Apologetics: Flippin’ Fatwa Friday – The Quran vs. The Bible: Surah Al-Baqarah Verses 83-86.

Picking up our roast of Surah 2, we need to talk about 2:83-86. When I got to this point in Al-Baqarah, I was somewhat shocked at just how blatantly anti-Jew it was. It provides a justification for why Muslims should hate the Jews that isn’t valid at all when you have a Biblical worldview. However, it’s important to read this, as it explains why there is so much animosity from Muslim countries towards Israel in the Middle East. Let’s read through it:

_⁸³ And (recall) when We took a covenant from the Children of Israel, “You shall worship none except Allah, and do good to (your) parents and to the near of kin and the orphans and the poor (as well), and you shall speak kindly to all people and observe Prayer and present purifying alms.” But (afterwards) you all turned away (and broke your covenant) except a few of you, and you are averse (to guidance and ways of virtue). ⁸⁴ And (recall) when We took a covenant from you, “You shall not shed each other’s blood, and you shall not expel your people from your homes.” Then you confirmed it (promising to abide by it) and you witnessed (the covenant). ⁸⁵ Yet, you are the very people who (violating the terms of the covenant) slay your own people and expel a section from among you from their homes, backing up one another against them sinfully and transgressingly. And if they come to you as captives (seeking your help), you ransom them, while their very expulsion was forbidden to you. Do you believe only in a part of the Script (- covenant) while a part you deny? What is the recompense of those among you (who act like that) except disgrace in this life? And on the Day of Resurrection, they shall be given over to the severest chastisement. And Allah is not at all unmindful as to what you do. ⁸⁶ It is they who have taken the present life in preference to the Hereafter, therefore the agony shall not be reduced for them, nor they shall be helped (in any other way).

It would be dishonest not to say that Israel has had a tumultuous political history and relationship with God. Even after they saw God’s power during the Exodus, they rebelled and made and worshipped the golden calf. Later, they demanded a king, and that eventually led to apostasy in the land during the reign of Solomon, as well as a civil war between Solomon’s sons, Rehoboam and Jeroboam, splitting the kingdom into Judah and Northern Israel. Then a bunch of other things happened, God sent a ton of prophets to warn the kings about the price for their misdeeds, many of the kings didn’t listen, and eventually, Israel was exiled and ruled over by a ton of different people, from the Assyrians to the Romans.

However, the Quran goes wrong on two things. First is that it ignores one very important fact. Despite Israel’s apostasy and evil deeds, God still had/has a plan for Israel. The minor prophets illustrate this very well, especially in the book of Hosea. God was still going to use Israel to bring about His plan of salvation through Jesus Christ and He is still going to bless them and fulfill the promises originally made to Abraham in a physical manner, not just a spiritual one as the Fulfillment theology guys like to argue.

The second area where the Quran goes wrong is that some of its accusations against the Children of Israel are not necessarily true. While the Israelites got in a lot of trouble for not caring for the poor in Amos, the part about expelling other Jews from their homes is a false accusation (which, ironically, Surah 2:2 says there are no false accusations in the Quran). That was never explicitly prohibited in the Bible. The closest we get to it in the prohibition against intermarrying with foreigners, but that’s still a very weak similarity, if it can even be considered similar at all. Why this accusation even comes up, I’m not entirely sure.

However, partially because of these accusations, the Jews are painted to be totally evil people in the Quran, thus justifying their subjugation, enslavement, and murder. In fact, in Sahih Muslim 2922, it says that the end will not come until every Jew is killed. (By the way, this verse was cited in Hammas’ charter as reason to attack Israel in Paragraph 7 of Article 7) This isn’t just religious rhetoric. It has real life consequences.

Ironically, though, the accusations they level towards the Jews are applicable to the Muslims. Muslim nations have a track record of killing each other. Ever since Muhammad, there has been a long, bloody divide between the two main sects of Islam, Shia and Sunni, with a notable date in the divide the Battle of Siffin in 657. Another example is the fact that in 2006, the al-Askari Mosque was bombed by Al-Qaeda (a Sunni group) and the resulting Shia-Sunni infighting led to widespread violence throughout Iraq, include 168 mosques being attacked two days after the original bombing. Further, countries like Iran, Somalia, Pakistan, Mali, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, and Bangladesh have been severely persecuting the Sufis, followers of a mystical sect of Islam stemming from Sunni Islam. Persecution has ranged from arson, murder, terrorist attacks, full bans on Sufism, and imprisonment. Remember, Sufis are Muslim as well, albeit perhaps unconventional Muslims. The reason they’re being murdered is because they’re not practicing the state-approved sect of Islam.

Even more ironic is the fact that they accuse the Jews of ignoring parts of their Scriptures and filling it with what they want to believe. Islam has a long track record of this very thing, denying basic tenants of Biblical faith. It denies the Trinity, Christ as God, His crucifixion, rewrites key events, etc. It’s amazing how hypocritical this religion is.

Until next time,

M.J.