The Ruling on Affection for the Jews, Debating Them, and Dealing with Them
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The questioner:
Likewise, there is a saying circulating on people's tongues in this time, which is that our hostility toward the Jews is not religious, because the Noble Qur'an has mentioned their friendship and their friendship with us, and it praised them, and established friendship between us and them, as the Exalted said:[Al-'Ankabut 29:46] So what is your response to this claim?
The Shaykh:
This speech contains confusion and misguidance. The Jews are disbelievers. The Jews are disbelievers; Allah has declared them disbelievers and cursed them, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) declared them disbelievers and cursed themSunan an-Nasa'i 703Sahih (Darussalam), "So do not take the graves as mosques. Indeed, I forbid you from doing so," [Al-Ma'idah 5:78-80] [Al-Ma'idah 5:80-81]. Allah the Exalted said [At-Tawbah 9:29], meaning that He called the Jews and Christians disbelievers who do not believe in Allah or the Last Day, and who do not follow the religion of truth. And [At-Tawbah 9:29], they celebrate their festivals, and they now say, "Allah did not command us to love them; rather, He forbade us from doing so." [Al-Ma'idah 5:51]. Loyalty (al-wala') entails love, support, praising them, and defending them; all of this is part of loyalty to them. Do not take the Jews and Christians as allies; some of them are allies of others, [Al-Ma'idah 5:51], until Allah the Exalted says [Al-Ma'idah 5:57] in Surat al-Imran to the end of the verses.
As for debating them, one should bring forth what they have of falsehood and debate them in the best manner. The verse is not absolute in its application; rather, Allah qualified it in another verse:[Al-'Ankabut 29:46], those among them who have wronged themselves. They are not to be debated in the best manner; rather, they are to be debated, fought, and engaged in battle if they persist in their disbelief and stubbornness, except for those whom I think
The questioner:
the importance of tawhid (the oneness of Allah) here.
The Shaykh:
Debating them is not a matter of affection. Rather, it is a matter of refuting their falsehood and responding to them, just as Allah responded to them in the clear text of the Noble Qur'an in many places. As for dealing with them in permissible matters, this is not affection for them. It is for the sake of interests without which the affairs of people cannot be established, such as buying and selling, treaties, and truces between us and them, if the matter leads to a truce, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did with the disbelievers in Makkah, establishing a truce in the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, just as he made a truce and treaty with the Jews in Madinah. Establishing a truce is not affection for them; rather, it is for the benefit of the Muslims. If the benefit of the Muslims lies in making a treaty with the disbelievers and a truce with the disbelievers, there is no harm in that, for the sake of the benefit of the Muslims. Likewise, importing goods, merchandise, and manufactured items from them is for the benefit of the Muslims. We do not take these from them as a favor; rather, we pay them their price. We pay them the price and buy them from them. They have no favor over us in this; rather, we bought them from them with our money and property for the sake of our interests. Thus, industrial and commercial exchange and taking expertise from them: the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) hired Ibn Urayqah al-Laythi, who was a polytheist, to guide him on the road during the journey of Hijrah, to benefit from his knowledge of the road. This is what Allah the Exalted has permitted, and it is not affection for him, but rather for the sake of our interests and our needs. We offer them a price in return, and they have no favor over us in it.
And there is no indication [of affection], so we must distinguish between permissible dealing and affection, loyalty, and support. We distinguish between permissible dealing and loyalty, which is forbidden. Allah did not praise them, but rather He censured them. No,[Al-Ma'idah 5:60] meaning the Jews and the Christians. Is there anything behind this sin? [Al-Ma'idah 5:60]. Allah, perhaps.
And hatred for them is mentioned in many places in the Noble Qur'an, so we must know this. We hate them for the sake of the religion. The questioner says, "We do not hate them for the sake of their religion." No, that is a mistake. There is no religion in the one who does not hate the Jews and Christians, because he contradicts the saying of Allah the Exalted[Al-Ma'idah 5:51]. The greatest form of loyalty is love in the hearts, [Al-Mujadila 58:22]. So we hate them for the sake of the religion as long as they remain in disbelief. As for dealing with them in permissible matters, there is no harm in that, and it is not a matter of love. Likewise, debating them and refuting their falsehood is not a matter of agreeing with them or thinking they are right. No, rather it is to refute their argument. Allah the Exalted said [Ali 'Imran 3:93], as a challenge to them: "If you are truthful, [Ali 'Imran 3:94-95]." Humaid, this is the correct religion, the religion of Ibrahim, with which Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was sent, and with which all the prophets before him were sent. As for what the Jews are upon of disbelief in Allah and associating partners with Allah, that is not of the religion of Ibrahim (peace be upon him). [Ali 'Imran 3:67-68], meaning Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) [Ali 'Imran 3:68].
The questioner:
From this speaker, that he presented even Islam, which he had not presented before. Once.
The Shaykh:
In any case, we have known the answer, and the one who said this must be asked to repent. If he repents, otherwise the Sharia ruling is to be applied to him. Yes.
Likewise, there is a saying circulating on people's tongues in this time, which is that our hostility toward the Jews is not religious, because the Noble Qur'an has mentioned their friendship and their friendship with us, and it praised them, and established friendship between us and them, as the Exalted said:
And do not argue with the People of the Scripture except in a way that is best
وَلَا تُجَادِلُوا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ إِلَّا بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُThe Shaykh:
This speech contains confusion and misguidance. The Jews are disbelievers. The Jews are disbelievers; Allah has declared them disbelievers and cursed them, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) declared them disbelievers and cursed them
May Allah curse the Jews and Christians, for they took the graves of their Prophets as places of worship.
لعنة الله على اليهود والنصارى، اتخذوا قبور أنبيائهم مساجد(78) Cursed were those who disbelieved among the Children of Israel by the tongue of David and of Jesus, the son of Mary. That was because they disobeyed and [habitually] transgressed. (79) They used not to prevent one another from wrongdoing that they did. How wretched was that which they were doing. (80) You see many of them becoming allies of those who disbelieved
لُعِنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِن بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ عَلَىٰ لِسَانِ دَاوُودَ وَعِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ ذَٰلِكَ بِمَا عَصَوا وَّكَانُوا يَعْتَدُونَ كَانُوا لَا يَتَنَاهَوْنَ عَن مُّنكَرٍ فَعَلُوهُ لَبِئْسَ مَا كَانُوا يَفْعَلُونَ تَرَىٰ كَثِيرًا مِّنْهُمْ يَتَوَلَّوْنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواHow wretched is that which they have put forth for themselves in that Allah has become angry with them, and in the punishment they will abide eternally. (81) And if they had believed in Allah and the Prophet and in what was revealed to him, they would not have taken them as allies; but many of them are defiantly disobedient.
لَبِئْسَ مَا قَدَّمَتْ لَهُمْ أَنفُسُهُمْ أَن سَخِطَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَفِي الْعَذَابِ هُمْ خَالِدُونَ وَلَوْ كَانُوا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالنَّبِيِّ وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مَا اتَّخَذُوهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءَ وَلَٰكِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِّنْهُمْ فَاسِقُونَFight those who do not believe in Allah or in the Last Day and who do not consider unlawful what Allah and His Messenger have made unlawful and who do not adopt the religion of truth from those who were given the Scripture
قَاتِلُوا الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَلَا بِالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَلَا يُحَرِّمُونَ مَا حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَلَا يَدِينُونَ دِينَ الْحَقِّ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَfrom those who were given the Scripture - [fight] until they give the jizyah
مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ حَتَّىٰ يُعْطُوا الْجِزْيَةَO you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in fact]
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا الْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَارَىٰ أَوْلِيَاءَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُAnd whoever is an ally to them among you - then indeed, he is [one] of them. Indeed, Allah guides not the wrongdoing people.
وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُم مِّنكُمْ فَإِنَّهُ مِنْهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَO you who have believed, take not those who have taken your religion in ridicule and amusement among the ones who were given the Scripture before you nor the disbelievers as allies. And fear Allah, if you should [truly] be believers.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا الَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا دِينَكُمْ هُزُوًا وَلَعِبًا مِّنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ وَالْكُفَّارَ أَوْلِيَاءَ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَAs for debating them, one should bring forth what they have of falsehood and debate them in the best manner. The verse is not absolute in its application; rather, Allah qualified it in another verse:
And do not argue with the People of the Scripture except in a way that is best, except for those who commit injustice among them
وَلَا تُجَادِلُوا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ إِلَّا بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا مِنْهُمْThe questioner:
the importance of tawhid (the oneness of Allah) here.
The Shaykh:
Debating them is not a matter of affection. Rather, it is a matter of refuting their falsehood and responding to them, just as Allah responded to them in the clear text of the Noble Qur'an in many places. As for dealing with them in permissible matters, this is not affection for them. It is for the sake of interests without which the affairs of people cannot be established, such as buying and selling, treaties, and truces between us and them, if the matter leads to a truce, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did with the disbelievers in Makkah, establishing a truce in the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, just as he made a truce and treaty with the Jews in Madinah. Establishing a truce is not affection for them; rather, it is for the benefit of the Muslims. If the benefit of the Muslims lies in making a treaty with the disbelievers and a truce with the disbelievers, there is no harm in that, for the sake of the benefit of the Muslims. Likewise, importing goods, merchandise, and manufactured items from them is for the benefit of the Muslims. We do not take these from them as a favor; rather, we pay them their price. We pay them the price and buy them from them. They have no favor over us in this; rather, we bought them from them with our money and property for the sake of our interests. Thus, industrial and commercial exchange and taking expertise from them: the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) hired Ibn Urayqah al-Laythi, who was a polytheist, to guide him on the road during the journey of Hijrah, to benefit from his knowledge of the road. This is what Allah the Exalted has permitted, and it is not affection for him, but rather for the sake of our interests and our needs. We offer them a price in return, and they have no favor over us in it.
And there is no indication [of affection], so we must distinguish between permissible dealing and affection, loyalty, and support. We distinguish between permissible dealing and loyalty, which is forbidden. Allah did not praise them, but rather He censured them. No,
Shall I inform you of [what is] worse than that as penalty from Allah? [It is that of] those whom Allah has cursed and with whom He became angry and made of them apes and pigs
أُنَبِّئُكُم بِشَرٍّ مِّن ذَٰلِكَ مَثُوبَةً عِندَ اللَّهِ مَن لَّعَنَهُ اللَّهُ وَغَضِبَ عَلَيْهِ وَجَعَلَ مِنْهُمُ الْقِرَدَةَ وَالْخَنَازِيرَThose are worse in position and further astray from the sound way."
أُولَٰئِكَ شَرٌّ مَّكَانًا وَأَضَلُّ عَن سَوَاءِ السَّبِيلِAnd hatred for them is mentioned in many places in the Noble Qur'an, so we must know this. We hate them for the sake of the religion. The questioner says, "We do not hate them for the sake of their religion." No, that is a mistake. There is no religion in the one who does not hate the Jews and Christians, because he contradicts the saying of Allah the Exalted
do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies
لَا تَتَّخِذُوا الْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَارَىٰ أَوْلِيَاءَYou will not find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day having affection for those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if they were their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred
لَّا تَجِدُ قَوْمًا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ يُوَادُّونَ مَنْ حَادَّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَلَوْ كَانُوا آبَاءَهُمْ أَوْ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ أَوْ إِخْوَانَهُمْ أَوْ عَشِيرَتَهُمْAll food was lawful to the Children of Israel except what Israel had made unlawful to himself before the Torah was revealed. Say, [O Muhammad], "So bring the Torah and recite it, if you should be truthful."
كُلُّ الطَّعَامِ كَانَ حِلًّا لِّبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ إِلَّا مَا حَرَّمَ إِسْرَائِيلُ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِهِ مِن قَبْلِ أَن تُنَزَّلَ التَّوْرَاةُ قُلْ فَأْتُوا بِالتَّوْرَاةِ فَاتْلُوهَا إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ(94) And whoever invents about Allah untruth after that - then those are [truly] the wrongdoers. (95) Say, "Allah has told the truth. So follow the religion of Abraham, inclining toward truth; and he was not of the polytheists."
فَمَنِ افْتَرَىٰ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ مِن بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ قُلْ صَدَقَ اللَّهُ فَاتَّبِعُوا مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ(67) Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was one inclining toward truth, a Muslim [submitting to Allah]. And he was not of the polytheists. (68) Indeed, the most worthy of Abraham among the people are those who followed him [in submission to Allah] and this prophet
مَا كَانَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ يَهُودِيًّا وَلَا نَصْرَانِيًّا وَلَٰكِن كَانَ حَنِيفًا مُّسْلِمًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ إِنَّ أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِإِبْرَاهِيمَ لَلَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُ وَهَٰذَا النَّبِيُّand those who believe [in his message]. And Allah is the ally of the believers.
وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَاللَّهُ وَلِيُّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَThe questioner:
From this speaker, that he presented even Islam, which he had not presented before. Once.
The Shaykh:
In any case, we have known the answer, and the one who said this must be asked to repent. If he repents, otherwise the Sharia ruling is to be applied to him. Yes.
Source
الفوزان -أشرطة- أسئلة وأجوبة من دروس التوحيد - الفوزان - أسئلة التوحيد - 06 — archive.org (9:31)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.