Is There Anti Semitism in The Quran?
JMD Morgan
By: Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi
IslamiCity
Anti-Semitism means condemning and hating a people because of their
Semitic race. Anti-Semitism is bigotry and racism. Like all racism it is
wrong and it has no place in Islam or in Islamic scripture. The Qur'an
does not allow hate against any race, nationality or color. God says in
the Qur'an: "O people, We have created you from a male and female and
made you into races and tribes so that you may know each other. Indeed
the noblest of you in the sight of God are those who are the most pious
among you. And Allah knows every thing and is aware of every thing."
(49:13) Throughout the history of Islam, Muslims have never used
passages from the Qur'an 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'an. Jews were among the earliest converts to Islam
(in Medina) and, throughout the Middle Ages, Jews found sanctuary to
practice their own religion under Islamic rule. It is truly
disappointing and naive to ignore more than 1400 years of history and
learned discourse on the Qur'an and argue that the current political
situation in the Middle East has its roots in passages from the Qur'an.
As with all scriptures, passages in the Qur'an must be read within the
proper context. The Qur'an was not just revealed for Muslims, but for
all people, including Jews and Christians. Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him) was in the line of previous Prophets of God, including
Prophets Abraham, Moses and Jesus, and the Qur'an is in the line of
previous scriptures revealed by God. The Qur'an does not condemn the
Semitic race and, in fact, accords Jews a special status given their
shared prophetic traditions with Islam. The Qur'an instead criticizes
those Jews who turned away from God's authentic message and admonishes
those who scorned and ridiculed Prophet Muhammad and the message of the
Qur'an. Such criticism is similar to the criticism against Jews found in
other scriptures, including the Hebrew Bible, and should be taken by all
people as a reminder and warning against forsaking and straying from the
authentic message of God. Such specific criticism has never been
interpreted by learned scholars of the Qur'an to incite hatred against
Jewish people and should not be confused with anti-Semitism.
"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."
The Qur'an speaks extensively about the Children of Israel (Bani
Isra'il) and recognizes that the Jews (al-Yahud) are, according to
lineage, descendants of Prophet Abraham through his son Isaac and
grandson Jacob. They were chosen by God for a mission (44:32) and God
raised among them many Prophets and bestowed upon them what He had not
bestowed upon many others (5:20). He exalted them over other nations of
the earth (2:47, 122) and granted them many favors.
Passages in 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 God and showed ingratitude for God's favors on them. They lost
the original Tawrat and introduced their own words and interpretations
in the divine books. They became arrogant and claimed that they were
God's children and went about vaunting their position as His most chosen
people (4:155; 5:13, 18). They also brazenly committed sins and their
rabbis and priests did not stop them from doing so (5:63, 79). God
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 (4:157, 158). God
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 a people merely
because of their race.
Ads by Google:
Advertisements not controlled by IslamiCity
The second type of criticism of the Jews is found in passages including
those you referenced from Surah al-Ma'idah (5:60-64). These verses
criticize the Jews and Christians who ridiculed Prophet Muhammad 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 God
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 (2:109; 4:54).
The Qur'an specifically notes that such criticism is not directed
against all Jews. Even when the Qur'an 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'an says that
such people are assured that whatever good they will do will not be
denied them and they shall receive their reward with God (3:113-115). It
further says, "Of the people of Moses there is a section who guide and
do justice in the light of truth." (7:159) "We broke them up into
sections on this earth. There are among them some that are the
righteous, and some that are the opposite. We have tried them with both
prosperity and adversity: in order that they might turn (to Us)... As to
those who hold fast by the Book and establish regular Prayer, never
shall We suffer the reward of the righteous to perish." (7:168-170)
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'an 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 God to "send a fire upon [Judah's]
cities" and to make Jerusalem "a heap of ruins." Prophet Ezekiel called
Israel, "the house of rebels and a rebellious nation." (Ezek. Chapter 2)
Similarly, in the Book of Deuteronomy (28:16-68), Moses warns the Jews
that God "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 the Gospel of Matthew (23:13-39), Jesus repeatedly
admonishes the Jews for their hypocrisy and injustice, and condemns them
for the killing of past prophets. Jesus says, "You serpents, you brood
of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?" Further he
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, the Hebrew Prophets and Jesus were anti-Semitic
and called for the destruction of all Jews and present-day Israel. Yet,
questioning passages from the Qur'an as anti-Semitic is similarly
without merit.
Source: The Message International
Witziges R�tsel
news:FNOdnfiT5ZvP0ZHX...@giganews.com...
>
> Is There Anti Semitism in The Quran?
>
self-loathing if their favorite book supported anti-Semitism.
Lee
"JMD Morgan" <John...@email.non> wrote in message news:FNOdnfiT5ZvP0ZHX...@giganews.com...
> By: Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi
> IslamiCity
If the qoran was the ultimate and unmistakable word of god as the various muslim sects so often claim there would be no need to ask this question.
The bottom line amid all the discussion is that yet another god, in this case allah has provided a botched and contradictory holy book and in the fullness of time people will realize this and islam will go the way of all the other man made religions that shamens, priest, witchdoctors and other holy liars have come up with throughout history.
It is just a pity that so many people have had to die during the centuries after some twat called mohamhed decided to play the god card in his long dead political machinations.
Face it, rubbing your face in the dirt while staring at the bloke in fronts arse five times a day then going home to chastise the wife(s) is not going to get you anywhere in life.