Title: Is the Qur'an Anti-Jewish? - Al-Maaidah 5: 82 Question: One of the objections raised by Ibn Warraq ( http://www.secularhumanism.org/wtc.htm ) is that in Al-Maaidah 5: 82, the Qur'an is being anti-Jewish. Please explain the referred verse of the Qur'an. Nexus Answer: The referred verse reads as: [Prophet,] You shall find the Jews and those, who ascribe partners to God the strongest in their hatred for those who have believed... The verse is incorrectly interpreted as a general comment about all the Jews of the world, for all times to come. The verse, on the contrary, is actually revealing one of the hidden realities about the Jews and the polytheists, who were doing their best to undermine the Prophet (pbuh) and his message. Deriving general rules from such specific verses distorts the message entailed in the verse. If one were to derive rules in this manner, then I am afraid the strongest Anti-Jewish literature would probably be the Old Testament. Consider the following statements: The LORD said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people. (Exodus 32: 8) While giving the Laws to the Levites, Moses (pbuh) says: For I know your rebellion and your stubbornness; behold, while I am still alive with you today, you have been rebellious against the LORD; how much more, then, after my death? (Deuteronomy 31: 27) 2Kings 17: 14 - 18 reads: Yet the LORD warned Israel and Judah through all His prophets and every seer, saying, "Turn from your evil ways and keep My commandments, My statutes according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you through My servants the prophets." However, they did not listen, but stiffened their neck like their fathers, who did not believe in the LORD their God. They rejected His statutes and His covenant which He made with their fathers and His warnings with which He warned them. And they followed vanity and became vain, and went after the nations which surrounded them, concerning which the LORD had commanded them not to do like them. They forsook all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves molten images, even two calves, and made an Asherah and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal. Then they made their sons and their daughters pass through the fire, and practiced divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him. So the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them from His sight; none was left except the tribe of Judah. Jeremiah 7: 25 - 27 reads as: Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have sent you all My servants the prophets, daily rising early and sending them. Yet they did not listen to Me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck; they did more evil than their fathers. You shall speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you; and you shall call to them, but they will not answer you. (Jeremiah 7: 25 - 27) If one were to take a close look at the referred verse of the Qur'an, one would see that it only reiterates the information given in the cited verses of the books of the Old Testament. I hope this helps. Regards, Moiz Amjad October 6, 2001