Orthodox Shahada continue their hopeless pursuit; Abraham worshipped the stars?

 

In answer to the video by "Orthodox Shahada"; Quran In Context - Abraham, Temple Worship, Jerusalem & The Ethiopian Connection

Allah is the One true God, worshipped before and after the prophet Muhammad, whether by Jews, Christians, the hanif monotheists, or the polytheists who associated interceding deities with Him all the while recognizing Him as the Supreme God.

Contrary to any entity or concept worshiped besides Him, Allah is "the Truth" al haqq, one of God's Quranic attributes signifying the Ultimate Reality or Primal Cause of all that exists. It is therefore natural that only the prayers addressed to him are true and valid

 13:14"To Him is due the true prayer; and those whom they pray to besides Allah give them no answer, but (they are) like one who stretches forth his two hands towards water that it may reach his mouth, but it will not reach it; and the prayer of the unbelievers is only in error".

False deities, animate or inanimate have no intrinsic powers. They are in a state of subjugation to the laws of the universe like their worshippers are, incapable of inflicting evil or bringing any good upon their followers by themselves, not even able to create or catch the most insignificant insect should they all collaborate in their efforts. As contingent entities, they, just like the most saintly personalities of this world 7:188,10:49 stand in contrast to the uncaused cause, the necessary being, under Whose dominion are all benefit or harm that may come upon creation 

6:17-18"And if Allah should touch you with adversity, there is no remover of it except Him. And if He touches you with good - then He is over all things competent. And He is the subjugator over His servants. And He is the Wise, the Acquainted [with all]". 

In the words of the prophet Jeremiah as inspired to him 

Jer10:5"fear them not for they will do no harm, neither is it in them to do good".

Abraham demonstrated this reality to his people. They worshipped the celestial bodies, which were represented by statues. The Quran points to the Sun, Moon and the bright entity/kawkab. The reference to this triad is historically accurate, and recently attested by archaeology. The Judeo-Christian tradition did not preserve that knowledge, as the Bible merely speaks of "gods" in Abraham's native land, while the oral tradition mentions both celestial and earthly deities. Abraham  was very critical towards their beliefs, from a young age, even sickenned by them 37:83-90. 

God thus inspired him with strong arguments, gave him certainty of heart to confront them 6:75,83. As the sun, the moon and the bright entity appeared and disappeared, Abraham each time declared the superiority of the rising one over the setting one. He was sarcastically pointing to the naivity of his people, who should have reasoned just as he was doing outloud. How could they not see the ephemerity of each astral body despite that they have always been rising then setting. This lead to an impass since turn after turn, none of these objects remained indefinitely. Abraham was doing this reasoning out loud, addressing his own self in front of his people, in order to stimulate the audience's senses and reasoning. The demonstration led to the inevitable conclusion that there must be a Power above and beyond all the visible forces of nature, a Power Who had created them, and Who regulated and controlled them at all times 

6:78-9"O my people! surely I am clear of what you associate. Surely I have turned myself, being upright, wholly to Him Who originated the heavens and the earth, and I am not of the polytheists". 

In the non-canonical Book of Jubilee ch12 which retraces some of Abraham's early life, we read of a similar story. While trying to find natural indications for the year's rainfall in the celestial objects, Abraham reasons that these entities, together with all things and natural phenomena are created by God. He concludes that it is meaningless to seek answers and guidance in anything other than the Creator. It is this very reasoning, which Allah had guided him to, through his inner spiritual disposition, the fitra, which Abraham subsequently used in his argument against star worship as depicted in the Quran 

6:75"And thus did We show Abraham the realm of the heavens and the earth that he would be among the certain [in faith]". 

After arguing against worshipping God's creation, Abraham turned to the idols that represented them. He secretly entered the location in which they were gathered then began addressing them sarcastically, challenging them to defend themselves. But they do not eat nor speak, so he smote them. The people arrived, enraged, and started looking for the culprit until they remembered about that youth, Ibrahim who was the sole person to denounce their religious practices. They find him and bring him for a public confrontation. His argument was that it was the leader of these deities that had destroyed the others. Ibrahim had cleverly left it intact after smashing all the others, who should now be in a position to confirm the guilt of the remaining statue

 21:63"therefore ask them, if they can speak". 

Ibrahim's clever argument consisted in making them admit the absurdity of their practices by themselves. He had openly stated that he would plan something against their idols behind their backs 21:57 so obviously when they returned to their worship site and saw all their statues smashed except for the leading deity, they immediately pointed the finger at him. In what would seem as an absurd twist, Ibrahim who had previously declared his intentions towards the idols, rejected any responsibility and put the blame on the last remaining statue, challenging the people to make it testify if what they say and believe about these powerless, inanimate objects is true. 

We thus see a pattern in Abraham's method of argumentation against polytheism and idol worship, using role play, sarcasm, leading to an impactful conclusion.

But they, in their obduracy and after they realized they were outsmarted, immediately reversed position after a short moment of self-reflexion 21:64 and went back to their former way of thinking 

21:65"Certainly you know that they do not speak". 

Followed a hard confrontation in which Ibrahim tried again to appeal to their reason, but his efforts were fruitless and the people attempted to execute him for blasphemy 21:51-71,26:69-82,37:91-96.

Concerning Ibrahim's father, the Quran depicts Ibrahim during his mission as praying for God to forgive his disbelieving father, like Nuh did before him for his disbelieving son. Ibrahim's father in addition physically threatened his son. Ibrahim's forbearance in regards to him is thus an example for every believer to contemplate, even though Ibrahim had distanced himself spiritually from his father's religion. The Quran in 31:33 subtly alludes to that idea. 

When speaking of the impossibility for father and child to bear one another's burden on the day of resurrection, it uses jaza in the future tense for the father while it is in the form of a noun for the child. This indicates permanence and repetition, in allusion to the child's duty in this life of repeatedly dealing with humility and forbearance with the parents. This also points to the hard reality that although it could and should be the case in this world, it is a state that will not perdure in the hereafter where eachone carries his own burdens. 

The Quran records 2 prayers of forgiveness of Ibrahim. The first for his father/ab 26:69-86 and the second for both his progenitors/walidaya 14:41. 

The first prayer, as is clear from the passage, occurs earlier in his life, together with a spiritual dissociation from his father/ab. This prayer was due to a previous pledge Ibrahim had made to his father/ab and but once it became clear to him that his father/ab was a willful enemy of God, Ibrahim distanced himself from that father/ab 9:114,19:47,60:4. The second prayer of Ibrahim occurs at a later stage of his life, once he had reached old age and is made for his progenitors/walidaya who have now passed away. This indicates that his father/ab whom the Quran names Azar could not have been his literal progenitor. 

God dislikes and does not accede to prayers made on behalf of those who knowingly remain in their spiritual deviations after clear and repeated admonitions 9:80,63:6. This has always been the way of God, as taught to Muhammad and all prophets, for instance Jeremiah is told in the Hebrew Bible concerning the same kind of disbelievers 

Jer7:16"And you, pray not on behalf of this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer, and entreat Me not for I will not hear you" Jer14:11"And the Lord said to me; Do not pray for this people for good". 

God forbids prayers to those who obdurately take their idolatry with them to their grave 9:84,113. Ibrahim was aware of that reality. As per 9:114,60:4 Ibrahim would not have repeated his prayer for his father after the fulfilment of his pledge. 

Azar was thus called the father/ab of Ibrahim figuratively, in that he was involved in his upbringing. 

This account of Ibrahim and his father/ab establishes the important principle that should a situation occur where the enmity of a kinsfolk toward one's faith becomes so severe, as the early Muslims experienced 60:1-3, then one should severe all ties with them indiscriminately. One cannot, after that point pray for their forgiveness as Ibrahim did. Ibrahim only did so because he wanted to honour a pledge he had made when his father's opposition to the religion had not become as severe as when he later joined other idolaters in their enmity. 

Further reading;

- Islam critiqued inspects the source; Abraham and the idols from Jewish tradition?

Orthodox Shahada examine the Quran; Samuel, Saul and the Ark are misrepresented?

 

In answer to the series by Orthodox Shahada "Quran In Context - Ark Of The Covenant"

Linguistically, the Arabic Tabut is closer in form to the Aramaic tebuta/tibu used in Targum Onkelos for both Noah’s ark and Moses’ basket. The HB also uses Tebat for both Gen6:14,Ex2:3. Tebat is an archaic word, not Hebrew in origin and scholars differ on its derivation. The HB then changes Tebat to Aron for the Ark built by Moses.  

The inexplicable insistence of the writers of the HB to call the Ark of the covenant exclusively "Aron" is worth analysing. 

Aron in the HB is only used for a box containing inanimate things like money, dead bodies and the law Gen50:26,Judges20:27,2Kings10:10 as well as the divine presence floating above it somehow Ex25:22. Did the scribes seek to implicitly denigrate an object of terror, that caused them horrible pain and death, by picturing its contents, as well as its representing the divine presence, as "dead"? They had openly disrespected and provoked throughout their history the divine presence, from their exodus to even while the temple was standing, as well as neglected the law, the covenant, for which they were eventually destroyed and humiliated. Why would they not do the same in this case in regards to an object that represents all these elements? 

Alternatively, and assuming no denigration was meant, did they choose a word reminding them of the effects it had on them?

Interestingly the Quran consistently uses the same tabut for the basket that contained Moses as an infant, and the Ark of the covenant, just as the Ethiopic tabot (derived from the Aramaic tebuta) and the Syriac qebuta are used in both contexts. The 2 words overlap even in Rabbinic Hebrew where we see the Ark of the covenant called Aron in places, and Tebat in another (Shekalim 6:1). 

There seems to be different chains of transmission of the Biblical tradition within Judeo-Christianity, and the Quran subtly brings attention to the correct one.

Further reading;

- The story of a righteous King; Talut

- Understanding the Quran

- Jewish myths in Muslim traditions

- Islam critiqued seeks support; scholars undecided on the child of sacrifice?

- The corruption of the previous scriptures

- Acts17apologetics superior to the Quran; Muslims should seek approval from Christians and Jews 10:94?

The concept of communitarian chosenness by God

Every religious community claims superiority in terms of spiritual truth. The Quran does so too in regards to the Muslim community. The pattern we see however across the Semitic traditions is that the superiority God ascribes to a particular group or person, comes with responsibilities and conditions. No nation illustrates that principle more than the Israelites 

2:47,7:169-171,44:32"And certainly We chose them, having knowledge, above the nations". 

Allah was well aware both of the qualities and of the weaknesses of the children of Israel. He had not chosen them blindly. For when He chose them from among the contemporary nations to become the standard-bearers of the truth, they were the most suitable people in His knowledge for the purpose. 

The Biblical basis is found in places like Deut7:6,26:18-9,14:1-4 and Lev19:1-2 speaking of the Israelites being exceptionally chosen as a nation for a special relationship with God, sealed with an "everlasting covenant" through Abraham's son Isaac Gen17:1-19, to be the universal standard for truth 

Isa42:6"light for the Gentiles" 

and in turn be blessed and made to excel in favours above all nations of the world, which concretely translates into a land grant and divine protection.

The majority of Jews outside of Palestine are the descendants of converts from the indigenous pagan populations, mostly won over through intermarriages or by Jewish proselytizers in the 2nd and 3rd centuries, as attested by Roman historians who also add how these missionaries were very good at obscuring their religion's least appealing characteristics in the process, akin to the crafty Christian evangelists of later times.

Jesus in the NT, alludes to this zealous attitude when he accuses the Jewish elite

 Matt23:15"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert".

Even Talmudic scholars, some of them unable to find a reason for the destruction of the 2nd Temple, would retrospectively argue that their scattering was a divine scheme aimed at increasing the number of converts. 

Proselytizing isnt against the principles of the Jewish religion, and in the 1st century CE 10% of the Roman empire was Jewish precisely through active proselytizing

 "During Greco-Roman times, recorded mass conversions led to 6 million people practicing Judaism in Roman times or up to 10% of the population of the Roman Empire" (Gil Atzmon, in reference to Josephus' figures). 

Of course in consequence of the Jewish wars, many were enslaved while the wealthy fled from their homeland. But the majority, peasants and farmers, remained in Siria Palestinia. Neither did Rome invest in the deportation of this massive chunk of its population (hence no mention in Roman or Jewish histories of such an event). 

That momentum however started diminishing with Christianity's rise to power in the Roman empire in the 4th century, the banning of "adoption of Jewish manners" and the official hostility against descendants of converts, besides the outright banning of Jewish conversions and proselytizing under the penalty of death. Jewish proselytizing would cease progressively and entirely, their communities insulate themselves further, with the expansion of Christianity and the persecutions that would follow. Many converted to Christianity while for the oppressed remnants, they welcomed the armies of Islam in the 7th century. But before reaching that point, far from Rome that had newly become a Christian entity, Jewish proselytising and conversions continued in Iran, Ethiopia, Yemen, among Berber and Turkish Caucasian/Khazar tribes. 

As to genetics, newer findings have debunked the theory that European Ashkenazim descend from Semitic mothers that migrated into Europe some 2000 years ago. 80% of maternal Ashkenazi DNA has ancestry in prehistoric Europe, with four maternal founders responsible for 40% (Martin Richards, University of Huddersfield). This means that at best, assuming the theory that European Jewry has some Semitic background, that men left without their women, intermarried with indigenous gentiles as they had the habit of doing all throughout their history and since the earliest biblical times. These women then converted, either forcibly as was done throughout their divinely endorsed biblical wars, or voluntarily, as of course Judaism can only be passed down through a Jewish mother. The study also shows that the process began along the Mediterranean and later in Western and central Europe. Research is ongoing to determine if intermarriages even occurred, or that both local European men and women were converted through Jewish missionary activities. Either way, very few Jews can nowadays make any legitimate claim to ancestral origins in the Levant.

There is evidence of proselytizing by Jewish traders in the Persian Gulf in the 2nd century that created small communities. These successful missionary activities would help Jewish traders find safe havens in all major trading areas. 

Jews did not waste any opportunity at overreaching the pagan populations they encountered. That is not to mention the Hasmonean/Maccabeean leader John Hyrcanus who forcibly converted conquered territories in Samaria and Indumea into Judaism, going as far as practicing forced circumcisions. Aristoblus, another Hasmonean king forced the people of Ituraea to convert to Judaism and annexed their territory to Judea during the 2nd temple period. Ancient Edomites of the current Lachish region in Israel were similarly converted and their worship sites adapted to Jewish rituals under the reign of Judah Maccabee in 112 BC, prior to Hyrcanus. 

Going back to the days of the earliest Jewish wars of invasion in Canaan, almost all non-Jewish sites and practices were destroyed and erased, nations were subjugated either through genocide or slavery, while virgins were spared and converted. Jewishness is passed on through the mother. 

The Quran in 85:4-8 relates in brief the story of the martyrdom of a number of believers, and condemns their murderers. The majority of the historians connect the verses to the well known story in pre-islamic times of the slaughter of the Christians of Najran by the Jewish king of Yemen/Hymiar, Yusuf, named Dhu-Nuwas in Arab tradition. In the years 520s Dhu Nuwas' first campaigns were directed against the Christian Ethiopians that occupied Zafar, where he burned down the church and killed the priests. He then turned to Tihama on the coast, engaging the Ethiopian units stationed there and their local Christian allies. He again burned down a church, and continued to move along the coast so as to thwart the Ethopians’ imminent landing. In Najran, after a protracted siege and as he promised not to harm the Christians if they surrendered, Dhu Nuwas failed to keep his oath. He captured 300 leading Christians, ordered the bones of the bishops exhumed and collected in the church, where he burned them together with the captives and clerics

 "Cursed be the makers of the pit, Of the fire (kept burning) with fuel, When they sat by it, And they were witnesses of what they did with the believers. And they did not take vengeance on them for aught except that they believed in Allah, the Mighty, the Praised". 

An Arabic inscription, predating the prophet Muhammad by almost 2 centuries, carved on a large rock in Saudi Arabia reads the name of Thawban and is decorated with the Christian cross. Archaeologists believe it is a form of commemoration of Thawban and his fellow Christians that were martyred as they refused to convert to Judaism. 

Arab chroniclers speak of the conversion in this time of several local Arab tribes to Judaism, including Ghassan, Judham, Kinana, Kinda. The Jewish tribes that established rich farming communities in the Hijaz demanded conversion as a precondition for newcomers wishing to settle in with them. This occured in Teyma and Khaybar. Many among the Bani Aws and Khazraj of around Medina converted, influenced by the political and economical power of the pre-existing Jewish population. 

By the time the prophet arrived in Medina, the powerful clans of the city were mostly Jews.

Back in more ancient times, after a century under Babylonian captivity, during the reign of the Persian king Ahasuerus/Artaxerxes, they had found favour in the ruler's eyes thanks to the intermarriage of one of their own, Esther, with the king himself who initially did not know of her tribal origin. The king's life was in addition saved by Mordecai the Jew who uncovered a conspiracy to assassinate him. That favour translated into a kind of autonomy that was rarely seen if not unheard of under this type of rule, allowing them to unite militarily against any Non-Jewish nation or tribe whom they saw as an enemy or against whom they sought revenge, exterminating and subjugating that enemy at will and under royal sanction. This led to the fearful conversion of many people of the kingdom, either out of opportunism or to avoid exactions. The Jewish festival of Purim is a reminder of that "joyful" time they had been given the opportunity to slaughter a little less than hundred thousand people who, despite having previously made preparations to attack the Jews, did not offer any resistance and out of fear, submitted for execution Esther8-9.

Regarding proselytes/converts, it is to be noted that in the Jewish psyche, although they are generally accepted, they are viewed with much suspicion to the point that 

“Do not trust a proselyte until fifteen generations, and fifteen generations are from Ittai the Egyptian until Ishmael, and some say sixteen generations, including Jarha.” (Palestinian Talmud, Tractate Yebamoth). 

As much as possible, they are distinguished from the rest of the population and many times selected for hard labor 1Chr22,2Chr2.

They were instrumental during the Temple's building by Solomon. The remaining native Canaanites that were not exterminated by King David, along with their descendants were treated as war prisoners that had to perform forced labor 2Chr8:7-8,1Kings9:20. It took David 7 years to build the Temple of God and 13 for his own palace 1Kings6:38,7:1,2Chr8:1. 

The recent idea of Judaism being a religion very difficult to convert to (contrary to the explicit passage of the HB where Ruth the Moabitess, the mother of king David joins the Jewish nation simply by stating her intent Ruth1:16), has a lot, if not only to do with the fact that converts, per the Torah become automatically eligible to citizenship, a portion of the land, as well as marital rights. This directly threatens the Hebrew character of the Jewish homeland, which is why one sees, even today great reluctance if not outright rejection of non-Hebrew, non-semitic Jews willing to migrate to Israel.

The Quran reminds them, instead of distancing themselves from non-Jews, sometimes out of religious arrogance, they were supposed to be a beacon of light to the nations, sharing the knowledge of revelation that had come to them

 3:187"And when Allah made a covenant with those who were given the Book: You shall certainly make it known to men and you shall not hide it". 

Their spiritual leadership which they acquired through the revelation of the Torah to Moses, was contingent on them being firm in their faith and patient, before they may start exposing the truth to the rest of the world 

32:24,2:40"and be faithful to (your) covenant with Me, I will fulfill (My) covenant with you; and of Me, Me alone, should you be afraid". 

But they quickly lost sight of their faith, became divided through inter-tribal conflicts 32:25 and consequently became incapable of forming a unified front against foreign idolatrous influences in the land they were given, as promised long before to Abraham. This neglect of their religious knowledge led to their assimilation into the competing cultures 

"but they cast it behind their backs and took a small price for it; so evil is that which they buy". 

The neglect of their books in such a manner is reflected in words of their prophets the likes of Nehemiah in an almost identical wording as is done throughout the Quran

 Neh9:26"And they disobeyed and rebelled against You, and they cast Your Law behind their backs, and they slew Your prophets who warned them, to bring them back to You, and they committed great provocations". 

The Quran however is always balanced and fair in its address to them, stating that opposite the rebels among them, there are those who 

3:199"believe in Allah and (in) that which has been revealed to you and (in) that which has been revealed to them, being lowly before Allah; they do not take a small price for the communications of Allah". 

Many prophets as well as what they refer to as "judges" were consequently sent to them to re-unite them and remind them of the straight path and their covenant with Allah. But the re-kindeling of their spirituality and God-consciousness would never last long and they would always end up following the ways of the people they were supposed to guide, selling the knowledge that came to them for worldly gains. 

Their disintegration as a community and lack of spiritual resolve caused them to lose all divine blessings and immunity against their opponents, as per the terms of the covenant itself. In the period following their exile from Egyptian captivity, they had reached the land promised to Abraham, dispossessed it from its inhabitants, successfully established the true religion in it after destroying most traces of idolatry and those who practiced whom they could get their hands on. But soon after, the pagan remnants they had failed exterminating as per the divine commands, and whose practices they began merging with their own, reversed the balance of power. These are the prophet Ezekiel's words to them in introduction to the prophecied destruction at the hands of their enemies 

Ezek5:5-6"This is Jerusalem; in the midst of the nations I have placed it, and around it are lands. But she exchanged My judgments for wickedness more than the nations, and My statutes, more than the lands that are around her, for they rejected My judgments, and as for My statutes, more than the lands that are around her, for they loathed My judgments, and as for My statutes-they did not follow them". 

This reverse of fortune perdured, with short interruptions where God would hear their cries and raise a noble personality whom He would inspire to lead them back to victory and the straight spiritual path, which they would soon forsake after the righteous leader's death. The true process of spiritual regeneration, unification and re-establishment of their dominion over the land hadnt really become a sought after objective until under their first prophet-king, Talut/Saul, who was followed by the prophets-kings David and Solomon under whose leadership a united Israel had reached its peak. But towards the end of Solomon's reign, polytheism made its way back amongst them, and although Solomon is the one blamed in scriptures for having encouraged the pagan practices, the fact is that the people themselves were not willing to contribute in the maintenance of the Temple and its court due to their own lack of faith and thus majoritarly defected from the line of David and the divine covenant itself, preferring the rule of the polytheist Jeroboam 

1Kings12:16"To your homes, O Israel! Now see your house, David" (ie, the Temple you built is now yours alone). 

To the south, Jerusalem and its temple remained the spiritual center of the kingdom of Judah, the only tribe that had remained faithful to the line of David, and to the north, the kingdom of Israel ruled by Jeroboam whose capital was eventually established in Samaria and a new Temple would later be built on its Mt Gerizim as Judaism's spiritual center instead of the one in Jerusalem. The chaos they had established in the land and their moral degeneration had reached such levels along with their carelessness for God's covenant that they were destroyed by divine punishment as prophecied in their scriptures throughout Isaiah and Jeremiah, and the Quran reminds them of this promise 17:5. 

The Assyrians, under SargonII, destroyed the kingdom of Israel and the Babylonians entered the kingdom of Judah, destroyed the Temple, captured them and enslaved them in Babylon as prophecied in their scriptures again throughout Jeremiah and Ezekiel. 

These powerful enemies of theirs through whom God was acting to inflict punishment and destruction, desecrate His "chosen people's" most sacred places are referred to by God in both the Quran and the Hebrew Bible as "My servants" Jer25:9,27:6,32:3,Lam1:13,15,2:1-10etc because they were performing God's will, under His complete control, and are thus rewarded for it Ezek29:19-20. 

It is also in a sense a reproof to the Jews who, despite their transgressions, still considered themselves God's chosen, His preferred and exalted servants. Yet here God calls pagan nations His servants instead of them. He summons, not His chosen race, but His pagan servants to perform His justice and inflict His punishments on those very people claiming to be God's servants. 

However in their habit of rejecting most if not all of the blame for their miseries upon their leaders, they have painted this punishment as being the response to Hezekiah's son, Manasseh's unrighteous reign, his introduction of polytheistic practices, altars, images into the Jerusalem Temple 2kings21. Throughout the Books of Kings, it almost is always the leader who is put at the forefront of the nation's sins, starting with Solomon and the following generations of kings 

"he has caused the people to sin" 

Their refusal to assume responsibility can clearly be read between the lines. The fact is that since they were brought out of Egypt and as attested by Moses and the subsequent prophets, their propensity towards sin and falling out of the straight path never truly abated.

Their state of subjugation continued until the downfall of Babylon, due to the invasion by the neighboring kingdom of Persia ruled by Cyrus. Their freedom and gradual return to Palestine ensued. They began rebuilding the Temple, repopulating the area, and reviving the religion under the guardianship of righteous leaders and members of the community 

17:6"Then We gave you back the turn to prevail against them, and aided you with wealth and children and made you a numerous band. If you do good, you will do good for your own souls, and if you do evil, it shall be for them". 

However the reconstruction of Judah as the spiritual center of the Jews did not benefit the northern kingdom of Israel and Samaria, who were kept apart. 

The Samaritans considered themselves the true keepers of Moses' law but because it was thought that they were descendants of peoples brought from throughout the Assyrian empire to replace the now deported and exiled original Jewish population of Israel, they were consequently outside the "racial purity" sought by the Jews of Judah and thus were regarded with contempt, as both religiously and racially inferior, as counterfeit Jews. The Samaritans consequently built their own Temple on Mt Gerizim which they always believed to be the true location of Solomon's temple. This marked a major split with mainstream Judaism. Josephus the famous historian and orthodox Jew, crystalized the contempt of his group towards the Samaritans. He wrote that it was the refusal by a Jerusalem priest to renounce his "impure" wife that brought about a rival temple in Samaria. Supposedly, his appreciative father-in-law (who happened to be the king of Samaria) assuaged the priest's lost status by building a copycat Temple on Mt Gerizim. 

But did the Assyrians truly succeed in erasing the original Jewish inhabitants of Samaria? Jewish tradition answers with the affirmative based on 2king17 where the now impure race inhabiting Samaria, called the shomronim (translated as "Samaritans") are associated with idol worship. However the inhabitants of Samaria that claim Judaism as their religion actually mark a distinction in appellation, in their tradition and scriptures, between themselves and other inhabitants of the land that practice idolatry. They never refer to themselves as shomronim but rather shamerin/keepers (ie of the Torah). A more historically correct translation of shomronim would therefore be "inhabitants of Samaria" or Samarians, rather than Samaritans which is the English term for those who practice Judaism and inhabit Samaria, and who call themselves shamerin/keepers (of the Torah). They in addition trace their ancestry to Joseph through Ephraim and Manasseh, and maintain that until the 17th century C.E. they possessed a high priesthood descending directly from Aaron through Eleazar and Phinehas. They maintained strict marriage regulations, confined not only to the Samaritan community but also to the tribal lineage. That is corroborated through genetic studies proving that the Jews and Samaritans are from the same stock of people.

Also, the archaeological evidence shows that only a minor part, about 5%, of the population was actually forcefully exiled by the Assyrians, leaving most of the population intact. The settlers brought in would not have enjoyed the majority, as the native Israelites continued to enjoy being the overwhelming majority of the population. We also read in 2Chronicles30 of the king of Judah, Hezekiah's invitation to towns of Samaria to come and celebrate passover at the Jerusalem temple. If the people of the northern kingdom of Israel had been completely replaced, as claimed in 2Kings17, there would have been no point to try and get them to come to Jerusalem for Passover. Moreover, the old tribal names by which Hezekiah addresses them would have lost their meaning. Even a hundred years after the fall of Samaria and after the latest Assyrian settlements the old tribal names were still in use as depicted in Ezra4, and no new, foreign ones had superseded them. Same thing in the books of Jeremiah31 and Ezekiel where the ancient Samarian tribal names are still mentioned in prophecies about their (namely Ephraim) re-union with Judah, without any allusion to their supposed supplanting by newcomers.

As the entire land of Palestine came under Greek dominion, most Jews became helenized, particularly during the 300 years following the reign of Antiochus 4. An internal struggle began between them and the remaining Israelites who tried their utmost to preserve the Jewish orthodox way, despite the widespread hope among the Jews for an earthly ‘Kingdom of Israel’ – as it had traditionally been understood – was gone. 

A revolt ensued and succeeded in driving out the Greeks as well as their Jewish allies, under the leadership of one of those traditionalist Jews, Matityahu ben Yohanan HaKohen. This revolt was known as the revolt of the Maccabees. It perdured for about 80 years. But even within this movement, there was internal struggle to ward off the influence of Hellenism that crept through their various alliances, as seen even by the Greek names their leaders adopted just 30 years after the revolt, ie Yohanan Hyrcanus I. A civil war soon disintegrated the Maccabean/Hasmonean dynasty. The split was deepened further when some factions appealed for Roman intervention at the expense of their political freedom. When the Romans entered Jerusalem they preferred setting a local government that would appease the Jews while at the same time introducing Roman culture. It was during this period that the Jews fell back into spiritual degeneration. 

It was in such background that the prophet Jesus was raised among them, admonishing them for their sins and pointing to their spiritual obligations. Their rejection and stubbornness led to prophecies of destruction, as had occurred before Matt23,24Lk23. The Quran reminds them of that pattern 17:7 and tells them that it may reoccur several times over up to the Day of resurrection 17:8, many of such promised chastisement having already occurred in Europe and in Christian lands. 

God's covenant with Abraham and his descendants was a conditional covenant be it for the Ishmaelites or Israelites 2:123-141,37:113. In Genesis 17:9-14 the Jews were warned that they must keep the covenant or be cut off from God's people. Deut4,6,8,10,11,28 make it repeatedly clear that their exalted status among the nations is conditional on their obedience to God's laws, and their fulfilment of their part of the agreement 

32:24,2:40"call to mind My favour which I bestowed on you and be faithful to (your) covenant with Me, I will fulfill (My) covenant with you; and of Me, Me alone, should you be afraid"

or as the Quran says concisely when reminding of the prophet Moses' address to them 

14:7-8"And when your Lord made it known: If you are grateful, I would certainly give to you more, and if you are ungrateful, My chastisement is truly severe. And Musa said: If you are ungrateful, you and those on earth all together, most surely Allah is Self-sufficient, Praised". 

Also, the words "My favour" and "which I had bestowed upon you" are meant to admonish the Jews on their foolish notion that this favour was bestowed on them because they as a race were entitled to it. The reality is that it was a blessing to them, in reward for Abraham's righteousness, and as a test of obedience to his descendants after him.

Deut7:12,1Kings9:6-9,Ex19:5-6,Lev24:18-23 all say the covenant was conditional, as reflected in Solomon's prayer, speaking of God only keeping His covenant

 1Kings8:23"with Your servants that walk before You with all their heart". 

The whole book of Jeremiah including Lamentations which is traditionally attributed to him, and Ezekiel after him, as well as Micah are filled with metaphors of adultery, shameless exhibitionism, betrayal and divorce, senseless harlotry by paying tributes and gifts in subjugation to the "lover" instead of receiving payment as a prostitute would, fornication with foreigners endowed with donkey-like "large genitals" who ejaculate like horses, to whom her "virgin breasts" are shamelessly displayed, "scattering of ways" and "spreading of legs to every passerby" without ever being sated, in reference to Israel's unfaithfulness to God's covenant, going after false gods and forsaking the true God 

Ezek16:38"And I shall judge you [with] the judgments of adulteresses and murderesses, and I shall deliver you [to those who shed] blood with fury and zeal". 

In Hosea1, as their history of falling away from God's path reached a climax, Israel is referred to as "not my people" and God states of Himself that "I will not be yours". It is always through that conditional perspective that God's "everlasting covenant" with Israel, as reiterated to David when he was being confirmed and crowned as the King of Israel 2Sam7, must be understood 

Isa55:3"Incline your ear and come to Me, hearken and your soul shall live, and I will make for you an everlasting covenant, the dependable mercies of David" 

Isa57:13"he who trusts in Me shall inherit the land and shall inherit My holy mount"

 Isa58:13"If you restrain your foot because of the Sabbath..I will cause you to ride on the high places of the land, and I will give you to eat the heritage of Jacob your father..". 

The covenant is thus eternally binding so long as the community walks the straight path 

Jer7:5-7"For if you improve your ways and your deeds..I will allow you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave your forefathers from days of yore to eternity"

just as God's anger is eternally burning so long as they remain in disbelief and transgression 

Jer17:4"for you have kindled fire in My nostrils that shall burn forever". 

That whole notion is perfectly summed up in 

Jer18:7-11"One instant I may speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to uproot and to demolish and to destroy. And when that nation repents of its evil for which I spoke concerning it, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do to it. And at one instant I may speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant, And it will do what is evil in My eyes, not to hearken to My voice, I will repent of the good I said to benefit it".

Even though there always remained a few righteous among the multitude of sinners, and whose righteousness, the Quran says, will never go to waste 3:113-115,199, God's covenant of favours and protection was agreed upon by the Israelites as one body. So when a significant group or even the majority among them disregards its part of the contract then the community as a whole is made to bear the burden of its consequences. So just like parents are held responsible to a great extent for not looking after their own children and leaving them to go astray, so too the religious leaders and righteous are accountable for their people's straying. Logically, the righteous became a minority because of their increasing passivity, and disinterest in the spiritual state of their families, friends and society at large. In fact there came a point where even the leaders would come across the Torah not knowing what it was. This total neglect occurred even as early as 1-2 generations after Moses.

Joshua23:15-16 and 2Chron7:19-22 not only teach that the covenant of blessings and protection was conditional, but they also specify that the Jews would lose even their land grant if they do not uphold their part of the agreement 

Quran7:129,5:12-13"And certainly Allah made a covenant with the children of Israel, and We raised up among them twelve chieftains; and Allah said: Surely I am with you; if you keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate and believe in My messengers and assist them and offer to Allah a goodly gift, I will most certainly cover your evil deeds, and I will most certainly cause you to enter into gardens beneath which rivers flow, but whoever disbelieves from among you after that, he indeed shall lose the right way. But on account of their breaking their covenant We cursed them and made their hearts hard; they altered the words from their places and they neglected a portion of what they were reminded of; and you shall always discover treachery in them excepting a few of them; so pardon them and turn away; surely Allah loves those who do good (to others)". 

The 12 chiefs among them were deputed by Moses to watch over their own tribe and make sure that the covenant which they were all bound with towards God would never be breeched. 

The Quran repeatedly stresses, God's promise of blessings in this world to a community is contingent on righteousness 21:105.

In a clear prophecy of Muslim domination and rule over the Holy Land of Mecca, the righteous are promised establishment in the land, as was done with previous nations, including the Israelites. But if these Muslims turn God's favour from blessing to curse, they will be dealt with as transgressors and will be uprooted 6:165,24:55. This is because God's favour upon a people is by virtue of righteousness and as a test of faith 

8:34"And what (excuse) have they that Allah should not chastise them while they hinder (men) from the Sacred Mosque and they are not (fit to be) guardians of it; its guardians are only those who guard (against evil), but most of them do not know".  

The Quran reminds the Israelites of one of their painful periods of humiliation and bondage under the Egyptians, followed by their freedom, the destruction of their oppressors and them being made to inherit all of the good things their oppressors deprived them from for centuries, including their lands 7:137,26:57-9. The Pharao of the Quran, although unnamed, clearly points to him being RamessesII, who controlled vast regions in the area, including the land of Canaan upon which he exerted a particularly tight grip. His dominion was completely taken away and given as inheritance to the Israelites. They could have theoretically chosen to dwell anywhere in that vast kingdom but have understandably been directed to an area away from where they had been enslaved, in order to start afresh, and in order to fulfill the promise made to their forefathers of settling them in Canaan. The Quran is thus being, once again, historically accurate in stating that the Israelites inherited the lands of their former Egyptian oppressors. 

This delivery from bondage, full freedom of movement and possession of property and land led to them being made "muluk" 5:20. It is the plural stemming from MLK meaning ownership or authority over something, and when used for humans it is to describe their strong dominion, ie people with authority, hence the common translation as "kings". However here it cannot have the restricted meaning of royal rulers because of several reasons including the use of the plural while addressing the entire community. Otherwise it should have said "and made among you kings" as it says "He raised prophets among you" in the same verse. Here, Moses was contrasting their situation after having left Egypt where the authority over their lives was not theirs, into the new situation where they were transformed in having authority over their own lives. As to them being made prophets, this happened also in Moses' time where many of them were filled with God's spirit at once and prophecised. See Numb11 for example.

A warning is issued together with that remembrance, stressing that God's favour could be taken away from them at anytime 

7:129"then He will see how you act" 

just as He uprooted nations in the past and raised other people in their stead to inherit the land. This happened to them again and again as attested in their own history, of successive destructions, scattering and enslavement, even up to the days of the prophet Muhammad. God through His last prophet uprooted them from their lands for having associated themselves in battle with the enemies of monotheism, those same polytheistic people whom Moses had ordered them to oust from Canaan 33:26-7.

The pattern of replacement of a group by another as a matter of testing is an undeniable reality to the morally, spiritually aware 14:19-20,35:16-17 just like the rulers and people of Pharao were wiped out and replaced with other competing nations 44:25-29 and just like, hypothetically could be done with angels succeeding one another 43:60. 

The land of Palestine, blessed since the times of Abraham 21:71,81,5:21,7:137 was entrusted to the Israelites on the condition that they 

2:58"Enter this qariya (applied to a place of gathering and settlement be it a town or a village 6:92,42:7,47:13,34:18)..and enter the gate making obeisance, and say, forgiveness". 

Their obstination in refusing to abide by the terms of the covenant, and upon their straying from the right path and repeated transgressions despite the continuous sending of prophets to them, led to their destruction and expulsion by the same God who had given them this land 2:59-60. 

It is to be noted, the land was blessed, in the words of the Quran 

21:71"to all people" 

meaning that anyone can potentially be given authority over it. The only condition, because it is a sacred land, the inhabitants have to live in it according to the landowner's rules. The Israelites were thus given that land for 2 reasons; to test their gratefulness and God-awareness, as well as to uproot through them, the nations that previously inhabited it, and who became unworthy of it.

The very reason, per the Torah, for God deciding to uproot and exterminate those nations, then settling the Israelites instead, was not because of the Abrahamic covenant, but because these nations had become sinners, unworthy to reside in a land previously declared sacred Gen15:16,Deut9,1Sam4:7. The Canaanite were relatives of the Israelites. They were Abrahamic descendants, such as the Moabites descendants of Lot and Edomites whose father is Esau. There is no reason to assume that these Abrahamic tribes did not emulate their common forefather by worshiping YHWH. But as the generations passed they corrupted that worship until God sent another Abrahamic branch, the Israelites, to uproot and replace them. Similarly Jethro was a Midianite-Kenite. Midian was the son of Abraham, and Kenite in reference to Adam's son, Cain whose descendants lived among all the people of the Levant. Jethro was thus a non Israelite semite, descendant of Abraham, who had kept the Abrahamic legacy. He proclaims to Moses that YHWH is greater than all false deities Ex18:7-12.

When the Muslims were made successors in the land of Mecca, they were repeatedly warned that if they transgress they will be swiftly requited. Just as was done with the Israelites and nations before them, That is because in a universal system based on Truth, falsehood is bound to perish

 34:49,21:16-8,14:19"Do you not see that Allah created the heavens and the earth with truth? If He please He will take you off and bring a new creation".

They will be replaced by the One encompassing them as He encompasses the whole earth, capable of erasing them completely then re-establish a similarly great human creation, even better yet in make, should He want to 6:165,70:40-1,76:28. Similar warnings were issued to the Israelites, as seen earlier, should they neglect the spiritual duties for which they were established in a land 7:137,26:57-9,Deut8:19-20,Deut28-31. The same forceful way the previous landowners were dislodged, due to their wickedness Deut9, could be repeated with them 

Amos9:7"To Me, O Israelites, you are just like the Ethiopians—declares YHWH. True, I brought Israel up from the land of Egypt, but also the Philistines from Crete and the Arameans from Kir". 

Previous nations that were similarly established, then rejected their prophets were destroyed and others were raised in their stead as trustees of God's favours 

10:71-3,44:26,7:69,74,137,100"Is it not clear to those who inherit the earth after its (former) residents that if We please We would afflict them on account of their faults". 

The HB uses a very appropriate metaphor to describe that pattern, picturing a sacred land becoming sick of its inhabitants' practices to the point it cannot contain them anymore

 Lev18:24-8"Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled. Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants..." 

Lev20:22-3"And you shall observe all My statutes and all My ordinances, and fulfill them, then the Land, to which I am bringing you to dwell therein, will not vomit you out. You shall not follow the practices of the nation that I am sending away from before you, for they committed all these [sins], and I was disgusted with them".

The prophet Solomon Prov2:21-22 and before him David spoke of that reality

 Ps37:9-11"evildoers shall be cut off, and those who hope for the Lord-they will inherit the land. A short while longer and the wicked man is not here, and you shall look at his place and he is not there. But the humble shall inherit the land, and they shall delight in much peace".

The heritage of the earth in this worldly life is neither permanent nor everlasting. It is merely bestowed as a trial for different communities. That is why, everlasting heritage of the "land" is only possible in the Hereafter, in Heaven where those that will be established, the righteous believers, will never falter in their spirituality 21:105,39:73-4.

When God calls his covenant "everlasting", it means HE will never abrogate it, so long as the terms of that covenant are fulfilled. As soon as there is a breech in the agreement from either side, it becomes void, like with any agreement. For example in 1Sam2:30 we read 

"Therefore," says the Lord, God of Israel, "I said, 'Your house and the house of your father will walk before Me forever,' but now, says the Lord: Far be it from Me, for those who honour Me shall I honour, and those who despise Me will be disgraced". 

God will not keep blessing them with honour, and favours regardless of their behaviour, when these favours were conditional on righteousness. Deuteronomy states that God would take back all blessings and favours, replace them with punishment and humiliation, if such were the case. But God is also merciful and honours any of his servants that sincerely repents and mends his ways. That is why the Israelites were brought back to a position of honour among the nations after they were destroyed and scattered the first time, when they realized their errors and repented. But as they proved themselves again unworthy of divine favours, they were abased a second time and, as a climax of humiliation, they were subjected to the Christians whose prophet they rejected, and who proceeded to turn their ruined Temple into a garbage dump.

As prophecied in the Quran, and as verifiable up to this day, they were then condemned to be entirely dependant upon the followers of Jesus for their survival. God warns them in the Quran of further chastisement whenever they return or persist in their wrong ways (their dark history in Christian lands more particularly bears testimony to this) as well as condemned them to have their security fully in the hands of others; God would not be the One to repel their numerous enemies and give them the upper hand on more powerful foes as he did in the past. 

It is then claimed through Deut30,Jer31,Ezek36:24-28,etc the Jews will be gathered in a future time following all their punishments, and THIS time they will not falter anymore from the right path, because the Law will be imbued in them in a different way, as if forcefully inscribed in their hearts by God Himself. It is the "circumcision of the hearts", a prophecy clearly foretold to materialize following the Babylonian exile, but now interpreted as applying to the undetermined future. 

Interestingly the Quran states that the writing of faith upon the believer's heart has already been done, and is part of a divine principle of bestowing guidance upon those that adopt the right attitude and deeds 58:22. 

At that undetermined time, the Temple will be rebuilt for a 3rd time following following a list of complicated rituals only the messiah will be able to accomplish.

The Quran uses the Bani Israel as a living example of what can befall a nation in terms of Divine favours and punishments when they uphold or neglect their spiritual responsibilities 2:211,59:2. They were made to excel above the other nations in terms of divine favours 2:47,87. They were chosen and bound by a covenant with God 2:40,63,83,84,Deut26:16-17 until Jesus with the responsibility of upholding and delivering the truth revealed to them by God to other nations but they disobeyed constantly, mistreated the prophets sent to them and killed some of them 2:87, added baseless innovations and complicated soulless traditions 2:41-2,63,3:187 as Jesus and their prophets sent to bring them back to the right path decried. They violated God's covenant too many times, boldly provoking Him and His prophets, and were consequently destroyed and scattered. God's promise of blessings and protection to the Israelites was conditional to obedience and upholding of the divine covenant. Failure in doing so would render the promise null and void as amply demonstrated with their history of humiliating destruction and punishments that came through the very nations God promised would curse and destroy should they attempt attacking the Israelites.

Their past exalted status, the Quran says in relation to their communitarian conceit, will not spare them the fair judgement of the day of resurrection, on a same footing with the rest of humanity 

2:48,62:6"O you who are Jews, if you think that you are the favourites of Allah to the exclusion of other people, then invoke death If you are truthful". 

The Quran relates in 17:104 that despite the fact that the Israelites were established as a nation and favoured by Allah, they will be gathered in the Hereafter without any favours, in a mingled crowd where all ties having existed on Earth will be cut off.

In the NT, John the Baptist refers to their lineage to Abraham as being of no value to them, because of their own sins 

Matt3:7-10"..You brood of vipers..do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham". 

Jesus too strongly refutes their notion of chosenness entailing some sort of ultimate spiritual impunity by virtue of lineage. He pointed out that they do not have the monopoly of God's grace and mercy, and that God may bestow His mercy on all people Lk4:24-30. 

The Israelites claimed that they, in the grand scheme of things, could never be humiliated because of this lineage 

4:49"Have you not considered those who attribute purity to themselves? Nay, Allah purifies whom He pleases; and they shall not be wronged the husk of a date stone". 

This self-conceit and boastful attribution of purity to oneself is a sin prophets of the past condemned them for Isa65:5. 

Spiritually, the notion didnt make any sense and in reality even less. They have been intermarrying with foreign nations and assimilating converts since their exodus from Egypt. In the days of the prophet Ezra, he recounts how his people, and more particularly the priestly clan of the Levites had lost their lineage through intermarriages with the polytheistic peoples during their Babylonian exile Ezra9. What astonished Ezra the most, having received profound knowledge of the Law, is that the elite among the nation, those supposed to be the guardians of the community's identity and heritage were the first to engage in the forbidden practice, were the first to do it and encourage others to emulate them. A drastic measure had to be taken in order to limit the damage done, after several decades of intermarriages, to the traceability of the priestly lineage. It was decided that all such unions should be dissolved, resulting in the banishment of gentile women and their children Ezra10. Yet a little time further, as the reconstruction of the Temple was finished and the community was being reestablished in Jerusalem, they were caught again committing the same transgression, from the Levites to the common people, to the point that watchers had to be designated with the task of preventing the practice Neh13:23-30.

After scolding them for that distorted notion of election, Jesus then reports how they even tried to kill him many times, so what can their claims to Abraham do for them? He ultimately then says that they are not the sons of Abraham, neither the sons of God, but children of the devil Jn8:31-47. 

The Quran clarifies above all the fact that Allah is not bound to any one group, He is the Lord of all that exists and shall requite every soul according to its deeds 

2:139"and He is our Lord and your Lord, and we shall have our deeds and you shall have your deeds, and we are sincere to Him".

Further, His bounties and divine guidance are not closed to anyone, do not belong to any race 

2:105,57:29"So that the followers of the Book may know that they do not control aught of the grace of Allah, and that grace is in Allah's hand, He gives it to whom He pleases; and Allah is the Lord of mighty grace". 

He may bestow the light of inspiration and prophethood on an individual from any nation to lead it to the straight path as was done with the Israelites. Similarly the Quran subtly refutes the notion of spiritual impunity the Quraysh might have because of their claims of descendancy from Ibrahim. They thought that Prophet Abraham, whose descendants they were, was a beloved servant of Allah and, would, therefore, intercede for them and defend them against any scourge from Him. That is why the graphic picture of the death of Prophet Noah's son has been drawn to show that the prayer of a great Prophet like him could not save his own son from the scourge 11:36-49. Not only was his prayer rejected but he was also taken to task for making a request for his wicked son. Then this second incident from the life of Prophet Abraham has been related to show that, though Allah was very kind to him, He rejected his appeal for the people of Lot because he had tried to intercede for the wicked people, which was against the requirements of justice 11:74-6.

The Quran treats the guidance from Allah, which is the true meaning of being elected, as leading to humility

57:16"Has not the time yet come for those who believe that their hearts should be humble for the remembrance of Allah and what has come down of the truth? And that they should not be like those who were given the Book before, but the time became prolonged to them, so their hearts hardened, and most of them are transgressors". 

When Ibrahim was given the news of his spiritual leadership over mankind, He was also told that such leadership will only extend to the righteous among his offspring

 2:124"Surely I will make you an Imam of men. Ibrahim said: And of my offspring? My covenant does not include the unjust, said He". 

The Quran makes it clear that the exalted status of Abraham was not something that would automatically confer a comparable status on his physical descendants, be it the Ishmaelites or the Israelites 

2:134"This is a people that have passed away; they shall have what they earned and you shall have what you earn, and you shall not be called upon to answer for what they did".

Further reading;

- Apostate prophet overly emotional; do not rely or do not befriend?

- Apostate prophet finds solace; can Muslims befriend non-believers?

- Apostate prophet taught to distinguish; Muslim complacency or responsibility?

- Apostate prophet wont be admitted; Muslim light to the nations?

- Apostate prophet feels rejected; best nation prerogative of Muslims?

Islam critiqued still seeking the illusive source; the Quran misrepresents Jewish poems?

 In answer to the video by Islam critiqued "Are God's Hands Chained?"

In regards the Quranic passage, the exegisis is quiet straightforward. Those who despair at their condition, not looking at the consequences of their own actions and more importantly do not appreciate the higher reality that Allah bestows according to an unfathomable wisdom, might injuriously picture God's hands as "tied up". We see this attitude across cultures, religions and time. Even today by fatalists and atheists.

Some Israelites contemporaries to the prophet Muhammad expressed this thought, despairing at their lowly conditions. Since the destruction of their second temple and up to the time of the prophet, they had been wandering the earth in humiliation, exile, slaughter. For hundreds of years, their cries for help remained unanswered, having repeatedly broken their covenant with God. This situation came in consequence to their rebellious attitude towards the last revelation that came to the Ishmaelite prophet among them, but also the rejection of the prophets and revelations that came before, including Jesus and those Israelite prophets calling for the adherence to their own books. It is in such backdrop that some Jews employed this blasphemous imagery, and the Quran exposes them for it, giving the reason and solution for their state of despair 

5:64-6"And the Jews say, "The hand of Allah is chained." Chained are their hands, and cursed are they for what they say. Rather, both His hands are extended; He spends however He wills. And that which has been revealed to you from your Lord will surely increase many of them in transgression and disbelief. And We have cast among them animosity and hatred until the Day of Resurrection. Every time they kindled the fire of war [against you], Allah extinguished it. And they strive throughout the land [causing] corruption, and Allah does not like corrupters. And if only the People of the Scripture had believed and feared Allah, We would have removed from them their misdeeds and admitted them to Gardens of Pleasure. And if only they upheld [the law of] the Torah, the Gospel, and what has been revealed to them from their Lord, they would have consumed [provision] from above them and from beneath their feet. Among them are a moderate community, but many of them - evil is that which they do".

Interestingly, there are in fact clear references to such blasphemous imagery in Jewish literature, one example being a 5-6th century piyyut/poem by Eleazar ha-kallir. The context is similar to the above passage, that of disobedience and consequent destruction. The Jews, at least in that poem, and possibly the prophet's contemporaries too who were being defeated by the Muslims, used a double language reflecting both their despair and prideful arrogance in the face of their enemies. So although their cries were clearly not heard while they were being slaughtered and destroyed, that silence and lack of action was not due to God cutting them off from His mercy rather to Him purposefully restraining, ie chaining Himself, from punishing their enemies. This kind of double, self serving language is common in Jewish thought. For example we find the idea among Talmudic scholars that the reason for the destruction of the 2nd Temple, and consequent scattering of the Jews was a divine scheme aimed at increasing the number of converts. 

The Quran tells them, as regards the notion of God's Hand being chained, that God is not restrained in anyway, much less as they implied. The obedient are favored while the sinful are destroyed, simple as that. More particularly destruction most often befalls those that are warned by a prophet in their midst. The punishment of the Jews, whether in the time of the Israelites or Ishmaelite prophets was thus because of divine disapproval consequently to their sins and disbelief. They are the reason for their condition, God has withdrawn His mercy from them. God has not restrained His anger from their enemies but has withdrawn His protection from those claiming to be His elect among the nations. This is the case since their rejection of the last Israelite prophet sent to them in Jesus, and is still the case today. Instead of God protecting them, they have been and still are subjected to the humiliating need of protection from all kinds of people and nations, including the Christians, the followers of the last prophet they rejected.

Furthermore God's mercy is open to anyone, Jew or else. So let them not think that they are being indirectly "favored" through slaughter. They have been cut off from divine approval and mercy, and still are.

Further reading answering Islam critiqued "Are God's Hands Chained?"

-Islam Critiqued needs updating to recent scholarship; Original Syriac Quran?

-CIRA international find approval; Quran confirms Christian missionary power?

The early years of Islam

When the first revelation was inspired to Muhammad, he, unlike Jeremiah or Isaiah had no established prophetic tradition to console or support him so as to understand the reality of his experience, and its implications. It came on a blessed night 44:3 also referred to as lailatul qadr 97:1, during the month of Ramadan 2:185. The exact date when the night occurs hasnt been specified by the prophet. He purposefully said it is on one of the last 5 odd nights of Ramadan. He could have specified a day but chose not to. The Quran itself does not prescribe the believers to seek that night as a means of getting a "shortcut" to salvation. This creates a yearning in the believers in seeking it, given its spiritual, metaphysical importance. Each one seeks it according to his desire for it, thereby testing his level of spiritual thirst. It is in this test that the blessings of this night are concealed 

"Whoever establishes the prayers on the night of Qadr out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah's rewards (not to show off) then all his past sins will be forgiven".

Muhammad went back to Khadija to whom he recounted what had happened. She immediately trusted him and accepted Islam. A slight nuance between Muhammad and Jesus is that while Jesus was opposed by his closest relatives, Muhammad was first and foremost recognized and accepted by his own bosom friends and people of his household. They knew him intimately and would have detected the inconsistent actions and thoughts of a deceiver abroad and at home. This is strongly corroborative of his sincerity. Khadija also appeased his fears for the consequences of having accepted the burden of prophecy with all the religious, social and political changes it implied in this environment of the Age of Ignorance, the Jahiliyya. As the prophet Ezekiel sat bewildered for 7 days among the people without uttering a word Ezek3:15 following a similar shocking first encounter with the revelational experience, so did the prophet Muhammad seek to recuperate ahead of his mission. 

Against all political and economical wisdom, his wife Khadija decided to fully support him and relinquish her prestigious status and successful commerce. Muhammad was given the Kawthar 108:1; the term covers the abundance of grace, wisdom and knowledge, mercy and goodness, spiritual power and insight. Through these faculties he was able to achieve, through his works, dignity in this world and in the hereafter, and was able to lead and establish a nation that would bear the torch of truth to the world. Muhammad would receive clear revelations from on high through dreams 8:43, wakefulness 17:1, through the holyspirit 26:193-4.  

He then taught Khadija the way to pray until one day his cousin Ali ibn Abu Talib, whose father (Abu Talib, Muhammad's paternal uncle) was poor and thus gave his son to Muhammad's household for better care, saw the Prophet and his wife praying so he learned and became the 2nd Muslim. Then came Zayd, the Prophet's adopted son. 

Muhammad went on with his life of solitude not talking about these events outside his household until came to him 

26:214"And warn your nearest relations" 

just like Ezekiel was pulled out of his silence and told to initiate transmitting God's warnings Ezek3:16-7. 

Knowing the magnitude, and implications of the message he had to convey to a wretched nation, Muhammad delayed its delivery until Gabriel came to him again, and this time he gathered 40 of the sons of Abdul Muttalib, among them were his uncles: Abu Talib, Hamza, 'Abbas and Abu Lahab. The latter interrupted Muhammad's speech so he did not get a chance to speak to them. He gathered them again the second day, gave them the good tidings of Allah's blessings to those who would believe in, and help him in his cause. The first to respond and rise his hand was Ali ibn Abu Talib.

Slowly the message spread. During the first three years, he gained only 30 followers so Allah called him to rise and augment his warnings to his whole nation, as his predecessors did 

15:94"declare openly what you are bidden and turn aside from the polytheists" 

and the method to be employed was 

16:125"Call to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and goodly exhortation, and dispute with them in the best way". 

This empathetic manner in which the call to religion is to be done has always been the method the prophets were commanded to transmit the message in its first phases 

20:43-4"Go both to Firon, surely he has become inordinate; Then speak to him a gentle word haply he may mind or fear".

The prophet stood up on the Hijr, a rock next to the Kaaba where he admonished the Meccans, as well as the foreign pilgrims, calling them to believe in the Oneness of Allah 38:65-8 and hasten to moral righteousness before the ushering of a Day of Resurrection from which none can escape. A lengthy and painful process had begun, which would ultimately lead to the restoration of Islam, the way of Ibrahim, the upright one 2:135-136. Muhammad was reviving the true definition of religion; a way of life which contains the good of this world in a manner that ensures perfection of the next life ‑ the life that is the real and eternal one near to Allah.

His uncle and protector, the well respected Abu Talib, was asked by a delegation from the Quraysh to either persuade his nephew to desist from his mission or hand him over to suffer the extreme penalty or be prepared to fight the whole tribe. The pressure was such, Abu Talib asked Muhammad to desist but upon his refusal and determination, he empathised further with his nephew, pledging to keep him under his protection. 

So the Prophet kept calling the people to the worship of one God, a request they continuously mocked "Shall we then abandon three hundred and sixty gods and worship only one God?" accusing him of sorcery, among many things 38:4. Though the Meccans objected the idea of a Unique God it was the concept of Resurrection that was totally unacceptable to them, mainly the wealthy men of the Quraysh who clinged desperately to a morally deprived financial and spiritual way of life. They resented the prophet's calls to reform, as it entailed dismantling their worldview entirely 

23:70"he has brought them the truth, and most of them are averse from the truth..And should the truth follow their low desires, surely the heavens and the earth and all those who are therein would have perished". 

This made them even more resolved in their will to denigrate, corrupt or attempt to make the prophet compromise some of his message with theirs, and hide behind their idols and the traditions of their forefathers. Prior to him, Nuh was rejected on no better grounds than that, what he brought conflicted with his people's inherited habits and ways of life 23:24. 

The words of the prophet were not only threatening their life after death, but also their life in this world as he was calling them to stop the oppression of the poor and low classes by the elite. But there was not a day where people did not come to the call of Islam, a call of freedom, freeing men from the bondage of intercession, destroying all obstacles between men and God 

2:186"And when My servants ask you concerning Me, then verily I am near, I answer the prayer of the supplicant when he calls on Me, so they should answer My call and believe in Me, so that they may walk in the right way". 

As a linguistic observation, this verse has the unique feature that it repeats the first person singular pronoun seven times. It conveys a sense of closeness between Allah and His creatures, and that nothing comes between Him and them 

50:16"We created man..and We are nearer to him than his life-vein" 

8:24"and know that Allah intervenes between man and his heart".

Until Muhammad did not openly attack the idols, he wasnt viewed as a real threat by the Quraysh but when he severely started to condemn Hubal, Lat, Uzza and other idols of the pantheon the matter became different. The Prophet's teachings of equality of man and constant stressing the point that in righteousness alone lay the superiority of one over the other meant the end of the Quraysh's authority and privileges as the guardians of the Kaaba, of their political and social hegemony, and of their vested interests at large.

In this environement where tribal institutions exercised great influence and idols were counted as the most sacred objects, such words attracted much attention, curiosity and hostily. Especially considering that without it being the center of pilgrimage of the idol worshipers of the Arabian Peninsula, attracting trade and wealth, Mecca would be meaningless and the Quraysh would lose their fortune and privileges among the Arabs 

28:57"And they say: If we follow the guidance with you, we shall be carried off from our country. What! have We not settled them in a safe, sacred territory to which fruits of every kind shall be drawn?-- a sustenance from Us; but most of them do not know".

Following the event of the israa/mi'raj the Quraysh increased in their opposition and desire to kill Muhammad. But in order to reach him, they had first to get rid of his protectors whose retaliation they feared. Remarkably the prophet, instead of using that factor as a leverage by which to increase his opposition and boldness would tell them that their considerations were mislplaced. Through several stories such as that of the prophet Shuayb whose bloodthirsty enemies feared killing him because of a possible retaliation from his family 11:91, the prophet redirected their attention on what they should truly fear 

11:92"He said: O my people! is my family more esteemed by you than Allah? And you neglect Him as a thing cast behind your back; surely my Lord encompasses what you do". 

The prophet Shuayb in demonstration of his integrity and selflessness, as well as genuine concern for his addressees, told his opponents, that the correct attitude should be to focus on the far-reaching message, not on the messenger, and avoid turning the issue into a personal dispute 

11:89"O my people! let not opposition to me make you guilty so that there may befall you the like of what befell the people of Nuh, or the people of Hud, or the people of Salih, nor are the people of Lut far off from you". 

That fear of direct confrontation with the prophet's clan, and the apprehension of igniting intertribal feud that would last for years, did not mean that the Quraysh's desire to end the prophet's preaching by any other mean was over. Instead of attacking him upfront they agreed to ostracise completely the Bani Hashim and Muttalib by organizing a severe social and economic blockade on them, until they hand them over Muhammad. 

They also commissioned the most eloquent of their poets to ridicule him, his followers and his message and propagate false rumours on him to all pilgrims coming in and out of the city who were his main audience, as well as in the markets. They maintained that the reason why the Quran appealed to people was not that it was revealed by God but because Muhammad possessed such a strong eloquent expression he could charm the people 21:3. They held that he fabricated the verses of the Quran with the help of some Satanic Jinn and presented these before the people in the garb of divine inspirations. The Quran mentions these charges at various places and then answers them 

26:210-212"And the Shaitans have not come down with it. And it behoves them not, and they have not the power to do (it). Most surely they are far removed from the hearing of it". 

The words "it behoves them not" imply that Satan would not do something against his own mission. This is the same kind of argument, as was adopted by Jesus in response to the Pharisees in Lk11. Evil forces have no power over it and it shows from the idolators and their jinns' failure to the Quran's repeated challenges to come up with 3 sentences like it. And on the accusations of him being an eloquent and demon possessed poet, the Quran would use simple observation to refute their claims, firstly by pointing to the well known and undisputed upright character of Muhammad 

36:69-70"And We have not taught him poetry, nor is it meet for him; it is nothing but a reminder and a plain Quran. That it may warn him who would have life, and (that) the word may prove true against the unbelievers". 

The Quran would also contrast those who followed the prophet and those who listened to and followed these kinds of mad, demon possessed poets 

26:224-226"And those who are strayed follow the poets. Did you not notice that they wander everywhere? And they say what they practice not". 

Not every poet is condemned in this passage. A group is singled out, those who use such powerful media as an instruments of evil and wickedness. Before and during the advent if Islam some of them posted their sexually explicit verses on the walls of the Kaaba. They were highly revered and believed to be under the power of jinns. This type of poetry darkened the people's emotions and intellects, instigated hatred and wars among different parties that had no, to very little points of conflict among eachother. During Islam's early battles, these blood thirsty propaganda machines were rightfully considered combattants like any soldier in a time where threats and treason were coming from all side against the nascent Muslim community, aiming at its extinction. The verse raises also the point that those who followed these poets had a sinful nature, because of the nature of the poems the likes of those of Imrul-Qays, and what these poems incited in their hearts. Those who were captivated by the Quran's eloquence on the other hand, were a different kind of people. What the prophet recited was more than poetic lofty thoughts, or some predictions like those of the sooth-sayers, but none could perceive its wisdom other than those who opened their hearts to it 10:1-2. 

As a side note, demon possession, a calumny among many others that the prophet Muhammad and prophets before him, including Jesus, were charged with was unrelated to the satanic verses polemic. It was in relation to what his opponents perceived as the Quran's supernatural eloquence. They werent ready to accept that it could come from a human, much less from God, so they settled for demonic agents.

Seeing that their smearing campaign was failing, the Quraysh appealed to the services of Nadr ibn al Harith. He did not rise up by himself and begin his public defamation. He was learned in the history, religion, wisdom, theories of good and evil, cosmology, and other literature of the Persians. He would stand up after Muhammad's speeches, calling the people to the Persian religions. He convinced the Quraysh this was the only way they could try defeating his purpose in public. Just as with Moses before, their vilification campaign stood no ground considering the nature of the message and the message bearer himself, him being known for his moral integrity prior to beginning his mission. That factor alone gave him an immesurable advantage from the point of view of credibility, over anyone else who would try competing with him and pass off his speeches as genuine divine teachings. 

The poets of Quraysh, failing to classify Muhammad and what he was reciting in any of the known mystical, demonic or oral phenomena, thus agreed on calling him a magician whose craft was eloquence that by means of eloquent words he was capable of dividing the man against his father, his brother, his spouse and his own tribe 46:7,21:3,34:43,54:2,74:24,10:76,11:7,37:15. The fact is that truth always causes a separation ultimately as seen in the nations and families of the prophets of old, from Nuh who had to abandon his own disbelieving son to be taken by the deluge, to Ibrahim who left his disbelieving father, Lut who left his wife behind him as the town was about to be destroyed etc, and the same is related in the scriptures of old, from the HB to the NT 

Micah7:6,Matt30:21-36"Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved..Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law a man's enemies will be the members of his own household". 

Just as the moral reforms brought by Jesus and Muhammad were met with the staunchest opposition, so was the Book given to Musa 

11:110-112"And certainly We gave the book to Musa, but it was gone against; and had not a word gone forth from your Lord, the matter would surely have been decided between them; and surely they are in a disquieting doubt about it. And your Lord will most surely pay back to all their deeds in full; surely He is aware of what they do. Continue then in the right way as you are commanded.."

Reciting and listening to the Quran became forbidden but nonetheless, many Quraysh would listen to it in secret, captured by the vivid imagery, metaphors, parables and appeal to the emotions which rendered the realm of the Unseen such as the Hereafter or the Resurrection recognizable to the senses. The impact on their psyche was such, that it moved them internally to listen further, giving their full attention, and eventually convert. This growing popularity added to the deeply rooted sentiment of jealousy so common among the desert Arabs of the time. Some of their most influential men found themselves listening for 3 nights in a row to the recitation of the Quran. 

But these Qurayshi elite, like most corrupt leaders in a society, were instinctively distrustful of all things human. Further, they neglected the dual aspect of their own nature, one that is worldly, and the other connected to the divine, placed into every human being by God "and breathed into him of His spirit". It is therefore natural that God would maintain and nurture that connection with Him, by making His will known to mankind. But due to their skepticism of human nature, they resisted the notion of God, the master of all things, connecting with a mere human being from their midst, who walks the markets, eats food, mingles with the poor, lives the simplest life, and yet is tasked with guiding mankind. Instead such messenger should be a more noble creation, which to them were angels 

10:2,12:109,14:10,21:7-8,23:33,47,25:7,20,64:6,41:14"If our Lord had pleased He would certainly have sent down angels, so we are surely unbelievers in that with which you are sent". 

Ironically, the Quran states that mankind was honoured above the angels and is thus certainly elligible to be connected to the divine realm, as pledged to Adam 20:123,38:71-2. Besides pointing to their humanity, the "walking in the market places" highlights that such individuals are warners to large communities, not to isolated people. When messengers are selected to reform a community, they always are from the same nature and general experience as that community. This helps prevent idolizing the messengers, as occurred with a single one of them, Jesus. And thus we find that when non-human messengers are sent among the humans, it is either to a select few individuals, or to execute God's punishment on a nation. 

In denial of these realities known long before Muhammad was sent among them 21:7, the Arabs would request from their prophet, who never claimed to be anything more than a mortal 11:31, that he should be able to bend the forces of nature at will and upon request. What they were asking was irrelevant to the purpose of an envoy from God, which is to convey what he is inspired of warnings and glad tidings 

17:90-3"Glory be to my Lord; am I aught but a mortal apostle?" 

This line of reasoning is common among most people of every age. It is the most prominent objection levelled against a human being claiming to be God's messenger. Such scepticism is so prevalent that even those who become these prophets' followers often end up over-exalting and idolizing them  

17:94"And nothing prevented people from believing when the guidance came to them except that they said: What! has Allah raised up a mortal to be an apostle?". 

A message of deep social reform and introspection cannot come to a community other than through someone from their midst to whom they can relate to and trust, one that can transmit the message in a manner they can understand 

"Had there been in the earth angels walking about as settlers, We would certainly have sent down to them from the heaven an angel as an apostle". 

That is why had God sent angels among the humans as prophets, He would have made them appear as human beings 6:9 and had angels been settled on the earth instead of humans, then angelic prophets would have been sent to them from among themselves, like what has been done with the humans 17:95. This way the addressees' focus remains on the message itself rather than the message bearer.

 

The humanity of the messenger is proof of God's honouring mankind, which is a way of removing the negative outlook of many cultures and religions on human nature. God chooses those He deems fit to be in contact with the Source of creation. It gives hope to the remaining ones who believe, that they can emulate that selected human being who is of the same essence as themselves, and rise to high stations of spiritual eminence 

2:151-2,3:164"Certainly Allah conferred a benefit upon the believers when He raised among them a Messenger from among themselves, reciting to them His communications and purifying them, and teaching them the Book and the wisdom, although before that they were surely in manifest error".

If the messenger couldnt be a supernatural being, they began arguing from the angle of political and social eminence; why didnt God send His revelation to the noblest of men among them or those of great standing? Why were they, the people of influence, at least not informed personally by God that a prophet would be raised among them or given a share in this revelation 6:124,17:93,43:31,74:52? Those objections were meant at excusing their rejection of the reforming system brought by the prophets 6:7. As the rejecters of old, even if every one of their requests were granted they would still deny, as Jesus laments in the NT Mk8:11-13. 

They would further object, how can one sent by the Lord of the universe present himself in such humble fashion instead of displaying all the signs of grandeur ambassadors of great personalities and kingdoms are usually sent with 43:51-3? In their limited and materialistic mindframe they associated worldly riches with wisdom and being approved by the divine 

43:31"And they say: Why was not this Quran revealed to a man of importance in the two towns?". 

It was the same objection levelled against Nuh, Hud, Salih, Moses 

23:24,33-34,14:10-11,43:53,64:6,13:38"And certainly We sent messengers before you and gave them wives and children, and it is not in (the power of) an messenger to bring a sign except by Allah's permission; for every term there is an appointment". 

Similarly the NT in Matt13 reports the Pharisees' amazement upon seeing wisdom and miracles bestowed upon someone of such humble origins as Jesus. They rejected his prophethood out of jealousy and pride at the idea of being taught by someone of humble origins "And they took offense at him". Jesus answers them with the universal truth that a prophet is generally honoured everywhere but in his hometown, as was the case with the prophet Muhammad 50:2.

The prophet's unabated opposition to this corrupt thought system added greatly to the anxiety and despair of the Quraysh. Their life of privileges blinded their judgement, they could not accept the principle that God is not bound to any group, does not belong to the east or west, does not close His bounties to anyone and does not define the people's merit based on gender, race or social achievements, but on fulfilment of duties towards their fellow men, sincerity in thought and action, uprightness and God-consciousness 

43:32"and the mercy of your Lord is better than what they amass".

Despite his uncle Abu Talib's protection many converts were tortured or killed. History has recorded several examples of early Muslim martyrs and victims of tortures. Yasir and his wife Sumayyah were laid down naked on the burning desert sand, with ironnail on their body. The heat made the nails burn their skins until they were murdered by Abu Jahl. Fearing for his life, their son Ammar denied being a Muslim in front of the pagans but expressed great remorse to the Prophet. It was the first instance of "taqiya", sanctioned by the verse 16:106. Abu Bakr was tied up and emprisonned under the eyes of his tribe of Taym when he accepted Islam. Bilal, the Ethiopian slave, was tortured and burdened with heavy stones on his chest, in the desert by his master because of his conversion. Abdullah ibn Masud, the known companion, was beaten until he could not stand, because of reciting the Quran close to the pagans at the Kaaba. There is a mass of historical data recorded in original sources about the names and numbers of persons put to physical torture, the names of their tormentors and the manner of their physical torture and persecution. The extent of the suffering endured by the Muslims during this period was such that even some idol worshipers Meccans would try and help the Muslims, out of pitty such was the case of Hisham ibn Amr who would go secretly to the quarter where the Muslims were isolated at night, with a camel loaded with food and release it there. 

The main problem the Meccans had, as stated earlier, was that they saw in this new monotheistic religion a profound challenge to their religious, economic and political power. Islam meant the end of trade, which depended on the pilgrims’ visits, and this in turn would lead to the Meccans loosing the honour they held among the Arab tribes. The Quran reflects that reality by alluding to the elite of past nations to whom prophets were sent and who always resisted any change so as to maintain the established order they benefited from. The Quran plainly states that spiritual reform inevitably involves economic sacrifices. During the advent of Islam, the new converts were reassured that these sacrifices due to the temporary loss of trade and prestige of Mecca would be restored.

In response to such persecutions, the Prophet remained steadfast and persevered, urging his companions to emulate his forbearance as commanded by God 

16:125"Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious.." 

6:108"And do not abuse those whom they call upon besides Allah, lest exceeding the limits they should abuse Allah out of ignorance". 

He did not even label his people as unbelievers until sura Kafirun which signalled that the truth had been communicated to an extent that his addressees were left with no excuse to deny it.

At the peak of Muslim persecution, Abu Talib had no alternative but to make his nephew Muhammad, along with his followers, retreat into a ravine belonging to him, in a montain trail adjacent to Jannatul Maala. They were made to undergo the most acute hardships and privations for 3 years so much so that at times they had nothing but tree leaves to eat and stop hunger. They came out twice a year from that ravine: in the months of Rajab and Dhul-Hijjah, when every type of violence was taboo according to the Arabian custom. If any relative sent them any food, and the news leaked out, that relative was exposed and insulted by the Quraysh. Thanks to her business connections, Khadija managed to smuggle food sometimes but that source soon tarried out as she became more isolated. 

The only thing that still prevented the die-hard disbelievers from the Quraysh to wage a full scale war on Muhammad and his followers was the honour and dignity of his protector Abu Talib. For this reason he kept the Quraysh in suspense about his true belief in order not to undermine his status. He invited all his clan to follow Muhammad and constantly praised his trustfulness but always refrained from openly declaring his Islam. Even on his death-bed, he announced his faith in such a way that the Quraysh could not understand what he meant. When they asked him on which religion he was dying, he replied 

"On the religion of my forefathers". 

His forefathers being, Ibrahim and Ismail.

In these circumstances, it was very improbable that the Messenger would one day prevail over his enemies; however, the Quran in every situation assured him that he is the messenger of God, guided in every step like the prophets of old as they were sent to confront powerful transgressors with the Truth 40:53 and, in spite of all this antagonism, God will have him prevail over his enemies 

61:8-9"They desire to put out the light of Allah with their mouths but Allah will perfect His light, though the unbelievers may be averse. He it is Who sent His Messenger with the guidance and the true religion, that He may make it overcome the religions, all of them, though the polytheists may be averse". 

In a universe created with Truth, falsehood is ultimately bound to vanish and only true light remain, as reflected in the Hebrew Bible in 

Prov13:9"The light of the righteous will rejoice, but the candle of the wicked will ebb away".  

The days of the messengers are a demonstration of this higher reality. Allah calls it His sunna/way that His word through His messengers/rusul must prevail over falsehood 

40:51,58:20-21"Surely (as for) those who are in opposition to Allah and His Messenger; they shall be among the most abased. Allah has written down: I will most certainly prevail, I and My messengers; surely Allah is Strong, Mighty". 

That abasement and destruction must be inflicted in this world as well as the next on the rejecters and violent opponents of divinely appointed messengers 58:5. It might occur through natural calamities as with Nuh, Hud, Saleh or Shuayb, or by delivering a nation to the mercy of foreign assailants as was the case with the Israelites who were destroyed by pagans and then subjugated to Jesus' followers. It may be done through the believers themselves as under Musa or Muhammad 9:14. In all cases, the righteous in a nation, those that chose to stand by their prophets, are spared this fate and made to rise high above their enemies 

3:137-9,10:103,11:58,117,20:77,21:71-7,27:48-58,30:47"and helping the believers is ever incumbent on Us" 

6:65"He has the power that He should send on you a chastisement from above you or from beneath your feet, or that He should throw you into confusion, (making you) of different parties; and make some of you taste the fighting of others. See how We repeat the communications that they may understand". 

Nobody thought that one day, all these warnings would come to fruition, that Muhammad would remove the Quraysh's grip from the custodianship of the Kaaba and Mecca. However, when they drove him out of Mecca, the Quran prophecied in no uncertain terms, the imminent fall of these unworthy custodians of the universal House of monotheism, not only because of having failed in their responsibility by polluting it with polytheism but also because of hindering those who desire to worship the One God on its soil, residents and alien alike 22:25,108:1-3. The Quran mentioned each and every phase of the prophet's mission with great clarity: Mecca will be conquered and he will see from his very eyes his people entering the folds of Islam in multitudes 110:1-3. These were not the words of a human being which had all the chances of not materializing. They were the words of God which were spoken by His messenger and they became part of history.

So the Prophet continued his preaching during the months of pilgrimage, where fighting was forbidden. After spending 3 years in the ravine, Muhammad was told by Gabriel that the document containing the will of the 40 leading men of Quraysh, regarding the sanctions imposed on the Muslims, as well as their respective seals and which was hanged on the side of the Kaaba had its contents erased. Abu Talib took Muhammad out of the ravine and they confronted the Quraysh who were astonished at seeing their words erased and their seals intact. It was the custom to place all treaties or pacts in the Kaaba so that the gods be taken as witnesses and might punish those covenanters who violated their promises. Some of them dispersed without saying a word and others accepted to lift the sanctions. Thus, the Muslims left the ravine at once. 

A few months later, Abu Talib died. His testimony in his last moments revealed the reason why he would never give up supporting his nephew. As a noble man of high character, he could not give up on someone who was persecuted for standing up for the weakest, truthful, steadfast on the virtuous principles he was expressing, and just in all circumstances whether before or after his mission 

"I advise that you treat Muhammad well, because amongst you, he is a man of the highest morals. He possesses distinction among the Arabs on account of his truthfulness and straightforwardness. If you ask the truth, he has brought a message to us which the tongue rejects but the heart accepts.  I have stood by Muhammad a lifetime and have stepped forward to protect him in all times of difficulty, and if I receive more time, I shall continue to do so in the future as well. And O Quraish! I also advise you not to insist upon causing him grief, but help him and support him, for your betterment lies in this". 

The sufferings and privations of those three years had taken their toll. Khadijah also died soon after in the same year, it was "the year of sorrow" (aam ulhuzn) with two grave occurrences which the Messenger of Allah had to endure. He was now left with no helpers and protectors, and would seek refuge from those trying to kill him among the Arab tribes coming to Mecca for their pilgrimage but none accepted, seeing how his own people of Quraysh abandoned him. The tribe of Banu Amir imagined that they could assume a position of leadership should the cause of Muhammad triumph. But when he told them, against all political wisdom that the matter is wholly in Allah's hands, they turned away and repudiated his call like the rest. 

Stripped of his protection and seeing how the Meccans remained heedless, Muhammad undertook a trip to the tribe of Thaqif from the city of Ta'if but there too, the notables after hearing him, rejected him, in addition inciting their people to stone and shun him. He went away and sat under a tree, in a garden nearby. There he saw 2 men from Thaqif. Fearing they will aggress him, he got ready to leave but they sent him their servant, a man from Nineveh to give him food. 

"So you are from the city of the righteous man Yunus (Jonah) son of Mitts (Matthew)" 

the Prophet said. 

Muhammad went on telling this servant of his prophethood and message, until he kneeled before him and accepted Islam. His masters confronted him "Let him not tempt you away from your Christianity, for he is a deceitful man". When Muhammad went back to Mecca, the news of his expedition to Thaqif increased the hostility of the Quraysh, sending him hiding again to nearby ravine, waiting for the pilgrimage. From there, he sent messengers in search of a protector who would allow him performing the rites. Mut`im responded, giving him an escort of 10 armed men, although he was not a Muslim. After a day he lifted his protection at the Prophet's request who could not bear depending on a polytheist. In the mean time, the Meccan pagans kept stirring up the ignorant against him and his followers through a smearing campaign, saying he is a magician, a sorcerer, a madman, a forger, a bewitched poet or demon possessed. Anything that could falsely discredit him was unashamadely propagated.

  

With the new converts devoid of protection, many faced extermination or apostasy. Their endurance reached its limits and persecution became unbearable. In the year 614 the Prophet sent a small group of Muslims escorted by Ja'far son of Abu Talib to Abyssinia to live under the protection of the Negus. This was the first Hijrah (Migration) in Islam and fifteen people took part in it, they are referred to in 16:41. Further migrations led to intensified persecution of those left behind. To further thwart that regroupement, the Quraysh sent a delegation with gifts to the Abyssinian King, asking for the deportation of the Muslim migrants. They were not even ready let them live in peace in other lands.

The Christian King asked the reason for this relentless persecution, the Quraysh answered 

"They have opposed us in our religion and the religion of our forefathers and insulted our gods" 

Ja'far ibn Abu Talib, the brother of Ali replied that all Muhammad was asking his people was abandoning the worship of other gods than Allah, stop all kinds of immoral acts and traditions, including chance games, abusing the weak, senseless cycles of revenge and infanticide, adultery, usury, that he enjoined decency and good works, including kindness to relatives and neighbours, prayers and almsgiving. The King recognized the essence of Jesus' teachings and asked Ja'far to recite a passage from the Quran. He recited sura Maryam, which impacted the King that he honoured the Muslims with increased hospitality. 

The emigrants later returned due to local instability of the Negus' kingdom, heavily criticized for his closeness to foreigners of another faith. The Muslims judged it more appropriate to leave and avoid causing their noble host more problems. Their decision was facilitated by more favourable conditions in Mecca, following Umar alKhattab's conversion.

The complete refusal of the Meccans to heed the calls of the prophet made him turn more and more to the passing tribes, and pilgrims therefore spreading his word to the four corners of the Peninsula. Delegations were sent to inquire about the rise of a prophet. Whether they returned convinced or not, they contributed to spreading the prophet's fame. In the year 622, 6 men from the Khazraj tribe of Yathrib (former name of Medina) came to Mecca for their pilgrimage and to seek an alliance against their ennemies of the tribe of Aws. The Quraysh refused allying with them explaining they had to take care first of the rise of Islam which was breaking their unity. The men of Khazraj inquired further on this movement led by Muhammad. What they heard convinced them that he was the awaited prophet of the Jews, living among them in Medina, who would make them prevail over both their tribe of Khazraj and their ennemies of Aws. They decided to wait for him when he would come out of the ravine to perform the pilgrimage. The Quraysh tried discrediting him, telling them to ignore his preaching and recital of the Quran. But as they met him and heard him recite, they became convinced of what the Jews of an-Nadir, Qurayzah and Qaynuqa used to tell them 

"this is that very Prophet about whose prophethood the Jews used to warn us. All relations between us and our brothers of the Aws tribe are cut off. If Allah were to re-establish them by means of you, we would find no one more honoured than you". 

They met with the Prophet at the `Aqabah (a mountain pass outside Mecca) where they embraced Islam and swore allegiance to him. This was the First Pledge of 'Aqabah. Upon their return to Yathrib, they invited the rest of their tribe to Islam as well as their brothers from the tribe of Aws. And so these 2 tribes accepted to grant protection to the Muslims of Mecca against the persecution of the Quraysh. 

Muslims had to gradually flee Mecca for Yathrib, where their community was growing. The Quraysh tried to prevent this regroupement by all means, as they did for the first migration, even taking their wives hostage. 

Later, a large group of people from the Khazraj and Aws tribes came to Mecca for their pilgrimage, some of them had accepted Islam and others kept their old religion. They met with the Prophet at the `Aqabah, and under the exhortation of 'Abbas the prophet's uncle who was not a Muslim yet, they pledged him full allegiance against the Quraysh. This pledge is known as the Second Pledge of 'Aqabah and the Yathribites present became known as the Ansar. The Ansar immediately proposed to launch a surprise assault on the Quraysh and avenge the Prophet's long years of persecution but he refused, as his mission was not to conquer or for personal vengeance and gains. This is the time, as a side note, around which the city of Yathrib was renamed by the growing Muslim community as Madinatul nabi/the city of the prophet (later only Madina/Medina was retained). In the course of prophetic history, there is at least one other such recorded occurrence of a city being renamed after that of a prophet following his success in it; Jerusalem was nicknamed the city of David 1Chr11:5-7.

The Quraysh learned about the alliance the next morning, as well as of the spread of Islam in Medina. They assembled their notables, among them Abu Jahl, Abu Lahab, Abu Sufyan, and 'Utbah in the House of Assembly (Daru'n-Nadwah). They concluded they had to kill the prophet in his sleep before he could migrate and join the Muslims of Medina that eagerly awaited his arrival. 

Although it is to be noted the success of a prophet's preaching or the small number of his followers is irrelevant to his truthfulness, Noah or Jesus being prime examples of limited success, the prophet nevertheless did gain an exponential following prior to his migration. As already mentioned this was the reason his opponents wanted him dead and the reason he had no choice but make the painful decision to leave his homeland.

Now it became obvious that the people of Mecca were refusing the Prophet's call out of sheer obstinacy. Truth had been unveiled to them in its ultimate form and all objections were answered with sense and reason by the revelations. Muhammad was ordered to leave the city and openly declare his renunciation and dissociation from the idolators' fate 

109:1-6"Say: O unbelievers! I do not serve that which you serve, Nor do you serve Him Whom I serve: Nor am I going to serve that which you serve, Nor are you going to serve Him Whom I serve: You shall have your religion and I shall have my religion". 

Muhammad did not get frustrated at his people's obstinacy. The more they evaded his calls, the more he persevered until it became clear that any further insistance would lead to him being seriously harmed. Consequently, the Prophet at this stage addressed them by a name which aptly described their deeds, and on divine bidding, he declared complete and utter dissociation from them.

The assembly of Quraysh notables decided to attack the prophet collectively in order to escape the vendetta of Banu Hashim. 15 men from various clans were chosen, among whom was Abu Lahab, the Prophet's uncle. They all surrounded the Prophet's house, at night

 8:30"And remember when the unbelievers plotted against you to imprison you, or to kill you, or to drive you out, they plotted and planned and Allah, too, planned". 

The prophecy of their stratagem, their failure and subsequent divine punishment are paralleled with the story of Salih whose people plotted to kill him. God destroyed those that plotted against him, as well as the remaining disbelievers, while he and his followers were kept safe from harm 27:45-51. The treacherousness of a people, including a prophet's own family and close circle, their plans to murder him or sabotage his mission, is the kind of opposition prophets often faced, Jeremiah being a prime biblical precedent Jer11:18-23,12:6etc.

Muhammad asked Ali to sleep in his bed and cover himself with his mantle. Gabriel ordered Muhammad to depart while reciting from sura Yasin 

36:9"And We have made before them a barrier and a barrier behind them, then We have covered them over so that they do not see". 

The prophet was sorely distressed on leaving Mecca where the temple built by his forefather Ibrahim was standing, but at every step, he was assured of the way of Allah as regards the prevailing of the messengers 

47:13"And how many a town which was far more powerful than the town of yours which has driven you out: We destroyed them so there was no helper for them". 

He was guided to Mount Thawr on the way to Mina, where he met Abu Bakr and hid in a cave. At the break of dawn, the Quraysh entered his home and found Ali sleeping in his bed, so they rushed towards the mountain, following his tracks. As they reached the cave where he was hiding, all they found was the entrance blocked with a spider web. They concluded that he must have gone another way. 

The Quraysh had announced a prize of 100 camels to whosoever would bring back Muhammad to Mecca

8:30"And when those who disbelieved devised plans against you that they might confine you or slay you or drive you away; and they devised plans and Allah too had arranged a plan; and Allah is the best of planners" 

9:40"If you will not aid him, Allah certainly aided him when those who disbelieved expelled him, he being the second of the two, when they were both in the cave, when he said to his companion: Grieve not, surely Allah is with us. So Allah sent down His tranquillity upon him and strengthened him with hosts which you did not see, and made lowest the word of those who disbelieved; and the word of Allah, that is the highest; and Allah is Mighty, Wise."

After 3 days, God permitted him to come out. He met a shepherd who knew the terrain and could take him and Abu Bakr to Medina where the Muslims were eagerly awaiting him. But the news of his escape and the consequent reward for his capture had widely spread. Prize hunters went after him, among them Suraqah who almost captured the Prophet. But when he reach him, his horses' legs sank in the sand. Suraqah interpreted this as a Divine Sign and pledged allegiance to Muhammad. He went to the Quraysh and covered Muhammad's tracks by saying he couldnt find him. After a while on the torturous road, walking on the burning desert sand they stopped at Qudayd where they were sheltered by a woman called Umm Ma'bad. She had no food to offer them, and the only goat she had could not produce milk. The Prophet insisted on milking it and the milk flowed copiously. He gave the woman to drink, then his companions and finally he had his share "The one who gives others to drink, must himself be the last to drink" he said. 

Eventually the prophet made it to Medina, where he was cheerfully received. This is the Hijra, a common pattern among God's greatest prophets who fled their homes for the sake of their faith 29:26. 13 years after the 1st revelation, 13 years of enduring all type of emotional and physical oppression at the hands of the rejecters of faith

 28:85"Most surely He Who has made the Quran binding on you will bring you back to the destination". 

During these years Muhammad succeeded in forming a group of around 200 Meccan followers, who firmly believed in the new message and rejected everything which was connected with the pre-islamic era of the Jahiliyya. To this small group, as well as the early Medinite converts, the Quran caused such intense spiritual revival that, those who had to leave their lives behind for the sake of their new faith did not hesitate following the footsteps of Ibrahim or Lut 19:48-49,29:26 while those who already lived in the safety of Medina transformed their inherited ways so as to follow the new code of life in all of its aspects. 

As alluded to earlier, exile from the homeland for spiritual reasons is the pattern of the greatest names among the prophets. Abraham left idolatrous Iraq and his hometown of Ur that opposed his preaching, for Canaan. Moses left Egypt with the enslaved Israelites who could not freely worship, for Canaan so as to establish their religion. Jesus, whose preaching was repeatedly rejected in his hometown of Nazareth, did not cease traveling from town to town as an itinerant preacher, with very little success. Finally Muhammad, who gained a considerable following in his hometown of Mecca but could not root out sinfulness and idolatry in it, and thus had to emigrate to neighbouring Medina before his triumphant return and establishment of Islam at the holy city. On a more general note, believers of all times are obliged to forsake the domain of evil and to "migrate unto God", to a place where it is possible to live in accordance with one's faith 29:56.

Several years after the passing away of the Prophet, that hijra would be marked as the start of the Islamic calendar by the second caliph.

The city was now called Medina-tul-nabi. The arrival of the prophet marked the true beginning of the spreading of Islam throughout Arabia. Now the outnumbered Muslim community had to remain patient and united and get ready to defend their religion with all their might and resources against internal sabotage planned by the pagan tribes allied with the Jews and the Christians; the believers had not only to refute their arguments, but also to neutralize their subterfuges, as well as those of their spies that infiltrated the community, and the half-hearted Muslims, aiming at demoralizing them. If they stood firm by their faith and encouraged one another to righteousness, they would succeed. The threat was constant, day and night that the early Muslim community never lay down to sleep except with their weapons with them.

The inhabitants of the city which was now called Medina, some of them having never seen the Prophet, started breaking the idols they had in their houses. There, the Prophet implemented the teachings of Islam practically and the number of converts increased rapidly 

"And you see people entering the religion of Allah in troops". 

It was a natural outcome resulting from the perfect combination of Islamic principles and politics.

The Prophet laid the foundation of Islamic brotherhood in Medina 49:10, uniting all rival clans and tribes 3:103That achievement in the context of ancient Arabian tribal life, was nothing short of miraculous 

8:62-3"..It is He who supported you with His help and with the believers. And brought together their hearts. If you had spent all that is in the earth, you could not have brought their hearts together; but Allah brought them together. Indeed, He is Exalted in Might and Wise". 

Anyone familiar with the culture of pride, honor and vendetta of the Arabs understands the force of that statement; the manner in which deeply ingrained hatred and hostility were replaced by a bond of common interest, love and spirituality is proof of the transforming power of the message of Islam. That achievement allowed an atmosphere of hospitality and comfort to be extended to the new converts who fled to the city for refuge and who had lost relatives at the hands of the Meccans, as well as their wealth and property, for what they believed to be the Supreme Truth. The Quran strengthened this bond between the Meccan Muhajirun and the Medinite Ansar by calling them to be patient and help each other in patience. In this way, their strength is enhanced, their resolve doubled  

3:200"be patient and help each other in patience and remain lined up/raabitu". 

The term implies linking up with one another in all affairs, in time of ease as well as in difficulties. 

Based on the Quran's repeated stress on indiscriminate worldly and heavenly justice, the prophet was able to establish a strong bond between the Muslims regardless of their social status, gender, race or kinship, on the reality that only righteousness in deeds and God-consciousness/taqwa are of lasting value 2:221,4:1,135,5:48,25:77,34:37,42:23,49:13. The distinctive Islamic greeting became a  symbol of that reciprocal sense of good will 4:86. The prophet embodied what he preached when he refused to adopt any of the appearances of power, authority or kingship 6:50. Abundant examples are found in the ahadith. His relationship with his addressees was that of a compassionate brother, in the manner of prophets gone before him the likes of Hud, Saleh or Shuayb 11:50,61,84. He brought down the class system, as echoed in the Quran's condemnation of Firon's oppression of the Israelites, tormented and deprived of their rights 28:4.

That notion extended beyond the regular members of society, with the Quran underlining that Muhammad was no more than a messenger, the seal in a long line 33:40, sent with the truth of clear warnings and glad tidings, like the messengers of old 35:24,53:56. He is solely responsible to deliver the message 27:92, not seeking any worldly reward for it 38:86. He does not master divine knowledge except as Allah pleases 7:188. The believers are reminded it was not a favour from Muhammad that they found the straight path for he is nothing more than a vessel out of whom revelation could be taken away at anytime 17:86-7,49:17. This religion is a favour from their God who 

62:2,3:164"conferred a benefit upon the believers when He raised among them a Messenger from among themselves, reciting to them His communications and purifying them, and teaching them the Book and the wisdom, although before that they were surely in manifest error". 

It materialized Ibrahim and Ismail's prayers after passing their trials and raising the foundations of the Kaaba 2:129. It is a pure favour, done for the sole benefit of mankind and the manner in which it is received does not in the least add or demote from God's glory 

4:170"O' mankind! the Messenger has came to you with the truth from your Lord; then believe (in him), it is good for you And if you disbelieve, still, to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth, and Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise".

Contrary to Christians who went to such extent in their over-exaltation of their prophet that, in the absence of a birthday for Jesus went searching in the pagan calendar for a date to artificially ascribe as Jesus' birthday, the Muslims do not celebrate their prophet's birth or death. The importance is focused on the message and this is why we celebrate the only month mentioned by name in the Quran, that of Ramadan. We gratefully fast, which is a symbol of self sacrifice, in remembrance of God's sending in this month, a guiding light for all of mankind, to the heart of His prophet on a night of Ramadan, the Night of Destiny/laylatul Qadr.

Further reading:

- Acts17apologetics defend the statues; Muhammad insulted idolatry?

- Sam Shamoun "Muhammad and the Ten Commandments" (3)