Jewish Faith: Between Authenticity and Pragmatism Through History and Today

One of the great lies that humanity has lived with for many centuries is the claim that the Jews have a law that they have maintained, and that religions and laws, in general, represent something of significance to them in reality. In addition to what is called "religiosity" and "the religious," which have turned into merely a worldly utilitarian means since the people distorted God's message to them. We do not know how this deception thrived among most people in various parts of the world for all these centuries, especially among most thinkers, scholars, and intellectuals in general, and among Muslim scholars and their thinkers in particular!

The questions that arise in this context are: What is the true nature of the religion that Jews attribute to themselves? What does this religion represent for them? Why do we say that there is no truly religious Jew, let alone some being rabbis? What are the evidence and proofs that confirm this statement? How can we explain the signs of visible religiosity among some Jews, both individuals and groups and movements? Consequently, the most important complex question that is the foundation and starting point of our topic arises, as answering it represents its goal: What is the deep nature of the psychological, intellectual, and emotional structure of these individuals? Have we truly understood their reality to this day? For we will not be able to guard ourselves against their evils, understand their tendencies, or read...

Their movements, we interpret their crimes and plots correctly, and we will not be able to foresee their vices or predict their motives, nor will we deal with them in a way that suits their vile nature, unless we answer this complex question; that is, the goal is not to delve into the corners of history for the sake of history itself, or to present a religious study as an end in itself, despite the importance of both.

We do not deny the existence of Jewish law in principle; rather, we acknowledge it and believe in it, just as we believe in the prophets and messengers of God whom He sent to these people and others. We also believe in all the heavenly books revealed by the Creator, Glory be to Him.

But we are talking about how these beings received the messages of the Lord, the Exalted, and how they dealt with the commands and prohibitions of God, His messengers, and His prophets, as well as their perception of the essence of God, the Most High, and their depiction of Him. They then distorted their religion, until it became something entirely new that no rational mind could attribute to God and His prophets and messengers.

Whoever reads the myths, falsehoods, and obscene stories that abound in the Old Testament—some of which are fabricated against the prophets and messengers of God, and some of which belittle the rights of God Almighty, attributing to Him traits and ascribing to Him words and actions that are not worthy of His majesty and exalted self—glory be to Him, and may His names and attributes be sanctified and elevated above that immensely, especially considering that the Old Testament is their sacred religious book which is supposed to contain the Torah revealed to the Prophet Moses, peace be upon him. They believe in its contents, study it, pass it down through generations, and derive their legislation, teachings, and methodology from it in their view of their Creator and their dealings with Him, as well as with His messengers and prophets, their interactions with other human beings, and their engagement with the elements of life around them.

Anyone who examines these devilish falsehoods cannot possibly believe or expect, nor even think for a moment, that among these people there can be religious individuals or scholars of divine law, or even just normal, sane people in general. The following clarifies this matter with its evidence and proofs.

First: The Holy Quran exposes their distortion of God's words and their manipulation of it.

The Holy Quran informs us in several places that the people have extended their hands to the words of God revealed to His honorable messengers who were sent to guide them, manipulating its texts and meanings in more than one way.

Changing and distorting the words of God, The Almighty said

(Some Jews take words out of context and say, “We listen, and we disobey,) (An-Nisa:46) (But for breaking their covenant We condemned them and hardened their hearts. They distorted the words of the Scripture and neglected a portion of what they had been commanded to uphold. You ˹O Prophet˺ will always find deceit on their part, except for a few.) ( Al-Ma'idah)

They dare to falsely attribute words to God in the first place. (So, woe to those who write something down with their own hands and then claim, ‘This is from God,’ in order to make some small gain. Woe to them for what their hands have written! Woe to them for all that they have earned!) (Al-Baqarah:79) , (There are some among them who distort the Book with their tongues to make you think this ˹distortion˺ is from the Book—but it is not what the Book says. They say, “It is from Allah”—but it is not from Allah. And ˹so˺ they attribute lies to Allah knowingly.)( Ali 'Imran:78)

Concealing some of what Allah has revealed to them.

(Now Our Messenger has come to you, revealing much of what you have hidden of the Scriptures )(Al-Ma'idah:15)

Secondly: Some of their absurdities in their holy scriptures:

1- The Lord and His attributes as portrayed in the Old Testament:

The texts of the Old Testament speak of God as if He were a human in terms of appearance and physical attributes; that is, a corporeal depiction based on comparison to humans, and even in terms of words and actions, alongside human weaknesses with their errors, faults, and afflictions, exalted is God above what they say, and His names and attributes are pure. An example of this is found in the vision of the prophet Daniel, where it is said: "I beheld till thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool; his throne was like the fiery flame" (Daniel: 7/9). It is also stated in the Psalms: "He has a mouth and a nose from which smoke and fire come forth; smoke ascended out of his nostrils and fire out of his mouth" (Psalm: 18/9).

The Old Testament also attributes human actions to God Almighty, such as the statement that He walks on the heights of the mountains, where it is stated in the Old Testament: "For behold, the Lord comes out of His place and will come down and tread on the high places of the earth... all of this for the sin of Jacob" (Micah 1:3-5).

The books of the Old Testament speak of God Almighty eating food, where it was mentioned that He, exalted is He in greatness, "visited Abraham peace be upon him and ate butter and milk with him" (Genesis: 18/1-23).

The great calamity is that, according to their belief, God Almighty struggles with humans, and even is defeated by some of them! This is reflected in what the Old Testament states about the fight between God and Jacob, peace be upon him: “And Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he did not prevail against him, he touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as he wrestled with him. And he said, 'Let me go, for the day breaks.' But Jacob said, 'I will not let you go unless you bless me.' So he said to him, 'What is your name?' He said, 'Jacob.' And he said, 'Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed.' Then Jacob asked, saying, 'Tell me your name, I pray.' And he said, 'Why is it that you ask about my name?' And he blessed him there. So, Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: 'For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved'” (Genesis 32:24-32).

The Torah also attributes to God regret over things He has done, including: "I regret that I made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments" (1 Samuel 15:10).

This is the foundation of the absurdity; this is their conception of God, the Lord whom they are supposed to worship, entrust their souls to, and rely upon in all their matters. They fear Him and guard against His anger and punishment, and they comply with His commands and prohibitions. If their souls have allowed them to depict their Lord and Creator in this manner, which they have infused into their sacred texts with deception, folly, and devilry, then how do they treat His prophets?! No, rather, how do they treat all of His creation?!

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