::: readings

Selections From the Qur’an

The basic underlying idea presented in the Qur’an that I gleaned from my reading is that both Jews and Christians have misunderstood and misintepreted the holy writings. In one place, it is written:

“O beleivers, take not as your friends those of them, who were given the Book before you, and the unbelievers, who take you religion in mockery and as a sport… they are a people who have no understanding” (130)

and again, elswhere:

“The Jews say, ‘Ezra is the Son of God’; the Christians say, ‘The Messiah is the Son of God.’ that is the utterances of their mouths, conforming with the unbeleivers before them. God assail them! How they are perverted!” (131).

Similarly, the Qur’an writes that “Never will the Jews be satisfied with thee, neither the Christians, not till thou followest thier religion” (126).

The Qur’an also puts forth a alternative intepretation to tradition stories, such as the statement that “Abraham in truth was not a Jew, neither a Christian; but he was a Muslim and one pure of faith” (127).

In short, while the Jews were often more tolerated in Muslim countries, they were not viewed as religious equals but as inferior in their beleifs, practices, and understanding of the Book.

Quotes from the Text:

“And when we tookcompact with the Children of Israel: ‘You shall not serve any save God; and to be good to parents, and the near kinsmann, and to orphans, and to the needy; and speak good to men, and perform the prayer, and pay the alms.’ then you turned away, all but a few of you, swerving aside.”

“O beleivers, take not Jews and Christians as friends; they are friends of each other. Whoso of you makes them his friends is one of them. god guides not the people of the evildoers. Yet thou seest those in whose hearts is sickeness vying…” (130).

“O beleivers, take not as your friends those of them, who were given the Book beofre you, and the uebelivers, who take you religion in mockery and as a sport” (130).

“O beleivers, many of the rabbis and monks indeed soncumer the goods o the people in vanity and bar from God’s way” (132).

“The Jews say, ‘Ezra is the Son of God’; the Christians say, ‘The Messiah is the Son of God.’ that is the utterances of their mouths, conforming with the unbeleivers before them. God assail them! How they are perverted!” (131).

John Chrysostom (347-407). “First Sermon Against Judaizers.”

In this piece, Chrysostom gives a terrible anti-Judaic sermon, brazing “miserable Jews” as a “disease”. He specifically is preaching against the obervation of Jewish holidays and feasts among Christians, saying that his goal was to “drive this pervers custom from the Church right now” (112). His text is full of reasons why the Jews should be hated and viewed as nothing more than “pitable,” but foremost among them is the fact that Jews rejected and killed Christ. He even writes that “although such beasts are unfit for work, they are fit for killing,” and that “the synagoguye is not only a brothel and a theater; it also is a den of robbers and a lodging for wild beasts” (113-114).

In comparing paganism and Judaism, he writes:

“So the godlessness of the Jews and the pagans is on a par. But the Jews practice a deceit which is more dangerous. In their synagogue stands an invisible altar of deceit on which they sacrifice not sheep and calves but the souls of men” (118).

All of the anti-Judaic writing is repulsive and a terribly sad representation of one man’s misunderstanding of the bible and using it for his own perverse purposes. He forgets that Christ was a Jew as well as Peter, James, John, and the other apostles and early church members.

Understanding what early Christian writers thought, however, is important to developing a complete understanding of the history of the Jews.

Quotes from the text:

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: I do not agree with the following quotations and am including them rather as a reminder of all of the bigotry that has been veiled under a thin layer twisted and perverted Christianity.

“And so I wanted again today to engage in that contest. For if the enemies of the truth never have enough of blaspheming our Benefactor, we must be all the more tireless in praising the god of all. But what am I to do? Another very serious illness calls for any cure my words can bring, an illness which has become implanted in the body of the Church. We must first root this ailen out and then take thought for matters outside; we must first cure our own and then be concerned for others who are strangers.

“What is this disease? The festivals of the pitiful and miserable Jews are soon to march upon us one after the other and in quick succession… Some [of the Church] are going to watch the festivals, and other will join the Jews in keeping their feasts and observing their fasts. I wish to drive this perverse custom from the Church right now…” (112)

“But do not be surprised that I called the Jews pitiable. They really are pitiable and miserable. When so many blessings from heaven came into their hands, they thrust them aside and were at great pains to reject them. The morning Sun of Justice arose for them, but they thrust aside its rays and still sit in darkness. We, who were nurtured by darkness, drew the light to ourselves and were freed from the gloom of this error. They were the branched of that holy root. but those branches were broken. We had no share in the root, but we did reap the fruit of godliness. From their childhood they read the prophets, but they crucified him whom the prophets had foretold. We did not hear the divine prophecies but we did worship him of whom they prophesied…. Although those Jews had been called to the adoption of sons, they fell to kinship with dogs” (113)

“Stephen was right in calling them stiff-necked” (113).

“Another prophet hinted at this when he said: “Israel is an obstinate and stubborn calf.” Although such beasts are unfit for work, they are fit for killing. And this is what happened to the Jews: while they were making themselves unfit for work, they grew fit for slaughter” (113).

“Many, I know, respect the Jews and think that their present way of life is a venerable one. this is why I hasten to uproot and tear out this deadly opinion. I said that the synagogue is no better than a theater and I bring forward a prophet as my witness. Surely the Jews are not more deserving of belief than their prophets. “You had a harlot’s brow; you became shameless before all.” Where a harlot has set herself up, that place is a brothel. But the synagogue is not only a brothel and a theater; it is a den of robbers and a lodging of wild beasts” (114).

“They [Jews] live for their bellies, they gape for the things of this world, their condition is no better than that of pigs or goats because of their wanton ways and excessive gluttony” (115).

“There were twelve apostles and they drew the whole world to themselves. The greater portion of the city is Christian, yet some are still sick with the Judaizing disease” (115).

“So the godlessness of the Jews and the pagans is on a par. But the Jews practice a deceit which is more dangerous. In their synagogue stands an invisible altar of deceit on which they sacrifice not sheep and calves but the souls of men” (118).

“What else do you wish me to tell you? Shall I tell you of their plundering, their covetousness, their abandonment of the poor, their thefts, their cheating in trade? The whole day long will not be enough to give you an account of these things” (119).