Quotes and Notes Corner: At War With Islam? - Part I

(Israelnationalnews.com) I am dedicating this Q&N Corner to Professors Aumann and Avineri - perhaps especially to Prof. Avineri - in light of their recent remarks at the Jerusalem Conference on the "clash of civilizations".

First, I can't help but refer back to an earlier Q&N Corner called "Die or Embrace Islam". That was a fairly global personal purpose statement from the first Islamic leader, Mohammad ("I have been commanded to fight the people until they testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah...."), and the first Islamic book, the Koran ("Fight against those who believe not in Allah, nor in the Last Day, nor forbid that which has been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger....").

Now, I'd like to once again turn to the most accepted of Islamic texts for specific guidance on the status of the Jews and the Muslim stance in relation to them.

The following is from the Koran (9:29): "Fight against those who believe not in Allah, nor in the Last Day, nor forbid that which has been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, and those who acknowledge not the religion of truth among the People of the Scripture...."

The authoritative commentary of Ibn Kathir explains: "This honorable verse was revealed with the order to fight the People of the Book, after the pagans were defeated, the people entered Allah's religion in large numbers, and the Arabian Peninsula was secured under the Muslims' control. Allah commanded His Messenger to fight the People of the Scriptures, Jews and Christians, on the ninth year of Hijrah, and he prepared his army to fight the Romans and called the people to Jihad announcing his intent and destination....."

Koran, 9:29 continues, "...until they pay the Jizyah..." Upon which Ibn Kathir commented, "If they do not choose to embrace Islam."

Koran 9:29 goes on: "...with willing submission...." Ibn Kathir: "In defeat and subservience."

Koran 9:29: "...and feel themselves subdued." Ibn Kathir: "Disgraced, humiliated and belittled. Therefore, Muslims are not allowed to honor the people of Dhimmah or elevate them above Muslims, for they are miserable, disgraced and humiliated."

The next source to examine, of course, as anyone slightly familiar with Islam knows, is the Hadith:

Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 53, Number 392:

"Narrated Abu Huraira: While we were in the Mosque, the Prophet came out and said, 'Let us go to the Jews.' We went out till we reached Bait-ul-Midras (beit hamidrash - 'the study hall'? - NRK). He said to them, 'If you embrace Islam, you will be safe. You should know that the Earth belongs to Allah and His Apostle, and I want to expel you from this land. So, if anyone amongst you owns some property, he is permitted to sell it, otherwise you should know that the Earth belongs to Allah and His Apostle.'"

Aside from the interesting aspect of the story that Muhammad went to the beit hamidrash to find the Jews - sort of like that Muslim terrorist who murdered eight students in the seminary library in Jerusalem not long ago - let's note something more generally of interest. That the Earth belongs to Allah, I can understand, if we accept that Allah is just a word for God. Sure, in monotheism, all things ultimately belong to God.

But "the Earth belongs to Allah AND his Apostle"? The whole Earth belongs to Allah and to Muhammad? In Islam, apparently so.

Therefore if Muhammad says, "I want to expel you from this land," well, it belongs to him anyway. So, I suppose that makes it his right. It also explains the Jizya fairly well. The Jews (and Christians) have to pay for the right to remain anywhere in Allah and Mohammad's 'hood, or they can join his gang and start collecting their own share of the protection money.

Researched, compiled and presented by Nissan Ratzlav-Katz