Are Muslims Anti-Semitic?


  truth Ahlan Editor

    Are Muslims and anti-Semitic? Do Muslims hate the Jews? Is there a relationship between Islam and Judaism? What is the rank of Messenger Moses in Islam or the Qur’an? Is Qur’an anti-Semitic?

Definition & First Known Use


    According to Merriam Webster, anti-Semitism is “hostility toward or discrimination against Jews as a religious, ethnic, or racial group. The first known use of this expression was in 1851.” (1)


This indicates that using this expression started too long after the revelation of Islam.

Islam-Judaism Relation


    Islam and Judaism are two religions revealed by Allah. 

“The two religions share similar values, guidelines, and principles. Islam also incorporates Jewish history as a part of its own. Muslims regard the Children of Israel as an important religious concept in Islam. Moses, the most important Prophet of Judaism, is also considered a prophet and messenger in Islam. Moses is mentioned in the Qur’an more than any other individual, and his life is narrated and recounted more than that of any other prophet.” (2)

As a Muslim, I love Messenger Moses as I know many of his attributes from the Qur’an. For example, Messenger Moses escaped from the tyrant Pharaoh moving to Madyan. Allah tells us about a situation that happened during this story:

And when he came to the well of Madyan, he found there a crowd of people watering [their flocks], and he found aside from them two women driving back [their flocks]. He said, ‘What is your circumstance?’ They said, ‘We do not water until the shepherds dispatch [their flocks]; and our father is an old man.’ (23)


So he watered [their flocks] for them; then he went back to the shade and said, ‘My Lord, indeed I am, for whatever good You would send down to me, in need.’ ”   [Qur’an 28- 23:24] (3)

Indeed, I love this situation a lot. It portrays Messenger Moses as a true gentleman.

 

Is Qur’an anti-Semitic? 


There is nothing to hide in Islam. In Qur’an, Allah says:

You will surely find the most intense of the people in animosity toward the believers [to be] the Jews and those who associate others with Allah; and you will find the nearest of them in affection to the believers those who say, ‘We are Christians.’ That is because among them are priests and monks and because they are not arrogant.”    [Qur’an 5 – 82] (4)

So, this verse speaks about the nation as a whole, not about the individuals. Also, there is a difference between enmity and asking to fight. However, we should consider this verse in the whole context of the Qur’an. (5)

 

Objectivity, are Muslims Anti-Semitic?


    Firstly, Muslims follow the Qur’an’s teachings. Secondly, Qur’an is fair and objective. When someone does something good/right, it’s mentioned and praised, and when someone does something wrong, it’s mentioned and criticized – regardless of who that is. 

For example, in Surat As-Sajdah, Allah says:

And We certainly gave Moses the Scripture, so do not be in doubt over his meeting. And we made the Torah guidance for the Children of Israel.(23)


And We made from among them leaders guiding by Our command when they were patient and [when] they were certain of Our signs.”   [Qur’an 32-23:24] (6)

So these verses are positive and show they were leaders when they obeyed the commands of God and were patient and certain in faith. On the other hand, Qur’an highlights when they do something wrong, like them killing the Prophets:

And when it is said to them, ‘Believe in what Allah has revealed,’ they say, ‘We believe [only] in what was revealed to us.’ And they disbelieve in what came after it, while it is the truth confirming that which is with them. Say, ‘Then why did you kill the prophets of Allah before, if you are [indeed] believers?’ ”   [Qur’an 2-91] (7)

Jews & Oaths


By the way, Jews have a prayer that absolves them from all their oaths. 


THE KOL NIDRE is a Jewish prayer named from its opening words “All vows” (kol nidre), it is based on the declaration of the Talmud:


“He who wishes that his vows and oaths shall have no value, stand up at the beginning of the year and say: ‘All vows which I shall make during the year shall be of no value.’ “

Moreover, in the volume of the revised Festival Prayers published in 1919 by the Hebrew Publishing Company, New York, the prayer appears in its fullness:


“All vows, obligations, oaths or anthems, pledges of all names, which we have vowed, sworn, devoted, or bound ourselves to, from this day of atonement, until the next day of atonement (whose arrival we hope for in happiness) we repent, a forehand, of them all, they shall all be deemed absolved, forgiven, annulled, void and made of no effect; they shall not be binding, nor have any power; the vows shall not be reckoned as vows, the obligations shall not be obligatory, nor the oaths considered as oaths.”

More about Jews


     Absolving oneself of all trusts and vows is not something praiseworthy! So there shall be no blind following or bling acceptance of something that isn’t right.

To illustrate, the Jews did all of this to God when they broke the Sabbath; this is why they were punished and disgraced:

And when they forgot that by which they had been reminded, We saved those who had forbidden evil and seized those who wronged, with a wretched punishment, because they were defiantly disobeying.

And when they forgot that by which they had been reminded, We saved those who had forbidden evil and seized those who wronged, with a wretched punishment, because they were defiantly disobeying.(165)


So when they were insolent about that which they had been forbidden, We said to them, ‘Be apes, despised.’ ”    [Qur’an 7-165:166] (8)

In short, these verses talk about those who broke the Law and disobeyed Allah.

Conclusion


    In conclusion, Qur’an is objective. Thus, Muslims aren’t anti-Semitic. We’re not meant to hate a group of people unjustly. In contrast, we are only at odds with those who fight against us:

Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes – from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly. (8)


Allah only forbids you from those who fight you because of religion and expel you from your homes and aid in your expulsion – [forbids] that you make allies of them. And whoever makes allies of them, then it is those who are the wrongdoers.”    [Qur’an 60-8:9] (9) 

Curious how to become a Muslim? Hence, we can offer you more info through our supporting team. Have a [one-to-one conversation] with them right now! (10)