Muhammad, the Qur'an and Islam
Arab practices. The Jews could certainly prove that their^90 dietary laws
were found in the Torah (Lev. 11:1f), but Muhammad's refusal was so
staunch, that he then accused them of having corrupted the scriptures (cf.
Qur'an 7:161f; 2:55f). This no doubt only served to further t^91 he Jewish
rejection of Muhammad and the Qur'an.
Muhammad then appears to have begun to find fault with the Jews
wherever he could, and his sermon to the "children of Israel" which follows
a narrative about Adam in sura 2 provides a good example of his
anti-Jewish polemic. By way of admonition, the Jews are charged with
selling God's "signs" (v. 38b), with cloaking the truth in lies and hiding the
truth contrary to their knowledge (v. 39). In an allusion to the narrative
about Satan not bowing down to Adam (vv. 28f), the Jews are commanded
to bow down (v. 40). They are accused of having sinned in the matter of the
(golden) calf (v. 48), of not believing Moses (v. 52) and of exchanging a
word of God for another (v. 56). In v. 58 the Jews are said to have brought
God's wrath upon themselves in that they denied God's "signs," killed the
prophets, rebelled and became transgressors. The Jews are blamed for
violating the Sabbath (v. 61), hardening their hearts (v. 69) and altering
God's Word (vv. 70f, cf. vv. 55f). The Jews are accused of breach of
covenant (vv. 79f), and are said to have been cursed by Allah (v. 82). They
are said to have rejected the Qur'an (v. 83) and brought God's anger upon
themselves (v. 84). The Jews are shown as only believing what was "sent
down" to themselves (v. 85). They are again accused of having killed the
prophets (v. 85b) and of having said "we hear and rebel" (v. 87b - cf.
Ex. 24:3, 7) in a play on words. They are said (no doubt mistaken^92 ly) to
have regarded Gabriel as an enemy (vv. 91f) and seem to have add^93 ressed
Muhammad as being an evil person (v. 98).^94
In the canonical traditions the Jews are further accused of robbing graves
for cloth, of exercising inequality in their punishments,^9596 of being the
cause for the spoiling of meats and of being destroyed when t^97 heir women
wore wigs. Muhammad is even said to have cursed the Jews later^98 , because
they sold fat which was forbidden them.^99