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| Mosque Aqsa |
During the recent conflict between Palestine (Hamas)
and Israel (IDF), a few Muslims seem to have found a way to express their anger
and frustration. No, not by constructively doing anything about it, but by bashing Jews and hailing Hitler as a hero! Wrongly equating the actions of the
Israeli government with Judaism, they continue generalizing approximately 15
million Jews, painting them all with the same brush!
Exasperated as I was, I tried to maintain my
composure and very calm-fully responded to this individual that there are many
Jews who condemn the actions of the Israeli government, much like us Muslims
who condemn the actions of Jihad terrorist groups, and so it is naive to
generalize all Jews based on the situation in Palestine. Without taking a
minute, he responded to me quoting the Quranic verse that “asks Muslims not to be friends with Jews”, justifying his bigotry through the Quran!
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Checkmate? Probably, if I hadn’t known
better!
A common misconception about the Quran is that it
promotes hatred of Jews and Christians, and asks Muslims to not be friends with
them. Strangely, instead of voicing out against such a misrepresentation of
5:51 (which contains the commandment), some Muslims revel in quoting this verse
as a means of feeling superior, perhaps. Who needs enemies, when you have such
believers? But I guess, that’s the karma of blindly following religious
figures. Here’s the much-quoted verse:
“O You
who have believed! Do not take the Jews and Christians as your allies (Auliya).”
A plethora of lies are sold to the average Muslim
to instigate enmity with other faiths, and so I will debunk these points step
by step. Points 1 and 2 will explain how the verse above is misrepresented, and
3-6 would expand on further points.
1. Aulia is erroneously and inconsistently
translated as friends by some translators. However, in Arabic, Aulia is
more closely defined as a protector or an ally. It has been used in
the Quran to mostly signify that God protects (Wali) the believers
through revelation. This is not to be confused with Khaleel,
which does mean friend but is an honor given exclusively to Ibrahim (4:125).
Additionally, Muslims should sincerely ask
themselves what they mean when they call their scholars “Maulana“. Are
they trying to imply that these scholars are their friends who they hang out
with? Hardly! Obviously, by calling these religious figures Maulana,
they mean to imply that these scholars are their protectors – from evil,
perhaps. Keeping the context in mind, it is clear that the verse refers to
political allies, and is not about friendship.
The verse, quite specifically, asks Muslims not
to take Al-Yahood & Al-Nasaraa as an ally. Now, “Al” in Arabic denotes an
address to something or someone specific.
If we are to assume that God asks us not to ally
with any Jew or Christian, then on the same wavelength, we have to assume that
all Arabs are the worst in hypocrisy and disbelief! Yes, it’s a verse in the
Quran!
“The Arabs (Al-Arab) are worst in disbelief and
hypocrisy, and more likely to ignore the Limits that God has revealed to His
messenger. God is Knower, Wise. “Quran, 9:97
Except, here the “scholars” would be quick to
contextualize things, or else their model of praising Arabs as the “chosen”
people and equating Arabic culture with Islam would fall flat on its face! It
is an inconsistency in approach, and consistency is the only criteria to judge
truthfulness.
Taking a consistent view, both verses inform us
that *some* Arabs (Al-Arab) are worst in hypocrisy and disbelief and that
Muslims should not ally with *some* Jews and Christians (Al-Yahood &
Al-Nasaraa). Quite obviously, it is addressing the Jews and Christians at the
time of the Prophet, who continuously broke their oaths, stoking the
fires of war against Muslims (5:64) and were thus their worst enemies (5:82). Common
sense would suggest that allying with the enemy would be a sure way to lose the
war.
3-The Quran constantly reminds Muslims not to
generalize Jews, Christians, and others; but to judge them by their actions:
They are not all the same; among the People of the
Scripture is a community standing [in obedience], reflecting and reciting the
signs of God during periods of the night and they submit.
They believe in God and the Last Day; they enjoin
what is right, and forbid what is wrong, and they hasten (in emulation) in
(all) good works: These are the reformists! Quran 3:113-114
God does not forbid you from being kind, and fully
equitable to those who do not fight you on account of Religion and do not evict
you from your homelands. God loves those who lead a just, balanced life.
But God does forbid you regarding those who fought
you because of your system, and drove you out of your homes and helped to drive
you out. You shall not ally with them. Those who ally with them, then such are
the transgressors. Quran, 60:8-9
4. Even traditional Islam allows Muslims to marry Jews and Christians. Is friendship a more sacred bond than
marriage? Then how on earth can the Quran discourage us from befriending them?
5. Contrary to popular belief,
Muslims do not have a monopoly on salvation. Jews and Christians, much like any
other faith, are promised paradise should they “submit to God, do acts of
reformation, and expect accountability” (2:62 & 5:69). The
very act of claiming a sole monopoly on truth and salvation is shunned by the
Quran, of which, ironically, some Muslims are guilty: And they claim, “None
will enter Paradise unless he is a Jew or a Christian.” This is nothing but
their wishful thinking. Say, “Bring your proof if you are truthful.” Nay,
whoever submits his whole being to God, and he is a doer of good to humanity,
his reward is with his Lord. Then, no fear shall come upon them nor shall they
grieve. Quran, 2:111-112
6-The idea of alienating a group of people
because of their faith alone is contrary to the Quran, which promotes
peaceful co-existence among citizens of varying backgrounds:
O mankind, indeed We have created you
from male and female and made you peoples and tribes so that you may know one
another. Indeed, the noblest of you in the sight of Allah is the one who is
deeply conscious of Him. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted. Quran, 49:13
Conclusion
If anything, Muslims
should be the last to generalize people of other faiths. They are vocal on
how every Muslim shouldn’t be stereotyped as a terrorist because of the actions
of a few terrorist groups seeming to represent “Islam”, yet generalize and put
all Jews in one box because of the actions of the Israeli government and the
“super-rich bankers that control the world.” I condemn fundamentalist Zionists,
just how I condemn fundamentalist Islamists. However, I don’t buy the
propaganda on both sides of badmouthing every Jew or Muslim because of the
extremist actions of some.
Is it not an act of gross hypocrisy of claiming to
be misrepresented, but misrepresenting others at the very same time? But
perhaps, it is not hypocrisy. Perhaps, it is just a lack of introspection. A
trait so many of us ignorantly possess.