Islam and Judaism
Oleh: Abd Moqsith Ghazali
It is important to expose this historical fact to let the Muslims know that some Jewish groups have an objective perspective and were fair in building relationship with Islam. They are not like what the Muslims think.
Relationship between Islam and Judaism is often described in a bad way. Most of Muslims assumed that Jews are dishonest, stubborn and evil people. This perspective is based on the fact that Jews of Medina in the days of the Prophet has broken the political treatise, namely Medina Charter. It led to a conflict between Muslim and Jews. The Jews of Bani Mushtaliq had planned to murder prophet Muhammad under al-Harits bin Abi Dlirar’s command. Prophet heard about this information and therefore battle occurred. Until now, Palestine has not been a safe zone for its citizen, since Jews and Muslims have been fighting each other.
Based on these evidences, some Muslims concluded and generalized that the Jews are not to be trusted. To support this argument they took Quranic verse, “And the Jews will not be pleased with thee, nor will the Christians, till thou follow their creed” (QS al-Baqarah: 120). Another verse said: “Many of the People of the Scripture long to make you disbelievers after your belief, through envy on their own account, after the truth had become manifest unto them” (2: 109). In fact this verse specifically responded the attitude of Jews such as Ka`ab ibn al-Asyraf, Hayy ibn Akhthab, Abu Yasir ibn Akhthab, Syas ibn Qais al-Yahudi who wanted to convert Muslims into Jewish. Unfortunately, this social-political verse was regarded as theological verse.
We know that generalization means simplification. History proved that not every Jews treat the Muslims badly. First, when prophet Muhammad was twelve years old, (585), he accompanied his uncle Abu Thalib in a business trip to Syam. As they reached Boshra, they met a Jewish rabbi named Buhaira. This rabbi asserted that there are three eminent persons namely Buhaira, Rubab al-Syana, and the expected one, who is a young man beside him, namely Muhammad. When Muhammad and Maysarah went to Syam on the other day to run Khadijah’s business (before he married her), Nestor (a Jewish rabbi) testified on Muhammad’s prophethood. Nestor said that he is a prophet. It means that recognition upon Muhammad’s propethood came for the first time from the Jews, namely Buhaira and Nestor.
Second, Mukhayrîq, a Jewish man from Bani Tsa’labah who was smart and rich (he owed many farms and date palm gardens) was a victim of Uhud war. As he listened that there will be battle between Meccan polytheists against Muslim, Mukhayrîq told his fellows to support the Medina Charter. In the Medina Charter, defending Muslims is the right thing. When his fellows protested because the battle was taking place on Sabbath, Mukhayrîq replied that helping Muhammad does not disgrace the Sabbath, and affirmed that Muhammad is his heir. “If only I die in this battle, all of my treasures will go to Muhammad for a matter which God shows him”. Mukhayrîq asserted. Afterward he prepared his sword, went to Uhud hill, fought the polytheists and got killed there. Mukhayrîq was a prototype of Jew who strongly uphold the agreement.
Third, the Jews had helped Muslims in conquering the city of Andalus in Spain. In the age of Abbasid Empire, the Jews –beside the Christians and Sabeans- helped the government’s administration. They were also involved in translating Greek works into Arabic. It is important to expose this historical fact to let the Muslims know that some Jewish groups have an objective perspective and were fair in building relationship with Islam. They are not like what the Muslims think.
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Everyone is familiar with the Judaism&Christianity;of the Bible. Christianity has been around 2000 years&Judaism;for 4000 years. However there is a 3rd aspect of religion of the Bible&is;older than Judaism The religion of the Bible between Adam&Abraham;that other 2000 year period, also Job in the book of Job who was neither a Jew or Christian but served&worshiped;the God of the Bible. The truth is that there were various cultures in the world that had this aspect of religion in their culture, well into the 19th even 20th century. A people in Burma&Thailand;known as the Karen had this(General Revelation) until the early 19 th century when Christianity reached them. Today many are Protestant Christians. A people in Ethiopia known as the Gedeo had this religion until 1948 when Christianity came to them The book that talks about this aspect of General Revelation is Eternity In Their Hearts by Don Richardson Regal Books 1981 revised 1984 on Amazon or can be ordered at any bookstore. This folk religion of General Revelation was like a watered down version of Judaism, they were monotheistic, had no idols or images, their leader offered an animal sacrifice for the sins of the people once a year, the same as the high priest did in Judaism, and they knew that a book-(The Bible) was going to come to them.6000 years of General Revelation
I wasn’t surprise with your answer whatsoever. But what I am amazed with is your negative response on my question. I did not blame anybody. But if your own house being removed out of your own land or you have to pass check point every single day to go to work or even to take your own sick child to hospital, what your human feeling gonna be? I was thinking I am a moderate person before however your above response provide me with nothing but moderate nolonger.
To: Hamim
When God told Abram “in you all the families in the earth shall be blessed” He’s kept His word in more ways than one. He still means it.
The Jews and the Arabs - Interesting point of view.
The Jews are NOT promoting brain washing children in military training camps, teaching them how to blow themselves up and cause maximum deaths of Jews and other non Muslims!
The Jews don’t hijack planes, nor kill athletes at the Olympics, or blow themselves up in German restaurants. There is NOT one single Jew that has destroyed a church. There is NOT a single Jew that protests by killing people.
The Jews don’t traffic slaves, nor have leaders calling for Jihad and death to all the Infidels.
Perhaps the world’s Muslims should consider investing more in standard education and less in blaming the Jews for all their problems.
Muslims must ask ‘what can they do for humankind’ before they demand that humankind respects them!!
Regardless of your feelings about the crisis between Israel and the Palestinians and Arab neighbors, even if you believe there is more culpability on Israel ‘s part, the following two sentences really say it all:
‘If the Arabs put down their weapons today, there would be no more violence.
If the Jews put down their weapons today, there would be no more Israel ‘ -Benjamin Netanyahu
any comment on recent attack of israel jews on palestinian?
Dear Yudha,
The so-called “Protocols of the Elders of Zion” have been conclusively, solidly and repeatedly proved by non-Jewish and Jewish scholars over a 75 year period to be a forgery. It was made in Russia in the late 19th century in order to justify persecuting Jews there at the time. See, e.g., http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Protocols_of_the_Elders_of_Zion
and many other links on the subject. If you want to argue against Zionism or Israel, please be fair enough to do so on the basis of actual policies (which should be more than enough!), not on false lies and fabrications.
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