Palestine is not mentioned in the Quran, but 'Israel' is mentioned in it." This is one of the most common claims made by skeptics regarding the Muslims' relationship with Jerusalem and the holy land. In their view, this indicates – as Amnon Cohen claims, for example – that the sanctity of the holy land and Palestine in Islam has its sole source in the Torah. For this reason – according to this assertion – we do not find the name Palestine in the Holy Quran, but rather the name 'Israel.'
This point is one of the illogical paradoxes based on severe inadequacy and superficiality in examining the sacred texts.
On one hand, since when has mentioned a location or something in the Holy Quran been a sign of its sanctity?
Even if we accept this illogical reasoning, the name "Egypt" itself, for example, is mentioned in the Holy Quran four times (in addition to a dispute regarding a fifth mention in Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 61, which is the word "misran"). Was Egypt considered a holy land, or was there a specific sanctity attributed to it in Islam? Likewise, the land of "Sheba" is mentioned twice in the Holy Quran, and a whole Surah is named after it, yet it is not a holy land and does not hold any special religious significance, whether general or specific, in Islam! Moreover, the name "Hell" is mentioned in the Holy Quran 77 times. Does that make Hell a land of sanctity?
On the other hand, the term "Israel" in the Quran does not refer even once to a piece of land or geographic territory; rather, it appears in 42 instances, 40 of which use the phrase "Bani Israel" (Children of Israel), and in two instances it is mentioned as "Israel" alone. In both cases, it does not refer to any land or region; instead, the Quran refers to a known group called "Bani Israel." In two instances, it refers to "Israel," the grandfather of the Children of Israel, who is known by most scholars of interpretation to be the Prophet of God Jacob, son of Isaac, peace be upon them both. I honestly do not understand the reasoning of those who consider that merely mentioning the name "Israel" – which is a person's name – could establish a right for any people to a piece of land or territory simply because they named it after this individual!
If we accept this logic, then Egypt must today hand over the city of Alexandria to Greece, because it is named after Alexander the Great, who was Greek. Not only that, but this would also be required of Australia, Canada, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Poland, the United States (which has 20 cities named "Alexandria"), Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, India, Brazil, Jamaica, and South Africa. Today, there are more than 50 cities in the world named "Alexandria." Does this really grant Greece the right to these cities and regions?
The mention of the names of places themselves in holy books does not create a right for nations over them except in terms of their sanctification, not in terms of ownership or necessarily imposing political sovereignty over them. Moreover, the illusion for oneself and the other party alike that the mere occurrence of a word in a holy book grants any entity the right to claim territory simply because this entity has exploited its name and imposed it on that territory is illogical in every sense.
The truth is that Palestine, even though it is not mentioned by name in the Holy Quran, is praised and honored by Allah, the Almighty, through the mention of attributes of blessing and sanctity associated with it and linking it to Him. When Allah, the Almighty, says: (To the land which We have blessed for the nations) (Al-Anbya:71) Thus, He raised this land above the rest of the lands and connected it to Him, for it is He who granted it this blessing. The blessing is the best attribute that can be described for the noble land of Palestine. Is there anything greater than that?
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