Thursday, September 8, 2011

"May Allah fight the Jews and the Christians!", Or, Muhammad: Prophet of Intolerance

Some things are simple. The intrinsic intolerance of Islam is one of those things.

Today's text is from Al-Muwatta 45:17-18 (sometimes given as 45:5:17-18). Al-Muwatta is the first written collection of Hadith, or "Tradition", a body of Islamic literature comprising statements and/or opinions attributed directly to Muhammad, but not included in the Quran.

Below are three different online versions of the section of the Hadith in question. Each version is presented here as precisely as possible just as it appears on the cited website, without any modifications, explanations, or commentary of any kind. All three versions coyly leave the Arabic word for "religion", deen, untranslated. But in all three cases Muhammad's meaning is unambiguous: all religions other than Islam are to be eradicated from "the land of the Arabs". Inshallah.

1.

This version is from the "Hadith Library" at ahadith.co.ok
(direct link)

Hadith no: 17
Narrated / Authority Of: Ismail ibn Abi Hakim
Yahya related to me from Malik from Ismail ibn Abi Hakim that he heard Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz say, "One of the last things that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said was, 'May Allah fight the jews and the christians. They took the graves of their Prophets as places of prostration . Two deens shall not co-exist in the land of the Arabs.' "


Hadith no: 18
Narrated / Authority Of: Ibn Shihab
Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Two deens shall not co-exist in the Arabian Peninsula." Malik said that Ibn Shihab said, ''Umar ibn al-Khattab searched for information about that until he was absolutely convinced that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had said, 'Two deens shall not co-exist in the Arabian Peninsula,' and he therefore expelled the jews from Khaybar."



2.

This version is from the Qibla Online Library - Hadith, which is part of the Qibla: For the Islamic Sciences website at qibla.com.
(direct link)

The Expulsion of the Jews from Madina

17 Yahya related to me from Malik from Isma'il ibn Abi Hakim that he heard 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz say, "One of the last things that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said was, 'May Allah fight the Jews and the Christians! They took the graves of their Prophets as places of prostration. Two deens shall not co-exist in the land of the Arabs.'"

[cf Bukhari 1265; also in Muslim]

18 Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Two deens shall not co-exist in the Arabian Peninsula."

Malik said that Ibn Shihab said, "'Umar ibn al-Khattab searched for information about that until he was absolutely convinced that the Messenger of Allah may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had said, 'Two deens shall not co-exist in the Arabian Peninsula,' and he therefore expelled the Jews from Khaybar."

[Bukhari and Muslim]



3.

This version is from the University of Southern California Center for Muslim-Jewish Engagement
(The Center for Muslim-Jewish Engagement website appears to be offline right now, but here is a direct link to the cached page that contains this section)

Section: The Expulsion of the Jews from Madina


Book 45, Number 45.5.17:

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ismail ibn Abi Hakim that he heard Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz say, "One of the last things that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said was, 'May Allah fight the jews and the christians. They took the graves of their Prophets as places of prostration . Two deens shall not co-exist in the land of the Arabs.' "


Book 45, Number 45.5.18:

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Two deens shall not co-exist in the Arabian Peninsula."

Malik said that Ibn Shihab said, ''Umar ibn al-Khattab searched for information about that until he was absolutely convinced that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had said, 'Two deens shall not co-exist in the Arabian Peninsula,' and he therefore expelled the jews from Khaybar."


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