Then my son stood in my kitchen and asked me, as he often forgets, what's that religion my new friends are again? Jews? I told him no, they were Muslim. His response was "Oh, yeah. We hate Jews."
My first reaction was to come down hard on him for ever saying such things! Then I quickly remembered where this was coming from. So we had a quick discussion that I need more information on. I basically told him that in our family, we judge the person, not the religion and that we do not hate any group of people.
But this brings up so many questions! I know there is conflict between Israel and Muslims in the Middle East. But isn't that just political? Why does that carry over to another country entirely? Muslims at their purest belief, unless I am mistaken, believe in one God, the God of Abraham, the God of Jacob. Like Christianity, it broke off Judaism. How can any one faith so completely cut off its parent? I have the same question for many Christians, but I've never heard that Christians are taught to hate the Jews. Perhaps I'm just naive.
In any case, I was hoping to have some sort of discussion for the questions that I'm going to need to deal with for my children. And living in this neighborhood, am I making myself an unnecessary target if I put out the Menorah this year?
Hello Kris10leigh
Take notice that all the posts so far avoid quoting the Qur'an (Though I am sure with the mention in this post they will be more than willing to quote single verses completely out of sync with the remaining dialogue surrounding the verse and completely incompatible with the remaining Qur'an verses or by citing misleading translations).
[2:132] Moreover, Abraham exhorted his children to do the same, and so did Jacob: "O my children, GOD has pointed out the religion for you; do not die except as submitters."
[2:135] They said, "You have to be Jewish or Christian, to be guided." Say, "We follow the religion of Abraham - monotheism - he never was an idol worshiper."
[2:217] They ask you about the Sacred Months and fighting therein: say, "Fighting therein is a sacrilege. However, repelling from the path of GOD and disbelieving in Him and in the sanctity of the Sacred Masjid, and evicting its people, are greater sacrileges in the sight of GOD. Oppression is worse than murder." They will always fight you to revert you from your religion, if they can. Those among you who revert from their religion, and die as disbelievers, have nullified their works in this life and the Hereafter. These are the dwellers of Hell, wherein they abide forever.
[2:256] There shall be no compulsion in religion: the right way is now distinct from the wrong way. Anyone who denounces the devil and believes in GOD has grasped the strongest bond; one that never breaks. GOD is Hearer, Omniscient.
[3:19] The only religion approved by GOD is "Submission". Ironically, those who have received the scripture are the ones who dispute this fact, despite the knowledge they have received, due to jealousy. For such rejectors of GOD's revelations, GOD is most strict in reckoning.
[3:83] Are they seeking other than GOD's religion, when everything in the heavens and the earth has submitted to Him, willingly and unwillingly, and to Him they will be returned?
[3:84] Say, "We believe in GOD, and in what was sent down to us, and in what was sent down to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the Patriarchs, and in what was given to Moses, Jesus, and the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction among any of them. To Him alone we are submitters."
[3:85] Anyone who accepts other than Submission as his religion, it will not be accepted from him, and in the Hereafter, he will be with the losers.
[4:46] Among those who are Jewish, some distort the words beyond the truth, and they say, "We hear, but we disobey," and "Your words are falling on deaf ears," and "Raa'ena (be our shepherd)," as they twist their tongues to mock the religion. Had they said, "We hear, and we obey," and "We hear you," and "Unzurna (watch over us)," it would have been better for them, and more righteous. Instead, they have incurred condemnation from GOD due to their disbelief. Consequently, the majority of them cannot believe.
[4:125] Who is better guided in his religion than one who submits totally to GOD, leads a righteous life, according to the creed of Abraham: monotheism? GOD has chosen Abraham as a beloved friend.
[4:144] O you who believe, you shall not ally yourselves with the disbelievers, instead of the believers. Do you wish to provide GOD with a clear proof against you?
[4:145] The hypocrites will be committed to the lowest pit of Hell, and you will find no one to help them.
[4:146] Only those who repent, reform, hold fast to GOD, and devote their religion absolutely to GOD alone, will be counted with the believers. GOD will bless the believers with a great recompense.
[5:55] Your real allies are GOD and His messenger, and the believers who observe the Contact Prayers (Salat), and give the obligatory charity (Zakat), and they bow down.
[5:56] Those who ally themselves with GOD and His messenger, and those who believed, belong in the party of GOD; absolutely, they are the victors.
[5:57] O you who believe, do not befriend those among the recipients of previous scripture who mock and ridicule your religion, nor shall you befriend the disbelievers. You shall reverence GOD, if you are really believers.
[5:58] When you call to the Contact Prayers (Salat), they mock and ridicule it. This is because they are people who do not understand.
[9:12] If they violate their oaths after pledging to keep their covenants, and attack your religion, you may fight the leaders of paganism - you are no longer bound by your covenant with them - that they may refrain.
[9:13] Would you not fight people who violated their treaties, tried to banish the messenger, and they are the ones who started the war in the first place? Are you afraid of them? GOD is the One you are supposed to fear, if you are believers.
[9:14] You shall fight them, for GOD will punish them at your hands, humiliate them, grant you victory over them, and cool the chests of the believers.
[60:1] O you who believe, you shall not befriend My enemies and your enemies, extending love and friendship to them, even though they have disbelieved in the truth that has come to you. They persecute the messenger, and you, just because you believe in GOD, your Lord. If you mobilize to struggle in My cause, seeking My blessings, how can you secretly love them? I am fully aware of everything you conceal, and everything you declare. Those among you who do this have indeed strayed off the right path.
[60:2] Whenever they encounter you, they treat you as enemies, and hurt you with their hands and tongues. They want you to disbelieve.
[60:8] GOD does not enjoin you from befriending those who do not fight you because of religion, and do not evict you from your homes. You may befriend them and be equitable towards them. GOD loves the equitable.
[60:9] GOD enjoins you only from befriending those who fight you because of religion, evict you from your homes, and band together with others to banish you. You shall not befriend them. Those who befriend them are the transgressors.
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You want a quick run down of what Islam is all about?
Submission to God. And do not let the translations that deceptively translate submission and submitters as Islam and muslims lead you off course. Notice Abraham is quoted as telling his children to be submitters. Muhammad, and thereof Islam as a religion as it is practiced today, did not exist then. The Qur'an is quite clear that the true religion is the one that submits to God. The way some people are practicing Islam today is far from that.
And as submitters we follow what has been revealed to us. It is said in the Qur'an to not befriend/ally those who mock/attack the religion of submission to God. But those who do not mock/attack our religion, they can be befriend and treated equitably. The mentality of "I hate all Jews" is far from this teaching.
You will find disbelievers and people of the book (Christians and Jews) citing examples of hypocrisy as though it were a true representation of this religion of submission. Though the very guide for this religion in our time, the Qur'an, clearly labels such peoples and actions are wrong and hypocritical. They do not take heed, as they are too focused on their rejection and at times hatred of the religion of submission. Without such tactics they would not be able to lead people away from the truth. It takes lies, misunderstandings, and misinformation, coming from those who claim righteousness, to deviate others from the true path.
You will also find them citing the recognized texts of men, Hadith, as though they are equal to or superior to the word of the Qur'an. If they wish to place their faith there, that is their business, though it be misplaced. They of course cite hypocrites in large numbers as support for their usage, not quite solid grounds to stand on when they are discussing the religion itself.
I am currently working on a project that you may be interested in. Though given the painstaking research and attention to detail it takes, I forecast it will take me another 10 years at the very least. The project requires me to study each and every verse in the Qur'an and piece together a complete meaning that is consistent through and through. This task would be much easier if the translations available were more reliable, but alas they are not. You will find some translations are good in some areas and weak in others. In the end anyone seriously wanting the true message is just going to have to translate the text for themselves using the present translations as a guide, lexicons and dictionaries, and of course grammatical texts as well.
Now I will say the main message of the Qur'an is conveyed in these distorted translations. Though sometimes the reader must be cautious.
Not a good time for introducing oneself to the neighbors.
