AhlulBayt News Agency: The Quran on the one hand lauds the divine teachings of the Torah and underlines the good characteristics of Jews who adhere to those teachings and on the other hand slams the breach of promise by some Jews who distorted the Torah and Judaism.
The Holy Quran has two stances on Jews. One is about those Jewish people who believe in the one God and the Resurrection Day and do good deeds and they are among the “People of the Book”.
Another group are those Jews who do not believe in God and the Resurrection and who plot against Islam. In fact, these are the Jews mentioned in the verses that talk about the bad characteristics of the Jewish people.
In Surah Al Imran, God makes it clear that all the People of the Book are not the same. The Surah points out the good characteristics of a group of people of the book, such as obeying God, reciting the divine book, prostrating, enjoining good and forbidding evil, and hasten in doing good deeds.
“The People of the Book are not all the same. Some of them are straightforward. They recite the words of God in prostration at night. (They) believe in Allah and the Last Day, who order honor and forbid dishonor and race in good works. These are the righteous.” (Surah Al Imran, Verses 113-114)
Even in Surah Al-Ma’idah, in verses that refer to their breach of promise and their major sins, it is pointed out that there is a moderate group among them:
“Had they followed the Laws of the Old and New Testaments and what was revealed to them from their Lord, they would have received Our bounties from above and below in abundance. Some of them are modest people, but many of them commit the worst sins.” (Verse 66 of Surah Al-Ma’idah)
This verse elevates the status of the Torah and the Gospel, emphasizing that acting on their teachings brings blessings from earth and heaven.
In another verse in Surah Al-Ma’idah (Verse 44), God describes the Torah as a source of Guidance: “We have sent down the Torah in which there is guidance and light by which the submissive prophets judged the Jews, as did the rabbis and those of their Lord, guarding what they were required to of the Book of Allah, and for which they were witness.”
But at the same time the verses of the Surah (41-88) highlight the major sins of the second group of Jews who failed to act on the Torah and even distorted its teachings.
This group ultimately established friendship with unbelievers: “You see many of them taking the unbelievers as guides.” (Verse 80 of Surah Al-Ma’idah)
That is why God says that this group of Jews along with idolaters are the worst enemies of Muslims: “You will find that the most people in enmity to the believers are the Jews and idolaters.” (Verse 82 of Surah Al-Ma’idah)
/129
The Holy Quran has two stances on Jews. One is about those Jewish people who believe in the one God and the Resurrection Day and do good deeds and they are among the “People of the Book”.
Another group are those Jews who do not believe in God and the Resurrection and who plot against Islam. In fact, these are the Jews mentioned in the verses that talk about the bad characteristics of the Jewish people.
In Surah Al Imran, God makes it clear that all the People of the Book are not the same. The Surah points out the good characteristics of a group of people of the book, such as obeying God, reciting the divine book, prostrating, enjoining good and forbidding evil, and hasten in doing good deeds.
“The People of the Book are not all the same. Some of them are straightforward. They recite the words of God in prostration at night. (They) believe in Allah and the Last Day, who order honor and forbid dishonor and race in good works. These are the righteous.” (Surah Al Imran, Verses 113-114)
Even in Surah Al-Ma’idah, in verses that refer to their breach of promise and their major sins, it is pointed out that there is a moderate group among them:
“Had they followed the Laws of the Old and New Testaments and what was revealed to them from their Lord, they would have received Our bounties from above and below in abundance. Some of them are modest people, but many of them commit the worst sins.” (Verse 66 of Surah Al-Ma’idah)
This verse elevates the status of the Torah and the Gospel, emphasizing that acting on their teachings brings blessings from earth and heaven.
In another verse in Surah Al-Ma’idah (Verse 44), God describes the Torah as a source of Guidance: “We have sent down the Torah in which there is guidance and light by which the submissive prophets judged the Jews, as did the rabbis and those of their Lord, guarding what they were required to of the Book of Allah, and for which they were witness.”
But at the same time the verses of the Surah (41-88) highlight the major sins of the second group of Jews who failed to act on the Torah and even distorted its teachings.
This group ultimately established friendship with unbelievers: “You see many of them taking the unbelievers as guides.” (Verse 80 of Surah Al-Ma’idah)
That is why God says that this group of Jews along with idolaters are the worst enemies of Muslims: “You will find that the most people in enmity to the believers are the Jews and idolaters.” (Verse 82 of Surah Al-Ma’idah)
/129