The Anti-Semitic Quran

Part 2

Allah’s anti-semitic invective in the Quran

Allah’s anti-Semitic invective as conveyed by Muhammad

Allah’s anti-Semitic accusations, conveyed through the mouth of Muhammad, occur throughout the Quran, in particular in Sura 2 The Cow, the longest sura, which consists of 286 verses and has  been described by Muslim scholars as ‘the Quran in little’. 

   Allah’s accusations against Jews begin at verse 40 and continue until verse 110. These 70 continuous verses of disturbing anti-Jewish rhetoric are quoted  here, with an explanatory summary in bold type above each entry: 

2.40-42. Allah [through the mouth of Muhammad] addresses the Jews of Medina, claiming to be Jehovah, the God of Abraham, who protected them in the past. He orders them to fear Him, and ‘not to be the first to deny these new Revelations’ brought by Muhammad.  They must stop ‘mixing truth with falsehood’, and ‘knowingly concealing the Truth’ [that Muhammad is the Prophet of God]:

‘O Children of Israel! Remember My blessings which I bestowed upon you. Fulfil your pledge to Me, and I will fulfil My pledge to you. Fear Me. Believe in what I revealed, confirming what is with you.  Do not be the first to deny it.. Be conscious of Me. Do not mix truth with falsehood. Do not knowingly conceal the Truth.’ (40-42)   

2.43-46. Allah orders the Jews to convert to Islam, to pay the zakat, and worship Him with the Muslims. He accuses them of hypocrisy in preaching the Scripture without following it themselves:

‘Attend to your prayers, pay the poor-tax, and bow down with those who bow in worship. Do you command people to virtuous conduct, and forget yourselves, even though you read the Scripture? Have you no sense? Seek help through patience and prayer. The devout know  they will meet their Lord, and that to Him they will return.’ (43-46)

2.47-52. Allah warns the Jews of the Day of Judgement. He reminds them of his ‘favour’ to them in saving them from Pharaoh, and of how ‘wicked’ they were to turn to the worship of the Golden Calf:

‘Children of Israel! Remember My favour which I bestowed on you, how I favoured you above all nations. Beware of a Day when no soul will aught avail another, no intercession nor ransom will be accepted, and nor will they be helped. Recall how We saved you from Pharaoh’s people,…how We parted the sea for you, and saved you, and drowned Pharaoh’s men in front of your eyes! Recall how We took Moses away for forty nights, and in his absence, you took to worshipping the Calf, and you turned wicked. Even then, We pardoned you.’ (47-52)

2.53-54. Allah reminds the Jews that He gave Moses the Scripture for them to follow. They should ‘repent’ because they ‘did wrong in worshipping the Golden Calf’.  

‘Recall that We gave Moses the Scripture and the Criterion, so that you might be rightly-guided, and that Moses said,“O my people, you have wronged yourselves by worshipping the Calf. Repent to your Maker, and kill the culprits among you. That will be best for you with your Maker.” So He relented towards you. He is the Accepter of Repentance, the Merciful.’ (53-54)

2.55-57. Allah reminds the Jews how they were ‘struck by a thunderbolt’ for demanding proofs from Moses, and by doing this, merely ‘wronged their own souls’.  

‘Recall that you said, “Moses, we will not believe in you unless we see God plainly.” Thereupon the thunderbolt struck you. We revived you, and shaded you with clouds, and We sent down to you manna and quails: “Eat of the good things We have provided for you.” ‘They did not wrong Us, but wronged their own souls.’ (55-57) 

2.58-59. Allah says that ‘evildoers’ among the Jews changed the Scripture He gave them, and that their ‘wicked behavior’ is why He ‘sent down on them a scourge from heaven’.

‘Recall how We said, “Enter this town, and eat whatever you wish. Enter the gate humbly, say you repent, and We will forgive your sins, and reward the righteous.” But the sinners among them substituted words other than those given to them, so We sent down  a scourge from Heaven, because of their wicked behaviour.’ (58-59)   

2.60-61.Allah recalls how Jews in the past ‘corrupted the earth with  disobedience.’ They incurred His wrath, ‘rejecting His revelations’ and ‘killing the prophets’, and were ‘rebels and transgressors’.

‘Recall when Moses prayed for water for his people,We said, “Strike the rock with your staff.” Then twelve springs gushed out, one for each tribe. “Eat and drink from God’s provision, and do not corrupt the earth with disobedience.” You said, “Moses, we cannot bear one kind of food. Call to your Lord to give us earthly produce.” He said, “Would you substitute worse for better? Go back to Egypt, where you will have what you want.” They were struck with humiliation and misery, and incurred the Wrath of God, because they rejected God’s revelations and wrongfully killed the prophets. That was because they were rebels and transgressors.’ (60-61) 

2.62. Allah says that righteous Jews, Christians and Sabeans who believe in Allah and the Last Day ‘have nothing to fear’:

‘Believers, and those who follow the Jewish faith, and the Christians, and the Sabeans—any who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and act righteously—shall have their reward with their Lord; they have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve.’ (62)  

2.63-66. Allah then returns to his attack on those Jews who he says  ‘violated the Sabbath’ and were turned into ‘despicable apes’:

‘Recall how We made a covenant with you,… saying: “Hold fast to what We have given you, and remember what is therein, that you may ward off evil.” But you turned away. But for God’s grace and mercy, you would surely have been among the lost. You know of those of you who violated the Sabbath. We said to them, “Be ye despicable apes!” We made their fate an example to their generation, and to succeeding generations, and a lesson for the righteous.’ (63-66)   

2.67-71. Allah recalls how the Jews asked repeated questions and initially refused Moses’ order to ‘sacrifice a yellow cow’. 

‘Recall when Moses said to his people, “Allah commands you to sacrifice a cow.” They said, Call upon your Lord to show us which one.” Moses said, “Allah says she is a cow, neither old, nor young, but in between.” They said, “Call upon your Lord to tell us what colour she is.” Moses replied, “Allah says that the cow is yellow, bright in colour.” They said, “Call upon your Lord to show us which one.” Moses replied, “Allah says she is a cow, sound without blemish, neither yoked to plow the earth, nor to irrigate the field.”.… So they slaughtered a cow, though they almost did not.’ (67-71)

2.74-75. Allah accuses the Jews of having ‘hearts as hard as rocks’. He tells Muhammad that he cannot hope to convert Jews, who in the past have ‘deliberately distorted the Word of God’’. 

 Then after that your hearts hardened. They were as rocks, or even harder…. Allah is not unaware of what you do. Do you [Muhammad] hope that they will believe in you, when some of them used to hear the Word of God, and then deliberately distort it, even after understanding it?’ (74-75)  

2.76-78. Allah tells Muslims that some Jews of Medina tell believers that they also ‘believe’, so as to find out about Muhammad’s revelations so that they can ‘dispute’ his teachings, but Allah is wise to them and knows ‘what they conceal and what they reveal.’ 

‘When they meet believers, they say, “We believe.” Then they say privately, “Will you inform them of what Allah has revealed, so that they might dispute with you about it before your Lord?” Do you not understand? Do they not know that Allah knows what they conceal and what they reveal? Among them are illiterate folk who know the Scripture only through hearsay, and vague speculation.’ (76-78)

2.79. Allah curses those Jews who He says ‘write the Scripture with their own hands’ saying it is from God, in order to make money from the ignorant.   

‘So woe upon those who write the Scripture with their own hands, and then say, “This is from Allah,” that they may exchange it for a little price. Woe upon them for what their hands have written, and woe upon them for what they earn.’ (79)  

2.80-82. Allah tells Muhammad to tell the Jews who claim that Hell is temporary that the wicked ‘will abide in the Fire forever’, whilst ‘believers who do righteous deeds will abide in Paradise forever’. 

‘They say,“The Fire will touch us only for a number of days.” Say, “Did Allah make such a promise,or are you saying about Allah what you do not know?” Indeed, the wicked who wallow in sin shall enter the Fire, there to abide forever. Those who believe and do righteous deeds shall enter Paradise, there to abide forever.’ (80-82)    

2.83. Allah says that He ‘made a covenant with the Jews, but they broke the covenant.’  

‘We made a covenant with the Children of Israel: “Worship none but Allah. Be good to your parents, relatives, orphans and the needy. Exhort people to righteousness. Pray regularly, and give alms.”  But except for a few, you broke the covenant and paid no heed.’ (83)  

2.84-86. Allah says that the Jews have committed evil by ‘killing and expelling their own kin’ and paying ransoms. So they will receive ‘humiliation in this life’ and be‘assigned to the most grievous torment on the Day of Judgement.’ 

‘When We made a covenant with you, We said: “Do not shed the blood of your kin, nor turn them out of their homes… But there you are, killing your own kin, and turning them out of your homes… And if they come to you as captives, you ransom them, although it was forbidden to you….What is the reward for those of you who behave like this, but disgrace in this life? And on the Day of Judgement, they will be assigned to the most grievous torment... Their punishment shall not lightened, nor shall they be helped.’ (84-86) 

2.87-88. Allah says that when he ‘gave Moses the Scripture and sent successive prophets after him’, including Jesus Christ, the Jews ‘grew arrogant’ and rejected them all, ‘calling some imposters and slaying others.’ So Allah has ‘cursed them for their unbelief.’

 ‘We gave Moses the Scripture, and sent successive prophets after him. We gave Jesus son of Mary clear proofs, and fortified him with the Holy Spirit. Whenever a prophet comes to you with anything your souls do not desire, you grow arrogant, calling some impostors, and killing others? They say, “Our hearts are sealed.” Nay, Allah has cursed them for their unbelief. They have but little faith.’ (87-88)   

2.89. Allah says the Jews are rejecting Muhammad’s Quranic revelations, although they confirm the Scripture that they already have. ‘Allah’s curse be upon the infidels!’  

‘And now that a Book has come down to them from Allah, confirming their own Scripture, they deny it, although they know it is the Truth and have long prayed for help against the unbelievers. Allah’s curse be upon the infidels!’ (89)   

2.90. Allah says the Jews ‘have sold their souls’ by rejecting Muhammad’s revelations ‘out of resentment’ that he is an Arab, not a Jew. ‘Shameful punishment awaits them.’ 

‘They have sold their souls for evil. To deny Allah’s own Revelation, out of resentment that He would send it down upon whomever He chooses from among His servants! Thus they incurred Wrath upon Wrath. Shameful punishment awaits them.’ (90)  

2.91-93. Allah again condemns the Jews for rejecting the Quran, although it ‘confirms their own Scriptures’. He tells Muhammad to ask them ‘why they killed Allah’s prophets if they are true believers.’ It was the ‘love of the Calf’, which prompted them to do evil.

‘When they are told, “Believe in what Allah has revealed,” they say, “We believe in what was revealed to us.” They deny what has since been revealed, although it is the Truth that confirms their own Scriptures. Say, “Why did you kill God’s prophets before, if you were believers?” Moses came to you with clear proofs, yet you worshipped the Calf in his absence, and committed evil. When We made a covenant with you, ‘Hold fast to what We have given you, and listen,” they said, “We hear and disobey.” And their hearts became filled with the love of the Calf because of their disbelief. Say, “Evil is what your faith commands you to do, if you are believers.” (91-93)  

2.94-96. Allah tells Muhammad to ask the Jews why, if Heaven is reserved for Jews only, they do not welcome death. ‘But Jews will never wish for death because of their evil actions. Allah is aware that they are evildoers.’  ‘Of all mankind, Jews are the most eager for life. They wish they could live for a thousand years, but even a long life will not save them from the punishment of Allah.’ 

‘Say, “If the Final Home with Allah is yours alone, to the exclusion of all others, then wish for death if you are sincere.” They will never wish for death, because of [the sins] their hands have committed. Allah is aware of these evildoers. You will find them, of all mankind, the most eager for life, even more than the idolators. Every one of them would like to live a thousand years; but even a long life will not save them from the punishment. Allah sees all they do.’ (94-96)   

2.97-100. Allah tells Muhammad to say that ‘whoever is an enemy of Gabriel and Allah, His angels and prophets ‘ (i.e. those who deny the Quran) incur Allah’s enmity. Those who reject the clear signs (of the Quran) are automatically ‘sinners.’   

‘Say, “Whoever is an enemy of Gabriel, (who revealed by Allah’s grace the Quran to you, confirming previous scriptures and giving guidance and good news for believers.” Whoever is an enemy of Allah, or His angels, or His messengers, or of Gabriel or Michael—Allah is their enemy. We have revealed to you clear signs, and only sinners reject them.Why, whenever they make a covenant, must some of them cast it aside? In fact, most of them do not believe.’ (97-100)   

2.101-104. Allah accuses the Jews of hiding the Scriptures from Muhammad. He denies that King Solomon turned away from God, and blames the Jews for ‘practising what the devils taught them during the reign of Solomon: witchcraft.’ From the two fallen angels, Harut and Marut, ‘the Jews learned how to cause division between man and wife, although they knew that whoever deals in witchcraft will have no share in the life to come,’ and that ‘disbelievers face a painful torment’. 

‘And now that a Messenger of Allah has come to them confirming their own Scripture, a faction of those who received the Scripture cast the Book behind their backs, as if they know nothing of it. They accept what the devils tell of Solomon’s kingdom. It was not Solomon who disbelieved. It was the devils who disbelieved. They taught men witchcraft and what was revealed in Babylon to the two angels Harut and Marut who did not teach anybody without saying, “We are a test, so do not lose faith.” 

   They [the Jews] learn from them how to cause division between man and wife, but they cannot harm anyone save by Allah’s leave.  They learn what harms them, not what benefits them. Yet they know that those who deal in witchcraft will have no share in the life to come. Evil indeed is that for which they sell their souls, if they only knew… Disbelievers face a painful torment.’ (101-104)  

2.109.  Allah warns the Muslims that many Jews and Christians ‘wish to turn them back into unbelievers, out of envy on their part, even after the Truth (of Islam) has become clear to them.’  The Muslims must ignore this ‘until Allah gives His command.’ 

‘Many People of the Book wish to turn you back into unbelievers after you have believed, out of envy on their part, after the Truth has become clear to them. But pardon and overlook this, until Allah gives His command. Allah has power over all things.’ (109)  

2.122-123. After a general rant against both Jews and Christians in verses 2.110-121, Allah repeats the identical anti-Semitic rant of verses 2.47-48.

‘O Children of Israel! Remember My blessing which I bestowed upon you, and that I have favoured you over all people. And beware of a Day [of Judgement] when no soul will avail another soul , when  no ransom will be accepted from it, and no intercession will benefit it, and no help be given it.’ (122-123)

2.124-146. After a long passage (verses 2.124-143) in which Allah says that Abraham and Ishmael built the Kabah with their own hands, ‘as a place of security for those who believe in Allah and the Last Day’, and that those who do not believe this are destined for the Fire, Allah addresses Muhammad directly in verses 2.144-146 and instructs him to change the qibla (direction of prayer) back from Jerusalem to the Kabah in Mecca. He says that this is the true direction for all believers and the People of the Book. Allah then accuses the Jews of ‘knowing this as well as they know their own children’, but deliberately ‘concealing the Truth’.

‘[Muhammad], We have seen your face turned towards the heaven. So We will turn you to a qibla that will please you. So turn your face towards the Sacred Mosque. Wherever you are, turn your faces towards it. The People of the Book know that it this is the Truth from their Lord. But even if you brought them every proof, they would not follow your qibla. They know this as well as they know their own children. But some of them knowingly conceal the Truth.’ (144-146) 

2.159-162. As in verses 2.89-90, Allah again doubly ‘curses’ the Jews for hiding their Scripture from Muhammad. They are told to repent, but those who continue to ‘reject faith, and die rejecting it, will be under Allah’s curse forever’, and there will be ‘no reprieve from the torment’ of Hell.

‘Those who suppress the proofs and the Guidance We have revealed, after We have clarified them to humanity in the Scripture, Allah curses them, and the cursers curse them.

   Except for those who repent, and make amends, and proclaim the truth. To them I will turn. I am the Acceptor of Repentance, the Merciful. But as for those who reject faith, and die rejecting it, on them is Allah’s curse, and the curse of angels, and all mankind. They will remain under the curse forever, their torment will not be lightened, and there will be no reprieve.’

Anti-Semitic verses in other suras of the Quran

Most of Allah’s attacks on Jews in the rest of the Quran merely repeat, either in identical or slightly varied wording, the anti-Semitic verses quoted from Sura 2.    The endless repetition of these hateful verses becomes even more nauseating and distressing to the reader when it is remembered that every day, millions of Muslim children in Quranic schools and madrassahs across the world are being taught, often under duress,  to recite these verses by heart. Here follow a few examples of other angry and threatening accusations made by Allah through the mouth of Muhammad that are not merely repetitions of those in Sura 2:

4.47. Jews! Believe or have your faces obliterated, you accursed Sabbath-breakers.

‘O you who were given the Book! Believe in what We sent down, confirming what you have, before We obliterate faces and turn them inside out, or curse them as We cursed the Sabbath-breakers.’ 

4.157-159. A shameful doom awaits the Jews because they  say they crucified Jesus, when they did not. Jesus was simply taken up to Allah. On the Day of  Judgement, every Jew will accept Jesus (as a Prophet of Islam) and Jesus will bear witness against them.

‘The Jews say, ‘We slew the Messiah Jesus son of Mary, prophet of Allah. They slew him not, nor crucified him. They only thought they did… Allah took Jesus up to Himself. Allah is ever Mighty and Wise. There is not one of the People of the Book but will believe in Jesus before his death, and on the Day of Resurrection, he will bear witness against them.’ 

4.160-161. Jews practise usury and cheat people of their wealth. A painful torment awaits the unbelievers.   

‘Because of their iniquity, We forbade the Jews good things that used to be lawful for them because they have deterred many from the path of Allah, because they practice usury, although they were forbidden it, and because they cheat people of their wealth. For those of them that disbelieve, We have prepared a painful torment.’

5.59-62. Jews are cursed by Allah and some were ‘transformed into monkeys and pigs.’ Many of them ‘vie in sin and transgression’ and commit evil. 

‘Shall I tell you who will receive a terrible punishment from Allah? Say: Those whom Allah has cursed, and with whom He has been angry, transforming them into monkeys, and pigs. You see many of them vie in sin and transgression. Surely evil is what they do.’

5.64. Jews are full of ‘defiance and blasphemy’. Allah has ‘stirred among them enmity and hatred until the Day of Judgement’. ‘They kindle the fire of war’ and ‘strive to spread corruption on earth’. 

‘The Jews say, “God’s hand is tied.” May their own hands be tied! And may they be cursed for what they say! In fact, Allah’s hands are outstretched. He bestows as he pleases. What was revealed to you, Muhammad, from your Lord will surely increase many of them in defiance and blasphemy. We have stirred among them enmity and hatred that will endure until the Day of Resurrection. Whenever they kindle the fire of war, Allah extinguishes it. They strive to spread corruption on the earth. Allah does not love evildoers.’

7.163-167. Jews who broke the Sabbath were tested by Allah and turned into ‘detested apes’. Allah will send against them ‘those who will oppress them grievously’ until the Day of Judgement. 

‘Ask them about the town by the sea, and what befell them when they broke the Sabbath. On their Sabbath, the fish would come to them abundantly, but on weekdays the fish never came near them.  Thus did We test them because of the evil they did. 

   And when they persisted in their forbidden ways, We said to them, “Turn into detested apes.” Then your Lord announced that He would send against them those who would oppress them grievously until the Day of Resurrection.’ 

9.29-30. Allah tells Muslims to fight Jews and Christians ‘until they pay the jizyah by hand in abject submission’ because ‘the Jews say that Ezra is the Son of God’, and ‘the Christians say that Jesus is the Son of God.’  ‘Allah smite them. How perverse they are!’

‘Fight those People of the Book who do not believe in Allah, or in the Last Day, who do not forbid what Allah and His Prophet have forbidden, nor embrace the Religion of Truth, until they pay the jizyah (tribute) by hand in abject submission. The Jews say, “Ezra is the Son of God,” and the Christians say, “The Messiah is the Son of God.” These are their statements, out of their mouths, by which they emulate the infidels of old. Allah smite them! How perverse they are!’ 

59.1-6. Allah says that it was on His orders that Muhammad,  smote the Beni al-Nadr in 625CE and ordered the felling of their date palms, casting such terror in their hearts that they were forced into exile’ from Medina. The torments of Hell ‘await them in the Hereafter because they opposed Allah and His Prophet.’ 

‘All that is in the heavens and on the earth gives glory to Allah, the Almighty and Wise. He it was who drove the unbelievers among the People of the Book from their homes into the first exile. You, [Muhammad], did not think they would go, and they thought their fortresses would protect them from Allah. But Allah smote them in a way they did not expect, and cast such terror into their hearts that their homes were destroyed by their own hands, as well as by the believers. Learn a lesson from this, you that have eyes. 

   Had Allah not decreed exile for them, He would have punished them in this life. The torment of the Fire awaits them in the Hereafter, because they opposed Allah and His Messenger, and whoever opposes Allah should know that Allah is stern in retribution. It was by Allah’s leave that you [Muhammad] cut down or spared their date palms, in order to humiliate the ungodly.’

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash