- Muslims in Medina faced personal and political betrayals from Jews, including assaults and conspiracy to kill the Messenger.
- Despite these betrayals, every time Muslims established a new chapter of peace to prevent future repercussions.
- The Battle of the Trench in the fifth year of the Hijra saw the Banu Qurayza (Jews) almost destroy the city due to their betrayal of the constitution.
- Despite the tragedy, Muslims' tolerance towards Jews persisted, leading to a system of tolerance that prevailed in the Arab East.
- Jews under Islam enjoyed complete religious freedom and lived in peace until the establishment of the State of Israel in 1947.
- Muslims' tolerance towards the severe abuses suffered by Jews throughout history is noteworthy.
- Muslims view war as an extraordinary and repugnant matter, aiming to restore peace and reconciliation as quickly as possible.
Far from the painful personal feelings experienced by Muslims in Medina from the Jews, after Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, may peace be upon him, made a treaty with them; they attempted – on one occasion – to assault the honor of a Muslim woman in their markets (2 AH), on another occasion they conspired to kill the Messenger himself (4 AH), and yet a third time they committed a major act of betrayal against the Muslims during the dire circumstances of the Battle of the Trench (the Banu Qurayza in the year 5 AH).
Beyond all these betrayals and the constant "cold conspiratorial war" aligned with the polytheists of the Arabian Peninsula, and contrary to the constitution...
Far from all this, the Muslims opened a new chapter of peace with the Jews, so that the future would not continue to pay the price for the mistakes of the past.
The Islamic nation had miraculously survived extermination at the time of the siege of the polytheists in Medina during the Battle of the Trench in the fifth year of the Hijra, and the Banu Qurayza (the Jews) almost destroyed the city after their betrayal of the constitution, which mandated them – as citizens – to protect the city alongside the Muslims.
If Muhammad had released them, they would have increased opposition among the Jews in Khaybar and organized another attack against the city as there was no guarantee that luck would favor the Muslims again. Moreover, the violent battle for survival would have continued indefinitely, leading to ongoing suffering and death. The sentences of death for the major treason of the Banu Qurayza Jews left the required impact on the souls of Islam's enemies, and it does not seem that anyone was shocked by the massacre; (because it was justice by all laws), in addition to the fact that the Qurayzites themselves seemed to have anticipated its inevitability; they knew the meaning of the crime they had committed.
Nevertheless, it is important – as Armstrong Katherine states – to record here that this tragic beginning did not permanently affect the Muslims' position towards the Jews. Once the Muslims established their own global empire and developed an advanced system in their Sharia, they founded a system of tolerance that prevailed in the civilized parts of the Arab East for a long time; where religious groups coexisted side by side. Antisemitism is a Western Christian sin, not an Islamic sin, and this must be present in our minds so that we do not succumb to generalizations.
During the time of the Islamic Empire, Jews – like Christians – enjoyed complete religious freedom and lived in peace in the region until the establishment of the State of Israel in 1947. Jews under Islam never suffered what they endured under Christianity!
As for the European anti-Semitic myths, they arrived in the Arab East at the end of the last century through Christian missionary missions, and the masses usually met them with disdain.
It is worth mentioning that the Muslims' tolerance toward the severe abuses they suffered from the Jews throughout history, and their overlooking of the Jewish betrayal of the constitution established by the Messenger of Islam, which granted them full citizenship rights in Medina (their homeland), is noteworthy. Despite this, they betrayed the constitution and the homeland during a dire crisis, in which Muslims could have faced annihilation were it not for God's protection.
This tolerance from Muslims regarding the many pages of Jewish betrayal against them confirms that Muslims view war as an extraordinary and repugnant matter, and that they should not initiate hostilities; for a just war is one waged only in self-defense. Nonetheless, whenever they enter into war, they must fight with an absolute moral commitment to bring the fighting to an end as quickly as possible, as Katherine Armstrong states. If the enemy proposes a truce or shows willingness for peace, the Quran commands Muslims that the terms of peace should not be immoral or shameful. However, the Quran also emphasizes that ending military conflict is sacred, that confronting the enemy should be done resolutely, and that any hesitation should be avoided, as this would mean the continuation of conflict indefinitely.
The goal of any war in Islam is to restore peace and reconciliation as quickly as possible. This is what Katherine Armstrong concluded and affirmed... an impartial researcher... and we believe that this is what Muslims did with the Jews; they quickly engaged with them and employed them in high positions, even opening the palaces of caliphs to them and relying on them in all fields (translation, medicine, economy, and others).
Sources:
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The official website of Dr. Abdul Halim Owais
