"We sent down the Torah containing guidance and light, and the prophets who had submitted themselves gave judgment by it for the Jews–”as did their scholars and their rabbis–”by what they had been allowed to preserve of God’s Book to which they were witnesses. Do not be afraid of people, be afraid of Me. And do not sell My signs for a paltry price. Those who do not judge by what God has sent down, such people are unbelivers."
— (Surat al- Ma’ida, 44)
- As is revealed in the Qur’an, the Old Testament as read by the Jewish people today has been corrupted, distorted from its original form by parts being added and removed by various Jewish scholars. Nonetheless, the Old Testament in its present form still contains many statements compatible with the True Faith. A great many features of the True Faith–”such as sincere faith in God, submission, gratitude, fear of and love of God, justice, affection, compassion and opposition to cruelty and injustice–”still exist in the Old Testament that Jews read today.
- However, the Old Testament, which has been altered by individuals for the sake of all kinds of gain, also contains references that encourage bloodshed, mass slaughter and ruthlessness.
- It would be a grave error for Jews to adopt a religious conception in the light of the spurious references in question–”in other words, for them to act according to provisions added, in the light of the conditions of their particular times. Such inclusions and distortions, added to the Torah by various rabbis long after the death of Prophet Moses (peace be upon him), are the result of feelings of hatred, anger and revenge arising under conditions of war. These inhuman and terrifying statements are absent from the true Torah, as revealed to Prophet Moses (pbuh)–”a fact of which many Judaic scholars are well aware.
- However, some Jews regard violence as a tenet of the Old Testament that still needs to be obeyed. These people ignore those sections of the Old Testament that encourage goodness, beauty, peace and love, and cause bloodshed by behaving according to inhuman provisions that do not appear in the original Torah.
- Almighty God does not issue such commands as “Kill women and children,” “Slaughter the innocent,” or “Spread corruption.” Such actions are clearly cruel. It is indispensable that genuinely devout Jews should warn their co-religionists against shedding the blood of any innocent people, making no allowances for women, children or the elderly, by following these invalid provisions in their currently corrupted scriptures, and instead, call them to love and compassion. No matter what a person’s faith, be they Muslim, Christian or Jew, spreading terror is not only a crime against humanity, but also a grave sin.
Do not act according to these false Exhortations!
… [H]e is the Maker of all things, including the tribe of his inheritance–”the LORD Almighty is His name. You are My war club, My weapon for battle–”with you I shatter nations, with you I destroy kingdoms, with you I shatter horse and rider, with you I shatter chariot and driver, with you I shatter man and woman, with you I shatter old man and youth, with you I shatter young man and maiden, with you I shatter shepherd and flock, with you I shatter farmer and oxen, with you I shatter governors and officials. — (Jeremiah 51:19-23)
Whoever is captured will be thrust through; all who are caught will fall by the sword. Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes;–”their houses will be looted and their wives ravished. — (Isaiah 13:15-16)
… and kill, without showing pity or compassion. Slaughter old men, young men and maidens, women and children… — (Ezekiel 9: 5-6)
“… totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.” — (1 Samuel 15:3)
When the LORD your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy. — (Deueronomy 7:2)
“I have installed My King on Zion, My holy hill. . . . Ask of Me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.” — (Psalm 2:6, 8, 9)
The Lord is at your right hand; He will crush kings on the day of His wrath. He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth. — (Psalm 110:5-6)
A curse on him who is lax in doing the Lord’s work! A curse on him who keeps his sword from bloodshed! — (Jeremiah 48:10)
… to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron. — (Psalm 149:7-8)
Abide by those sections of The Old Testament that are Compatible with The True Faith
Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt. Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan. If you do and they cry out to Me, I will certainly hear their cry… — (Exodus 22:21-23)
Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. — (Psalm 82:3-4)
Hear and pay attention, do not be arrogant… — (Jeremiah 13:15)
Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what He commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility… — (Zephaniah 2:3)
To the arrogant I say, “Boast no more,” and to the wicked, “Do not lift up your horns. Do not lift your horns against heaven; do not speak with outstretched neck.” No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt a man. But it is God Who judges: He brings one down, He exalts another. — (Psalm 75:4-7)
They would not be like their forefathers–”a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to Him. — (Psalm 78:8)
Do not pervert justice; do not show … favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly. Do not go about spreading slander among your people. Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the Lord … do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. — (Leviticus 19:15-18)
This is what the LORD says: “Maintain justice and do what is right…” — (Isaiah 56:1)
Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of My people… — (Isaiah 10:1-2)
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. — (Proverb 25:21)
