Episode 23: Third: Jewish and the Christian Solidarity with the Pagan Arabs against Islam
The Jews and Christians in Arabia were jealous because the newly revealed divine guidance was not revealed directly to them, so they were openly hostile to the message of Muhammed peace be and blessings upon him. The pagan Arabs respected and admired the Jews and the Christians because of the books and knowledge that they possessed. Since the Arab?s idolatry was fundamentally opposed to the message of monotheism, they took the attitude of the People of the Book as a legitimation for their resistance to the message of Muhammed peace be and blessings upon him. Since the Jews and the Christians, who were the inheritors of books that had been previously revealed and more knowledgeable than them in matters of religion, denied the message of Muhammed peace be and blessings upon him that they too should deny it as well! This argument turned out to be one of the strongest arguments that the pagan Arabs used to encourage each other to reject Islam. Allah says:
“And the leaders among them went about (saying): “Go on, and remain constant to your gods! Verily, this is a thing designed (against you)! We have not heard (the like) of this in the religion of these later days (i.e. Christianity). This is nothing but an invention!” [Qur?an : Sad : Verse 6?7].
This argument was apparently (and Allah knows best) based upon statements that the People of the Book made to the pagan Arabs in opposition to the Messenger Muhammed peace be and blessings upon him since the Arabs did not have much knowledge about what was contained in the previously revealed books. Allah says in another place in the Qur’an, referring to statements that the Jews made to the pagan Arabs against those who believed in Allah’s oneness:
“Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the Scripture? They believe in Jibt and Taghut and say to the disbelievers that they are better guided as regards the way than the believers (Muslims). They are those whom Allah has cursed, and he whom Allah curses, you will not find for him any helper.” [Qur?an 4:51?52]
This was because the Jews allied themselves with the pagan Arabs in the fight against the Messenger of Allah peace be and blessings upon him and gave credibility to their religion of idolatry, and because they preferred the pagan Arabs to the believers. In a hadith narrated upon the authority of Ibn Abbas who said: “When K’ab ibn Al?Ashraf (a Jew) arrived in Makkah the Quraysh said to him: ‘Are you the best of the people of Medinah and their chief?’ He said: ‘yes.’ They said (asking about the Prophet peace be and blessings upon him): ‘Have you not seen that man who has no sons who claims that he is better than we are? We are the people of Makkah who host the pilgrims and supply them with water and we are the caretakers of the Ka?bah.’ He (K’ab ibn Al?Ashraf) said:
‘You are better than him.’
(Then Allah) revealed the verse: “For he who hates you (O Muhammed), he will be cut off (from posterity and every good thing in this world and in the Hereafter)” [Soorah Al?Kauthar:Verse 3].
And Allah also revealed: “Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the scripture? They believe in Jibt and Taghut}…until the statement of Allah {and he whom Allah curses, you will not find for him (any) helper.” [Soorah An?Nisa:Verses 51?52]
These characteristics accurately portray Ka’b ibn Al?Ashraf (a Jew) who went to the pagan Arabs of the tribe of Quraysh hoping to mobilize an army to fight against the Prophet peace be and blessings upon him saying to them: ‘Verily we will fight along with you against him…’.
So those who were corrupt amongst the followers of the previously revealed religions who joined the ranks of the idolaters out of envy from their own selves, even after the truth that Muhammed is Allah’s Messenger became manifest unto them. They joined the ranks of the idolaters even though they were the first people who should have believed in the Qur’an and helped the Messenger and disbelieved in the idolatry of the pagan Arabs. It is now possible for us to imagine some of the hardships that the Prophet Muhammed peace be and blessings upon him had to endure along with those few believers who were with him. It was as if the whole world was against them and all of the different groups had unified in opposition to the believers. This was their condition from the very beginning of this new message until Allah caused Islam to take firm root in the hearts of the Ansaar in the city of Medinah and the first Islamic state was established.
Episode 23: Third: Jewish and the Christian Solidarity with the Pagan Arabs against Islam
The Jews and Christians in Arabia were jealous because the newly revealed divine guidance was not revealed directly to them, so they were openly hostile to the message of Muhammed peace be and blessings upon him. The pagan Arabs respected and admired the Jews and the Christians because of the books and knowledge that they possessed. Since the Arab?s idolatry was fundamentally opposed to the message of monotheism, they took the attitude of the People of the Book as a legitimation for their resistance to the message of Muhammed peace be and blessings upon him. Since the Jews and the Christians, who were the inheritors of books that had been previously revealed and more knowledgeable than them in matters of religion, denied the message of Muhammed peace be and blessings upon him that they too should deny it as well! This argument turned out to be one of the strongest arguments that the pagan Arabs used to encourage each other to reject Islam. Allah says:
“And the leaders among them went about (saying): “Go on, and remain constant to your gods! Verily, this is a thing designed (against you)! We have not heard (the like) of this in the religion of these later days (i.e. Christianity). This is nothing but an invention!” [Qur?an : Sad : Verse 6?7].
This argument was apparently (and Allah knows best) based upon statements that the People of the Book made to the pagan Arabs in opposition to the Messenger Muhammed peace be and blessings upon him since the Arabs did not have much knowledge about what was contained in the previously revealed books. Allah says in another place in the Qur’an, referring to statements that the Jews made to the pagan Arabs against those who believed in Allah’s oneness:
“Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the Scripture? They believe in Jibt and Taghut and say to the disbelievers that they are better guided as regards the way than the believers (Muslims). They are those whom Allah has cursed, and he whom Allah curses, you will not find for him any helper.” [Qur?an 4:51?52]
This was because the Jews allied themselves with the pagan Arabs in the fight against the Messenger of Allah peace be and blessings upon him and gave credibility to their religion of idolatry, and because they preferred the pagan Arabs to the believers. In a hadith narrated upon the authority of Ibn Abbas who said: “When K’ab ibn Al?Ashraf (a Jew) arrived in Makkah the Quraysh said to him: ‘Are you the best of the people of Medinah and their chief?’ He said: ‘yes.’ They said (asking about the Prophet peace be and blessings upon him): ‘Have you not seen that man who has no sons who claims that he is better than we are? We are the people of Makkah who host the pilgrims and supply them with water and we are the caretakers of the Ka?bah.’ He (K’ab ibn Al?Ashraf) said:
‘You are better than him.’
(Then Allah) revealed the verse: “For he who hates you (O Muhammed), he will be cut off (from posterity and every good thing in this world and in the Hereafter)” [Soorah Al?Kauthar:Verse 3].
And Allah also revealed: “Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the scripture? They believe in Jibt and Taghut}…until the statement of Allah {and he whom Allah curses, you will not find for him (any) helper.” [Soorah An?Nisa:Verses 51?52]
These characteristics accurately portray Ka’b ibn Al?Ashraf (a Jew) who went to the pagan Arabs of the tribe of Quraysh hoping to mobilize an army to fight against the Prophet peace be and blessings upon him saying to them: ‘Verily we will fight along with you against him…’.
So those who were corrupt amongst the followers of the previously revealed religions who joined the ranks of the idolaters out of envy from their own selves, even after the truth that Muhammed is Allah’s Messenger became manifest unto them. They joined the ranks of the idolaters even though they were the first people who should have believed in the Qur’an and helped the Messenger and disbelieved in the idolatry of the pagan Arabs. It is now possible for us to imagine some of the hardships that the Prophet Muhammed peace be and blessings upon him had to endure along with those few believers who were with him. It was as if the whole world was against them and all of the different groups had unified in opposition to the believers. This was their condition from the very beginning of this new message until Allah caused Islam to take firm root in the hearts of the Ansaar in the city of Medinah and the first Islamic state was established.
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