Since the attacks on October 7, some statements from Hamas officials and members have become widely circulated in the media. These statements promise to repeat the attacks of October 7th and to fight and kill Jews until Palestine is free. They have even called upon every Muslim in the world to help them, claiming it is a religious duty (Hamas in Its Own Words, ADL, 2024). In today’s media landscape, it is easy to be misled into thinking that Hamas speaks for all Muslims, when in fact these statements are far from true Islamic teachings. While one might assume that Islam is inherently an antisemitic religion, Islam actually teaches brotherhood and peace, not only with Jews but with all of humanity.
How does the Qur’an treat Jews?
One of the foremost verses about Jews in the Holy Qur’an is: “Surely, the Believers, and the Jews, and the Christians, and the Sabians — whichever party from among these truly believes in Allah and the Last Day and does good deeds — shall have their reward with their Lord, and no fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve” (Holy Qur’an 22:18). This is a groundbreaking verse; nothing comparable is found in any other religion or scripture in the world. It promises paradise not only to Muslims but to anyone who fulfills two characteristics: 1) they believe in one God, and 2) they do good deeds. Whoever meets these two criteria, regardless of their religion, can go to Heaven. Only Islam explicitly teaches that those who do not believe in the religion can still attain Heaven, as long as they are righteous. Certainly, a religion that teaches that Jews can go to Heaven cannot be antisemitic.
Anti-Islamic critics often point to another verse in the Qur’an: “And when they [the Jews] forgot all that with which they had been admonished, We saved those who forbade evil, and We seized the transgressors with a severe punishment because they were rebellious. And when they insolently rebelled against that which they had been forbidden, We said to them, ‘Be ye apes, despised!’” (Holy Qur’an 7:166-167). Critics of Islam cite this verse as proof that Islam dehumanizes Jews. This is false. The verse refers to a specific event in Jewish history, where a group of Jews violated God’s covenant with Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) and profaned the Sabbath. These verses do not unilaterally condemn all Jews simply for being Jewish; they condemn those who were rebellious and transgressive, while saving those who forbade evil. The Qur’an teaches that neither punishment nor salvation is based on one’s race or religion, but on one’s righteousness. The Qur’an is not antisemitic; it is anti-evil, regardless of who commits it.
How did Prophet Muhammad treat Jews?
Far from dehumanizing or denigrating Jewish people, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) showed great respect and dignity toward Jews. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) exemplified excellent conduct in his interactions with the Jews of his time. It is narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) that “A funeral procession passed in front of us, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) stood up, and we stood up too. We said, ‘O Allah’s Apostle! This is the funeral procession of a Jew.’ He said, ‘Whenever you see a funeral procession, you should stand up’” (Sahih Bukhari #1311). Even though the procession was for a member of a different faith, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) still showed Jews respect and dignity. Furthermore, when the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) migrated to Medina, he negotiated with the Jewish tribes already living there to create a constitution for the new state. Each Jewish tribe was given an equal say in what to include in the Charter of Medina, and each had a role in the governance of the state (Rashid, Qasim. Extremist: A Response to Geert Wilders & Terrorists Everywhere, p. 142).
Another incident often taken out of context by anti-Islam critics is the treachery of the Banu Qurayzah. They often claim, God forbid, that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) ordered the cold-blooded execution of 700 Jewish men, but they ignore the context and the reliability of this story. First, this incident—about the supposed massacre of 700 Jewish men—is not recorded in any Jewish texts at all. Some Muslim scholars even argue that no execution ever took place. However, assuming an execution did occur, it certainly wasn’t for any antisemitic reason. The Banu Qurayzah tribe was punished not because they were Jewish, but because they betrayed the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and their allies during the Battle of the Ditch. This was in violation of the Charter of Medina, to which the Banu Qurayzah were equal signatories. Furthermore, the punishment, if it occurred, was decided by an arbiter appointed by the Banu Qurayzah themselves, who prescribed his judgment based on the law in the Torah (Rashid, Qasim. Extremist: A Response to Geert Wilders & Terrorists Everywhere, p. 144). The execution, if it happened, was not ordered by the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) or by Islamic law. There was no wrong or injustice done to the Banu Qurayzah by the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) on that day.
It is clear that Islam is far from antisemitic. Rather than demonizing Jews, the Qur’an recognizes them as people who were worthy of divine favor, and the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) treated the Jews of his time with dignity, respect, and justice. By understanding Islam’s true teachings, it is evident that any form of hatred does not belong in the religion—and in fact, hatred has no religion at all.
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