Bigotry: The Dark Danger

Examination of Verse 65 of Surat al-Baqara

Remember when We made the covenant with you and lifted up the Mount above your heads: “Take hold vigorously of what We have given you and pay heed to what is in it, so that hopefully you will have fear of God.” (Qur'an, 2:63)

Then after that you turned away, and were it not for God’s favor to you and His mercy, you would have been among the lost. (Qur'an, 2:64)

You are well aware of those of you who broke the Sabbath. We said to them, “Be apes, despised, cast out.” (Qur'an, 2:65)

The Sabbath is a prohibition unique to the Jews. We can therefore tell that this community referred to in the verse must have emerged from among the Jews. The verses before the above verses refer to people who made life difficult for the Prophet Moses (pbuh) throughout the time in the wilderness, and the description here is similar to that given in the Torah. After describing the behavior of this community of deniers that created many problems for the Prophet Moses (pbuh), we are told that they were told to “remember the commandments of the Torah and behave accordingly.” Nonetheless, they turned their backs on that advice. God despises these people who broke the Sabbath, who defied the Torah, in other words.

As can be seen, these people are those who disobeyed the Torah, even though a covenant was made with them: In other words, they are not Jews, but deniers. Their recklessness on the subject of the Sabbath confirms this. One characteristic of these people is that in addition to being deniers, they constantly make trouble for the Prophet Moses (pbuh) and sincere Jews. That is why they are worthy of contempt.

Another notable fact here is that in the verse immediately before these, sincere Jews and Christians are praised and given glad tidings for the hereafter:

Those with faith, those who are Jews, and the Christians and Sabaeans, all who have faith in God and the Last Day and act rightly, will have their reward with their Lord. They will feel no fear and will know no sorrow. (Qur'an, 2:62)

As we have seen, sincere Jews and Christians are regarded as deserving of praise in the Qur’an. Muslims will also love those whom God loves. In addition to being an obligation, that is also a natural feeling in the heart and conscience. For that reason, as is repeated many times in the Qur’an, and as is required by these verses, Muslims must love and protect Christians and Jews and treat them with affection. As can clearly be seen, God makes no distinction between sincere Jews and Christians and sincere Muslims in these verses. This verse eliminates all hostility toward the People of the Book.