation and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. If there was no conflict would there be the same hatred and anger? It is only because of conflict that such anger has arisen.

OK, let me clarify what I'm saying: I understand that anger against the Israelis has arisen because of the conflict; I can see why the Palestinians feel viciously aggrieved. Also, I am not claiming that the Qur'an is the root of this anger against the Jews.

What I'm saying is that the Qur'an can and has been used, rightly or wrongly, as justification for acts of anti-Semitism, as we see here. This very sermon has been cited by the Jewish Anti-Defamation League as a prime example of anti-Semitism. See here.

He is not justifying the anger on the basis of the Qur'an, he is justifying the anger on the basis of the Israeli agression and the perceived refusal of peace, and he is saying they are like those Jews condemned by God in the Qur'an.

This point does not come across clearly at all in his sermon, and, as I've said, I'm certain that any independent jury would view this as a clear example of anti-Semitic speech with the Qur'an used as justification by the speaker.

Peace

[samobosna96]

i am goping to put this on the table......

people state the quran is anti-semetic...... well..... have you ever read that bible????? in there we have Jesus calling present day palestinians dogs and God stating he will kill every generation of jews for idolatry and so on and so forth...... if people want to state the quran is anti-semetic take another look at the so called "book of Love".

[Ansar Al-'Adl]

Hi Callum,
Maybe I'm not doing a very good job explaining this, so let me try again. The original statement specified anti-semitic acts, didn't it? Now he said:

The Qur'an is very clear on this: The greatest enemies of the Islamic nation are the Jews, may Allah fight them...

It seems to me that he has said, "Even if we signed for the Jews that we want peace they would not accept it. We shouldn't be surprised at this attitude; the Qur'an has told us that the greatest in animosity towards us will be the Jews."

His other statement was All spears should be directed at the Jews, at the enemies of Allah, the nation that was cursed in Allah's book. Allah has described them as apes and pigs, the calf-worshipers, idol-worshipers. Compare that to a statement like All spears should be directed towards the Jews because they are the enemies of Allah and the cursed nation. We should fight them because they are described as apes, pigs, calf-worshippers, idol-worshippers.

Justify means to provide reasons, doesn't it? Has he ever said that the reason they are to fight back is because the Qur'an mentions some of them were calf-worshippers and were cursed, etc. etc. ? I don't think so.

What I will concede is that the meaning of the statement Throughout the history of Islam, Muslims have never used passages from the Qur'ân to justify acts of anti-Semitism might be better expressed as Throughout the history of Islam, passages from the Qur'an have never been taken by Muslims as a reason for acts of anti-semitism, but the former is more concise and fluid. You agree that the cause of the anger and the reasons behind it are political, and that is what I feel the intent of Siddiqui's statement was.

Peace.

[sharvy]

.

Are these not references to the Qur'an? (Callum) .

Yes they are, but where is he using them to justify acts of anti-semitism? He isn't. He is recalling God's anger those that deviated from the truth, not using this as a reason to attack them. His reasoning behind opposition to them is the Israeli aggression and he quotes the Qur'an to say that the Jews acting like those Jews condemned by the Qur'an. That's clearly not the same as quoting the Qur'an and saying, "We can go attack Jews because the Qur'an says they are evil". [snip]

[Sheik Ibrahim Madhi's] other statement was All spears should be directed at the Jews, at the enemies of Allah, the nation that was cursed in Allah's book. Allah has described them as apes and pigs, the calf-worshipers, idol-worshipers. Compare that to a statement like All spears should be directed towards the Jews because they are the enemies of Allah and the cursed nation. We should fight them because they are described as apes, pigs, calf-worshippers, idol-worshippers.

Justify means to provide reasons, doesn't it? Has he ever said that the reason they are to fight back is because the Qur'an mentions some of them were calf-worshippers and were cursed, etc. etc. ? I don't think so.

What I will concede is that the meaning of the statement Throughout the history of Islam, Muslims have never used passages from the Qur'ân to justify acts of anti-Semitism might be better expressed as Throughout the history of Islam, passages from the Qur'an have never been taken by Muslims as a reason for acts of anti-semitism, but the former is more concise and fluid. You agree that the cause of the anger and the reasons behind it are political, and that is what I feel the intent of Madhi's statement was.

Peace.

:sl:
Hi Ansar,

Suppose an Israeli politician says in public:

Muslims are poorly-educated, irrational, anti-semitic, backwards and ignorant. They will never accept the state of Israel, even if they sign a peace treaty. Therefore in self-defense we must forget about peace treaties and fight and kill Muslims; force is the only thing the Muslim understands.

Now you and I fully agree that such a public comment is and would be CLEARLY untrue, bigoted, and anti-Islamic. The comment itself would be an anti-Islamic act on par with any anti-semitic act. Yet there are indeed poorly-educated, irrational, bigoted, backwards and ignorant Muslims, Jews, Europeans and Americans.

Suppose a defender of the Israeli no-negotiation policy responded to the charge that this politician was anti-Islamic as follows:

The politician was making that statement in the context of the political and military struggle against enemies of the state of Israel that wish to destroy them. Note he didn't say that Israelis should not negotiate with Muslims BECAUSE they are poorly-educated, irrational, bigoted, backwards and ignorant. Everyone knows that some Muslims are and some Muslims aren't like that, and the politician was only referring to those Muslims that are like that. The politician is merely condemning Muslims who are in fact acting poorly-educated, irrational, bigoted, backwards and ignorant. "Justify means to provide reasons doesn't it?" The reason for the speech is to rally support and defend the existence of his country – not to cast aspersions on Muslims as a group. "It is not because of [these Muslim stereotypes] that he is inciting hatred - it is because of the political situation and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. If there was no conflict would there be the same hatred and anger? It is only because of conflict that such anger has arisen. ... You agree that the cause of the anger and the reasons behind it are historical and political, and that is what I feel the intent of [the politician's] statement was." Therefore, the charge of anti-Islamism is misplaced in this case.

I see no practical difference between your reasoning vis à vis Madhi's public statement and the reasoning above absolving the politician from the charge that his statement is a case of anti-Muslim stereotypes providing a reason for anti-Islam/Muslim acts.

By the way, I want to make it clear that I am personally strongly opposed to the Bush-Israeli policies.

Peace,

Sharvy
:sl:

[Ansar Al-'Adl]

Hi Sharvy,
Did I deny that the comments were anti-semitic? No, I did not. I denied that the Qur'an was being used as a justification for acts of anti-semitism. So you're comments here are way off the mark.

[sharvy]

Hi Sharvy, Did I deny that the comments were anti-semitic? No, I did not. I denied that the Qur'an was being used as a justification for acts of anti-semitism. So you're comments here are way off the mark.

:sl:
Hi Ansar,

You and I agree that Madhi's statement was indeed anti-semitic - which is any act that promotes "hostility toward or prejudice against Jews as a religious, ethnic, or racial group" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-semitism . If so, then his very act of making that statement was itself an anti-semitic act – certainly fitting the definition of one. Yes, Madhi was trying to justify armed struggle against Israel, but he was also certainly trying to justify and promote hostility and prejudice against Jews in order to promote his other objective: he was justifying both. But without the quotes and references to the Jews from the Qur'an, Madhi's public statement, would not be anti-semitic at all – isn't that right? His message would simply be: The Israelis and Zionists are doing all sorts of nasty, unjust things to the Palestinian people; they cannot be trusted to keep any peace treaty, therefore we must defend our lives, rights, and property and fight these nasty enemies tooth and nail. There is nothing overtly anti-semitic in such a statement. Without those references from the Qur'an, there would be no negative claims seemingly made about Jews in general, as a ethnic, religious, or racial group. Therefore, IMHO, it is quite clear that Madhi was using these references to the Qur'an to justify his anti-semitic act of publicly making that very statement.

On the other hand, if you are right, and Madhi was not using these references to justify his anti-semitism, the difference between using such references anti-semitically and not is so subtle as to be beyond the average person's ability to distinguish the two.

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one.

Peace,

Sharvy.
:sl:

[Ansar Al-'Adl]

You and I agree that Siddiqui's statement was indeed anti-semitic

Siddiqui made anti-semitic remarks?! Muzammil Siddiqui was clear denouncing anti-semitism in his article:

Anti-Semitism means condemning and hating a people because of their Semitic race. Anti-Semitism is bigotry and racism. It is wrong and it has no place in Islam or in Islamic scripture. The Qur'ân does not allow hate against any race, nationality or color

Let's try to maintain some accuracy, please. And I have explained why I view Muzammil Siddiqui's statements in the article to be accurate.

[sharvy]

Siddiqui made anti-semitic remarks?! Muzammil Siddiqui was clear denouncing anti-semitism in his article:

Anti-Semitism means condemning and hating a people because of their Semitic race. Anti-Semitism is bigotry and racism. It is wrong and it has no place in Islam or in Islamic scripture. The Qur'ân does not allow hate against any race, nationality or color

Let's try to maintain some accuracy, please. And I have explained why I view Muzammil Siddiqui's statements in the article to be accurate.

:sl:
Ansar, forgive me. I confused the names. I meant Sheik Ibrahim Madhi not Siddiqui. I also apologize to Muzammil Siddiqui.

Peace,

Sharvy
:sl:

[sharvy]

MODERATOR'S COMMENT: THE TOPIC OF THIS THREAD IS 'THE QUR'AN'S VIEW OF JEWS' - PLEASE DO NOT POST OFF-TOPIC COMMENTS.

SAUDI TEXTBOOKS ARE NOT THE QUR'AN. THIS THREAD IS ABOUT DEFENDING AND EXPLAINGING HOW THE QUR'AN VIEWS JEWS, NOT WHAT THE MEDIA HAS PRESENTED OF THE CONTENT OF SAUDI TEXTBOOKS. TOPICS THAT DO NOT BELONG IN THIS THREAD CAN BE DISCUSSED IN OTHER THREADS.

IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT A STAFF MEMBER. SIMPLY OPPOSING THE ACTIONS OF THE STAFF IS UNPRODUCTIVE AND WILL ONLY LEAD TO MORE WARNINGS

[Dhulqarnaeen]

As a Muslim, I realize that it is the duty of Muslims to follow our prophet Muhammad (pbuh). However, there are some anti-Jewish quotes in the Quran that give the impression that anti-Semitism by Muslims is supported by the Quran.

Can anyone please refute this? Can anybody provide some quotes that expose the truth?

Thanks, and Salaam :)

:sl:
Its easy bro, you just have to read the tafseer of those ayah you quoted in tafseer Ibn. Katheer, or tafseer Ath Thabaree and all. You will find the meaning of those ayah wether its mean ISlam teach semitism or else. One thing you must keep in mind, DONT try to understand Quran with your own feeling, or your own brain, cause Quran have to explained by our scholars of ahlul hadith, so we wont get the wrong explanations from it. :sl: