the idols and effacing polytheistic creed rampant in Arabia. But this depended on the condi-
tion that he left the Jews and their religion well enough alone and not demanded the accep-
tance of the new Prophethood. For the bent of Jewish temperament cannot take kindly to
anything that tries to seduce it from its faith, they can never acknowledge any Prophet save
one belonging to Bani Israel.” (Al-Yahud fi Balad il-‘Arab, p. 123)
The Jews were further shocked and agitated when some of their learned rabbis like ‘Ab-
dullah Salam, whom they held in high esteem, embraced Islam. The Jews could never im-
agine that a man of his stature and erudition would accept the new faith. Thus, this only
served to make the Jews all the more annoyed and jealous of the Religion.
The animosity of the Jews against Islam was not such as to be content with defying or
putting up a bold front against it. Although Muslims shared their faith in monotheism, it was
only but logical as well as reasonable to expect that if the Jews were called upon to give
their verdict on the Prophet (r)’s faith vis-a-vis the idolatrous creed of the Quraysh, they
would speak well of Islam. They would cite the soundness of its belief in one God against the
multiplicity of deities taken for granted by the pagans of Makkah. But their hatred against
Islam had so infuriated them that they were even willing to deny that gospel truth. Once,
when some of the rabbis went to Makkah, the Quraysh asked them whether their idolatrous
religion or that of the Prophet (r) was better, to which they answered: “Your religion is
better off than his and you are more rightly-guided than them.” The comment of Dr. Israel
Welphenson on the reply given by the Jews is worth repeating here.
“But, surely, the thing for which they deserved to be reproached and which would be
painful to all those who believe in the Unity of Allah. Whether they be Jews and pagan
Quraishites wherein they had given preference to the religion of the Quraysh over what had
been brought by the Prophet of Islam.” (Al Yahud fi Balad il-‘Arab, p. 142).
The same writer further goes on to say:
“Deception, mendicity and similar means for entrapping the enemy have been sanctioned
by the nations for achieving a military objective in times of warfare. Yet the Jews ought not
to have committed the grievous mistake of declaring roundly that adoration of idols was
preferable to the Islamic faith in the Unity of Allah. Not even if they feared to miss the dis-
tinction by doing so. For Bani Israel had, in the name of their forefathers, held aloft the
banner of Allah’s Unity for ages amidst heathen nations of the old, had all along braved
innumerable trials and tribulations and gone through fire and blood for its sake. It was their
bounden duty to sacrifice their lives and whatever they held dear to humble the idolaters
and polytheists.“ (Al-Yahud fi Balad il-‘Arab, p. 142).