Allah and the Jews

Exodus 32:9

And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:

Exodus 33:3 -

Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way.

Exodus 33:5 -

For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.

Exodus 34:9 -

And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.

Deuteronomy 9:6 -

Understand therefore, that the LORD thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiffnecked people.

Deuteronomy 9:13 -

Furthermore the LORD spake unto me, saying, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:

Deuteronomy 10:16 -

Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.

2 Chronicles 30:8 -

Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the LORD your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you.

Judges 2:19 -

And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.

Psalms 78:8 -

And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with God.

The Book of the Jews bears witness against them. Ever and always have they been stubborn and disobedient to Allah. Why then has Allah maintained this people from the beginnings of history? Consider the Pyramids, Oh my Brothers! The world looks upon the Pyramids with awe. While the Pharaoh’s were building the Pyramids as an eternal symbol of their power Allah chose the Jews as a sign to the world of his power. Today the Pyramids are the dead symbol of a dead glory. The Jews are the living sign of a living glory.

By maintaining this stiffnecked and stubborn people despite their many faults and follies Allah has given a sign to the world of his eternal power. When the Pyramids are dust in the desert still will Allah maintain a remnant of this people as a lasting monument to his eternal nature.

Why this people? Did they possess some special virtue that set them apart from the rest of mankind? No virtue humanity possesses governs the choice of Allah. Allah makes His choices based on eternal considerations.

What are the two things which mankind can hope to understand a little about Allah? Mankind cannot fathom the depths of Allah. Mankind cannot dictate the will of Allah. Still there are two things which Mankind must know, to the degree they can know, of the nature of Allah.

His eternal power and his infinite mercy. By choosing the Jews when the Pharaohs built the Pyramids and maintaining them ever since, Allah has given the world a proof of his eternal power. By forgiving the Jews for their near infinite folly much repeated throughout history and still maintaining this people, Allah has given the world a proof of his infinite mercy.

(The folly of the Jews cannot be infinite though it may seem so. Only Allah is infinite in any manner.)

Having chosen the Jews Allah gave to them of his wisdom.

Still, as their own book testifies and the Koran confirms the Jews repeated their follies.

Yet always, as a sign to the world of his eternal power and infinite mercy Allah maintains a remnant of this people. Their continued existence glorifies Allah in the eyes of the world. Where the followers of other false gods have vanished from the earth. The gods of the Egyptians, the gods of the Greeks, the gods of the Romans, all vanished and gone. The Jews remain as a witness to the eternal glory and infinite mercy of Allah.

The hearts of the people of Islam are filled with love of Allah and desire to glorify Him. Yet, it is beyond their power to glorify Allah as Allah glorifies Himself by maintaining the Jews. Can you, Oh my Brothers, go back in time to when the first stones of the Pyramids were laid and choose out a people as an eternal witness to the eternal power and existence of Allah? Can you, Oh my Brothers, go back in time and maintain a remnant of this stiffnecked and stubborn people despite all their follies and faults as a proof of the infinite mercy of Allah?

These things are beyond our power. These things only Allah can do. It is true that Allah sometimes chastises the Jews for their folly. Yet always as a sign of his infinite mercy he maintains a remnant.

All that glorifies Allah is good in the hearts of a true Muslim. Therefore the hearts of true Muslims must have a place for the Jews. When a Muslim hates and desires the destruction of the Jews he violates the teaching of Mohammed and the will of Allah. Allah will not condemn him for this sin, for the mercy and compassion of Allah is infinite, but Allah will never grant his prayers. A Muslim who is close in his heart to Allah will not fill his heart with hatred for what glorifies Allah in the eyes of the world.

A good Muslim must try to see the Jews as Allah sees them. He must forgive their foolishness and ignorance as Allah does. He should not be fooled by the fact that Allah always maintains a remnant of this people into believing that they are right.

Protect the Jews from their own folly as Allah does. Maintain their remnant as an eternal monument to the glory of Allah. Tell their story to other peoples as a proof of Allah’s eternal power and also of His infinite mercy. This is the right attitude of a Muslim to the Jews.

This is why the Jews must remain in the Middle East. This is why Islam must accept Israel. Who better than Islam to maintain the Jews when once more the world turns on them because of their always repeated follies? As for their judgment, that is in the hands of Allah.