Jewish Opposition to Islam

Hazrat Ibn Abbas (ra) narrates, “Prior to the advent of the Holy Prophet (sa), the Jews used to pray for victory against the tribes of Aus and Khazraj by supplicating in their prayers for the prophet [whose advent was foretold in the earlier scriptures].” They used to fight with one another and prayed for victory to be granted to them in the name of the prophet, whose advent had been prophesied, and would supplicate to God Almighty for this. However, when God Almighty raised the Holy Prophet (sa) from among the Arabs, they rejected his message. This has been the practice of those who reject [prophets] from time immemorial.

Once, Hazrat Mu‘az bin Jabal (ra), Hazrat Bishr bin Bara (ra) and Hazrat Daud bin Salama (ra) said to them, “O Jews! Fear God and accept Islam. Prior to this you would pray for victory through the advent of a prophet by the name of Muhammad, and would say that this prophet would appear, whose name would be Muhammad. You would pray for victory through him. Prior to this we were idolaters.” Hazrat Bishr bin Bara (ra) then said, “We were among those who associated partners with God and regarding us you would say that a prophet would appear, and the time has come for his advent. You would narrate to us about the signs of his coming. But now that he has appeared, why do you not accept him?”

Salam bin Mishkam – the leader and treasurer of the Jewish tribe of Banu Nazir, and also the husband of Zainab bint Harith, the woman who offered poisoned meat to the Holy Prophet (sa) during the battle of Khaybar – replied, “This prophet has not brought to us anything that we recognise and he is not that prophet whom we described to you.” Despite the fact that all the signs that they used to mention themselves were fulfilled, their answer was that the Holy Prophet (sa) did not bring what they could recognise and so all the signs had not been fulfilled. Hence they did not accept him. Subsequently God Almighty revealed the following verse:

وَ لَمَّا جَآءَہُمۡ کِتٰبٌ مِّنۡ عِنۡدِ اللّٰہِ مُصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَہُمۡ ۙ وَ کَانُوۡا مِنۡ قَبۡلُ یَسۡتَفۡتِحُوۡنَ عَلَی الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا ۚۖ فَلَمَّا جَآءَہُمۡ مَّا عَرَفُوۡا کَفَرُوۡا بِہٖ ۫ فَلَعۡنَۃُ اللّٰہِ عَلَی الۡکٰفِرِیۡنَ

‘And when there came to them a Book from Allah, fulfilling that which is with them – and before that they had prayed for victory over the disbelievers – yet when there came to them that which they knew, they rejected it. The curse of Allah be on the disbelievers.’ [Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.90]

(al-Siratun Nabawiyyah Li Ibn Kathir, p. 381, Ma Nazala min al-Baqarah fi al-Munafiqin wal yahud, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001) (al-Siratun Nabawiyyah Li Ibn Kathir, p. 512, Ghazwah Suwaiq, p. 698, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001) (al-Raud al-Anf Fi Sharh al-Sirat al-Nabawiyyah Li ibn Hisham, Vol. 2, p. 325, bab Kahinah Quraish, Maktabah ibn Taimiyyah, 1990)