The Real Anti-Semites

It is ironic that Muslims are being called “anti-Semitics” while Europe has a long and documented history of severe anti-Semitism. Historically, Christians in Europe committed numerous massacres against Jews. According to Christian belief, Jews were responsible for killing Christ, leading to Jews having significantly fewer rights than Christians during the Middle Ages. They were forbidden from owning lands, forced to live in designated areas, and restricted from many professions, leaving money lending as one of the few permitted jobs due to its prohibition in Christian teachings. This led to Jews eventually opening banks and accumulating wealth.

During the 11th century Crusades, as crusaders marched towards Jerusalem to seize it from Muslims, Christians began slaughtering Jews in Europe as retribution for Christ's death, eradicating entire Jewish communities. In 1215, the Church decreed that Jews must wear distinguishing badges, live in specific areas, and take on particular professions, normalizing their suffering. King Edward I of England expelled Jews, banning them for nearly 400 years. Shakespeare's writings reflect this anti-Semitism, with disdain for Jews who weren't even present in England at the time, as seen in the character Shylock from “The Merchant of Venice.” Hence, the Jewish population in England remains relatively small today.

In Andalusia, after Ferdinand II and Isabella I invaded Granada from Muslims, they issued Alhambra Decree in 1492 forcing Jews to convert to Christianity or face expulsion. No to mention the Holocaust under Hitler (1933-1945) which was another horrific chapter, stemming from the ingrained racism in Europe, contrary to their claims.

Islamic Respect and Protection

Contrarily, Muslims have historically played a crucial role in respecting and protecting Jews since the dawn of Islam. Starting with the Medina Constitution, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ stated, “The Jews of Banu 'Awf are one community with the believers; the Jews have their religion, and the Muslims have theirs.”  ⁽¹⁾

The Prophet ﷺ was just in his judgments, even if it favored Jews over Muslims. When Al-Ash'ath bin Qais had a dispute with a Jew over land in Yemen, and Al-Ash'ath had no proof, the Prophet ﷺ ruled in favor of the Jew. ⁽²⁾ Additionally, Jews were allowed to adjudicate among themselves by their laws unless they chose to bring their case to the Prophet ﷺ, as Allah says, “So if they come to you, [O Muhammad], judge between them or turn away from them. And if you turn away from them - never will they harm you at all. And if you judge, judge between them with justice.” (Al-Ma’idah: 42)

The Prophet ﷺ treated Jews with kindness, as he did with everyone, in obedience to Allah’s command “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.” (Al-Mumtahanah: 8)

The Prophet ﷺ visited their sick, as he did with the Jewish boy who used to serve him. ⁽³⁾ He also accepted their gifts, such as the poisoned sheep given to him by a Jewish woman, and he ate from it. He forgave the woman and didn’t seek to avenge himself. ⁽⁴⁾ However, he later executed her in retribution for the death of his companion, Bishr ibn al-Bara', who died from eating the poisoned sheep.

This kindness continued under Muslim rulers. When Muslims conquered Persia, large Jewish communities in Baghdad and Isfahan were granted protection under Umar ibn al-Khattab. Upon conquering Jerusalem, where Jews were previously forbidden, Umar allowed them to live and worship freely, establishing their first synagogue there.

During the Abbasid era, Jews were appointed as translators in the House of Wisdom in Baghdad due to their linguistic expertise, regardless of their religion. Similarly, the Umayyads and Fatimids in Spain employed Jews and Christians in the House of Wisdom, providing them with full financial rights. The Jewish Rabbi Samuel ibn Naghrillah became the vizier of Granada, even leading Muslim armies against Crusader forces in Cordoba.

Other prominent Jews like Hasdai ibn Shaprut held significant positions in the Umayyad court in the 10^th century in Cordoba, managing foreign affairs and enhancing Talmudic studies in Spain, transforming it into a center for Hebrew Studies. Judah Halevi, a renowned Arab Jewish poet, physician, and thinker, received his education in Islamic Spain, where he studied Hebrew, Jewish religious texts, philosophy, Arabic language, literature, and medicine. His work reflected a strong influence from Arabic poetry. 

Most notably is Moses ben Maimon, commonly known as Maimonides, one of the greatest Jewish minds, grew up and thrived in Cordoba under Muslim rule, developing a deep love and appreciation for Islam. Some even claim that he converted to Islam for several years, although he was never compelled to do so due to the religious freedom that existed in Al-Andalus at the time. The influence of Islamic principles was evident in his renewal of Jewish theology. He was profoundly influenced by Muslim philosophers such as Al-Farabi, Al-Kindi, and Ibn Rushd. He became the first to author a comprehensive book on Jewish theology and became one of the best physicians of his era due to his detailed studies of Ibn Sina. This earned him the trust of Saladin, who appointed him as his personal physician.

These are just a few examples of flourishing Jews under Muslim rule, due to the safety and good treatment they received. Muslims not only coexisted peacefully with Jews but also defended them from the persecutions they faced in Europe. When Ferdinand II and Isabella I issued the 1492 decree to expel the Jews from Andalusia, Sultan Bayezid II welcomed hundreds of thousands of Jews expelled from Andalusia under his rule. He did not stop there but also decided to punish any official preventing Jews from settling in Andalusia.

Even during Hitler's reign and the oppressive practices of the Nazi concentration camps, Sultan Muhammad V of Morocco, despite being under French colonialism, refused to hand over Moroccan Jews to the Nazis. Similarly, Muslims in Bosnia, Tunisia, the Ottoman Empire, and France protected Jews. Imam Abdelkader Mesli of the Grand Mosque of Paris instructed Muslims to bring Jews to the mosque to protect them from the Nazis. He forged Islamic identity documents for the Jews, saving thousands of Jewish lives until he was arrested by the Nazi Gestapo and deported to concentration camps, where he was subjected to severe torture.

Given this profound legacy of Muslims, how unfair is to brand Islam and Muslims as terrorists and anti-Semites!!

-------------------------------------------------------

1. Biography Of The Prophet by Ibn Hisham, 1/503-504.
2. Sahih al-Bukhari (2417), Sahih Muslim (138).
3. Sahih al-Bukhari (1356).
4. Sahih al-Bukhari (2617), Sahih Muslim (2190).
5. Concepts of Religion Between Divine Revelation and Human Perception by Amar Ahmad Khalaf Qutb.
6. Ikhbar al-ulama' bi-akhbar al-hukama' by Al-Qifti.
7. Yasir Qadhi, muslimcentral.com.
8. Christian Europe Created Jews Haterd in the Middle Ages, swissinfo.ch.
9. BBC Arabic: Learn about the First European Country to Expel Jews.
10. The Atlantic: Putting Shakespeare on Trial in His Own Anti-Semitic Play.
11. Moshe Gil (1997), pp. 70-71.
12. Spain in Arabic: Alhambra Decree: 530 Years Since Spain's Expulsion of Muslims and Jews.
13. The Philosophy of Maimonides and the Influence of Islamic Thought: A Study in Ethics and Interpretation - Arab Center for Research & Policy Studies.
14. aljazeera.net
15. aljazeera.doc