I suppose nobody has read the link. Let me post it in full.
Do you agree or disagree?
From http://www.templemount.org/quranland.html
WHAT THE QUR'AN REALLY SAYS
by Shaykh Prof. Abdul Hadi Palazzi
THE QUR'AN SAYS THAT ALLAH GAVE THE LAND OF ISRAEL
TO THE JEWS
AND WILL RESTORE THEM TO IT AT THE END OF DAYS
THE QUR'AN SAYS:
"To Moses We [Allah] gave nine clear signs. Ask the Israelites
how he [Moses] first appeared amongst them. Pharoah said to him:
'Moses, I can see that you are bewitched.' 'You know full well,'
he [Moses] replied, 'that none but the Lord of the heavens and
the earth has revealed these visible signs. Pharoah, you are
doomed.'"
"Pharoah sought to scare them [the Israelites] out of
the land [of Israel]: but We [Allah] drowned him [Pharoah] together
with all who were with him. Then We [Allah] said to the Israelites:
'Dwell in this land [the Land of Israel]. When the promise of
the hereafter [End of Days] comes to be fulfilled, We [Allah]
shall assemble you [the Israelites] all together [in the Land
of Israel]."
"We [Allah] have revealed the Qur'an with the truth,
and with the truth it has come down. We have sent you [Muhammed]
forth only to proclaim good news and to give warning."
[Qur'an, "Night Journey," chapter 17:100-104]
SHAYKH PROF. PALAZZI COMMENTS:
God wanted to give Avraham a double blessing, through Ishmael
and through Isaac, and ordered that Ishmael's descendents should
live in the desert of Arabia and Isaac's in Canaan.
The Qur'an recognizes the Land of Israel as the heritage of
the Jews and it explains that, before the Last Judgment, Jews
will return to dwell there. This prophecy has already been fulfilled.
****************************************
MUSLIMS MUST RECOGNIZE THE STATE OF ISRAEL AS A JEWISH STATE
Is there any fundamental reason which prohibits Muslims from
recognizing Israel as a friendly State?
I realize that a negative answer to the above question is taken
for granted by popular opinion. My approach, however, is not based
on popular opinion or the current political situation, but on
a theological analysis of authentic Islamic sources.
Viewing the Jewish return to Israel as a Western invasion and
Zionists as recent colonizers is new. It has no basis in authentic
Islamic faith. According to the Qur'an, no person, people or religious
community can claim a permanent right of possession over any territory.
The Earth belongs exclusively to God, and He is free to entrust
sovereignty over land to whomever He likes for whatever time period
that He chooses.
"Say: 'O God, King of the kingdom (1), Thou givest the
kingdom to whom Thou pleasest, and Thou strippest off the kingdom
from whom Thou pleasest; Thou endowest with honour whom Thou
pleasest, and Thou bringest low whom Thou pleasest: all the best
is in Thy hand. Verily, Thou hast power over all things.'"(2)
[Qur'an 3:26]
From the above Qur'anic verse we deduce a basic principle of
the Monotheistic philosophy of history: God chooses as He likes
in the relationship between peoples and countries. Sometimes He
gives a land to a people, and sometimes He takes His possession
back and gives it to another people.
In general, we can say that He gives as a reward for faithfulness
and takes back as a punishment for wickedness, but this rule does
not permit us to say that God's ways are always plain and clear
to our eyes, since His secrets are inaccessible to the human intellect.
Using Islam as a basis for preventing Arabs from recognizing
any sovereign right of Jews over the Land of Israel is new. Such
beliefs are not found in classical Islamic sources.
Concluding that anti-Zionism is the logical outgrowth of Islamic
faith is wrong. This conclusion represents the false transformation
of Islam from a religion into a secularized ideology.
Such a false transformation of Islam was in fact made by the
late Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin el-Husseini. He is the one person
most responsible, both morally and materially, for the repeated
Arab defeats in their conflict with the Jews in Israel.
Husseni not only incited Arabs against Jews. He also encouraged
the torture and murder of all Arabs who correctly understood that
Arab cooperation with Jews was a precious opportunity for the
development of the Land of Israel. Husseini ended his woeful life
by putting his perverted religious teachings at the service of
the evil and pagan Nazis.
After Husseini came Jamal al-Din 'Abd al-Nasser. Nasser based
his policy on Pan-Arabism, hatred and contempt for Jews, and an
alliance with the atheistic Soviet Union. Nasser's terrible choices
were critical factors in maintaining Arab backwardness. Fortunately,
most of Nasser's mistakes were afterward corrected by the martyr
Anwar Sadat. (3)
After the defeat of Nasserianism, Islamic fundamentalist movements
made anti-Zionism the primary feature of their propaganda. They
presented the negation of any Jewish rights to the Land of Israel
as rooted in authentic Islam and derived from authentic Islamic
religious principles.
***********************************
THE LAND OF ISRAEL IN QUR'ANIC EXEGESIS
The fundamentalist Muslim program to use Islam as an instrument
for political warfare against Jews finds a major obstacle in the
Qur'an itself. Both the Bible and the Qur'an state quite clearly
that the right of the Israelites to the Land of Israel does not
depend on conquest and colonization. This right flows from the
will of almighty God Himself.
Both the Jewish and Islamic Scriptures teach that God, through
His chosen servant Moses, decided to free the offspring of Jacob
from slavery in Egypt and to constitute them as heirs of the Promised
Land. Whoever claims that Jewish sovereignty over the Land of
Israel is something new and rooted in human politics denies divine
revelation and divine prophecy as explicitly expressed in our
Holy Books (the Bible and Koran).
The Qur'an relates the words by which Moses ordered the Israelites
to conquer the Land:
"And [remember] when Moses said to his people: 'O my
people, call in remembrance the favour of God unto you, when
he produced prophets among you, made you kings, and gave to you
what He had not given to any other among the peoples. O my people,
enter the Holy Land which God has assigned unto you, and turn
not back ignominiously, for then will ye be overthrown, to your
own ruin.'" [Qur'an 5:20-21]
Moreover - and those who try to use Islam as a weapon against
Israel always conveniently ignore this point - the Holy Qur'an
explicitly refers to the return of the Jews to the Land of Israel
before the Last Judgment - where it says: "And thereafter
We [Allah] said to the Children of Israel: 'Dwell securely in
the Promised Land. And when the last warning will come to pass,
we will gather you together in a mingled crowd.'" [Qur'an
17:104]
Therefore, from an Islamic point of view, there is NO fundamental
reason which prohibits Muslims from recognizing Israel as a friendly
State.
*********************************************
ISLAM AND NORMALIZATION OF RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ISLAMIC STATES
AND THE JEWISH STATE
PLO documents can in no way be regarded as Islamic. The PLO
leaders are a gang of criminals and thieves, and Arabs will be
the main victims of any supposed "Palestinian State"
under their leadership.
I do not believe that Islam is the factor preventing normalization
between Arabs and the State of Israel. The real problem is that
members of the ruling classes in Arab countries believe their
authority and power would be threatned by democracy, modernization,
and education in the Arab world. They use a distorted interpretation
of Islam as a political tool, and unfortunately the majority of
uneducated Arabs believe their poisonous propaganda.
I believe that we must return to the time when Islam was in
the vanguard of scientific progress and interfaith dialogue. Instead
of false "leaders" such as Qadhafi, Saddam Hussein,
Arafat [el-Husseini] or Yasin, we Muslims again need true leaders
such as al-Ghazali, Ibn Rushd and Ibn Khaldum.
King Faysal of Iraq said: "The Arabs, and particularly
the educated ones among them, must look at the Zionist movement
with the deepest sympathy."
Tragically, true leaders such as Faysal were silenced, and
fanatics such as Haj Amin al-Husseini prevailed.
The evil consequences of the victory of fanaticism are clear
for all to see: Jews expelled from Arab countries where the lived
in peace for over one thousand years, "Palestinian"
refugees, terrorism, etc. To avoid future mistakes, we must learn
from our past ones.
Unfortunately, there are Arabs who believe that they must fight
against Israel until they completely destroy it (a tragedy which
I do not believe the God of Israel will ever permit to happen
- Never again!).
Unfortunately, there are also naive and foolish Israelis who
believe, incredibly to me, that they will achieve "peace"
with their Arab neighbours by giving the murderer "Arafat"
[el-Husseini] a State, an army, etc. This is insane. You Jews
are supposedly famous for your intelligence. How can some of your
"leaders" be so st**id?
From the perspective of the natural world, I am not optimistic
about what the future holds. However, from the supernatural perspective
of faith, we who believe in God must face the future with a positive
attitude.
We must have faith that we will see the day when real peace
and prosperity - which can only be based on true faith in God
and His Word (the Bible and Rabbinic Tradition for you; the Bible,
Qur'an and Authentic Islamic Tradition for us) - will spread throughout
the world. Meanwhile, we must work together to prepare for a better
future.
********************************************
MUSLIMS MUST RECOGNIZE JEWISH SOVEREIGNTY OVER JERUSALEM
From an Islamic point of view, is there any fundamental reason
which prohibits Muslims from recognizing Jerusalem both as an
Islamic Holy Place and as the capital of the State of Israel?
I realize that a negative answer to the above question is taken
for granted by popular opinion. My approach, however, is not based
on popular opinion or the current political situation, but on
a theological analysis of authentic Islamic sources.
JERUSALEM IN THE QUR'AN
The most common argument against Muslim acknowledgment of Israeli
sovereignty over Jerusalem is that, since al-Quds [Jerusalem]
(4) is a Holy Place for Muslims, Muslims cannot accept that it
is ruled by non-Muslims, because such acceptance amounts to a
betrayal of Islam.
Before expressing our point of view on this question, we must
reflect upon the reason for which Jerusalem and Masjid al-Aqsa
[the Al Aksa mosque] hold such a sacred position in Islamic faith.
As is well known, the inclusion of Jerusalem among Islamic
holy places derives from al-Mi'raj, the Ascension of the Prophet
Muhammed to heaven. The Ascension began at the Rock, usually identified
by Muslim scholars as the Foundation Stone of the Jewish Temple
in Jerusalem referred to in Jewish sources.
Recalling this link requires us to admit that there is no connection
between al-Miraj [the Ascension] and Muslim sovereign rights over
Jerusalem since, in the time that al-Miraj took place, the City
was not under Islamic, but under Byzantine administration. Moreover,
the Qur'an expressly recognizes that Jerusalem plays for Jews
the same role that Mecca does for Muslims.
We read:
"...They would not follow thy direction of prayer (qiblah),
nor art thou to follow their direction of prayer; nor indeed
will they follow each other's direction of prayer..." (5)
All Qur'anic commentators explain that "thy qiblah"
[direction of prayer for Muslims] is clearly the Ka'bah of Mecca,
while "their qiblah" [direction of prayer for Jews]
refers to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
To quote only one of the most important Muslim commentators,
we read in Qadn Baydawn's Commentary:
"Verily, in their prayers Jews orientate themselves toward
the Rock (sakhrah), while Christians orientate themselves eastwards..."
(6)
In complete opposition to what "Islamic" fundamentalists
continuously claim, the Book of Islam [the Qur'an] - as we have
just now seen - recognizes Jerusalem as the Jewish direction of
prayer.
Some Muslim commentators also quote the Book of Daniel (7)
as a proof for this.
After reviewing the relevant Qur'anic passages concerning this
matter, I conclude that, as no one denies Muslims complete sovereignty
over Mecca, from an Islamic point of view - despite opposing,
groundless claims - there is
no reason for Muslims to deny the State of Israel - which is a
JEWISH state - complete sovereignty over Jerusalem.
************************************
ISLAMIC HOLY PLACES
Anti-Jewish sentiments expressed by Islamic leaders throughout
the Middle East are, in fact, not religious in nature, but, rather,
political. The best proof of this is in the fact that Islamic
anti-Judaism is quite recent.
Omar ended the Roman ban that prevented Jews to enter Jerusalem,
the Ummayad caliphs in Cordoba built a synagogue for Maimonides,
and Salahu-d-Din, after defeating the Crusaders, wrote to the
Jewish leaders, "Your exile is over. Whoever wants to come
back is welcome."
The late King Faysal of Iraq openly expressed his sympathy
for the Zionist movement, while King Abdullah of Jordan was compelled
to wage war against Israel by the other Arab leaders.
Recently, the Resident Arab ["Palestinian"] Wakf
has made pronouncements, such as that the Western Wall (Kotel)
is not a Jewish shrine, but, rather, the wall to which the Prophet's
[steed] was tethered, or, at best, the wall surrounding the Muslim
Mosque. The Wakf has also stated that all of Hebron should be
turned over to the Resident Arab ["Palestinian"] Authority,
and that Jews would be forbidden to pray in the Cave of the Patriarchs.
These kinds of declarations by the PLO gangsters are ridiculous
and absurd.
The Kotel was effectively, according to the Islamic tradition,
the place where al-Buraq [the Prophet's steed] was tethered, but
it was already an existing part of the Herodian structure. Muslims
have never prayed close to it, and it has never had a special
relevance in Islam. On the contrary, everyone knows how important
it is for Jewish worshippers.
Apart from Mecca, no Islamic holy place is off-limits for non-Muslims.
Historical sources say that the Prophet Muhammad entertained a
delegation of Christians from Najran in the Mosque of Medina,
and permitted them to celebrate a mass inside the Mosque, notwithstanding
the fact that Christian rites can include words that are against
Islam [such as stating that Jesus is God].
There is nothing in Jewish worship that can be offensive for
Muslims, and nothing in Islamic Law prevents Jews to pray on Haram
al-Sharif/Har Habayyit (the Temple Mount), in the Cave of Machpela
or in any other place that is regarded as holy by Muslims.
Every time I meet those who say otherwise, I ask them to identify
a single authoritative Islamic source as legal proof of their
claim. None of them has ever answered such a request of mine.
********************************************
NOTES:
1. The original Arabic word we translated as "kingdom"
is mulk, from a Semitic root m-l-k, that is common to both Arabic
and Hebrew. According to Islamic theological terminology, the
three synonyms for "kingdom" are mulk, malakut and jabarut.
They refer respectively to the physical, psychic and spiritual
levels of existence. Of course, G-d can be called King of all
of them; if here only mulk is quoted, it depends on the fact that
this verse directly concerns the earthly domain. To denote a kingdom
in the secular and political sense, Arabic commonly uses another
derived form, that is mamlakah.
2. Koran 3:26. For typographical reasons, it is not possible
to reproduce here the original Arabic text of the Koran, which
must nevertheless be understood as quoted. As well here as in
other Koranic quotations, the English translation of the meaning
of Koranic words from Arabic is my own, but based on the most
authoritative English commentaries, such as M. Marmaduke Pickthall's
"The Meaning of The Glorious Koran" (Beirut 1973), 'A.
Yusuf 'Ali, "The Holy Koran - Text, Translation and Commentary"
(Maryland 1983) and A. 'A. Maududi "The Holy Koran - Text,
Translation and Brief Notes" (Lahore 1986).
3. In using the term "martyr" I do not simply refer
to one who lost his life for a good cause. I give a precise translation
of the Arabic word "shahid," which identifies a "martyr"
in the strictly religious sense; that is to say, someone who spent
his life serving the cause of G-d. Since making peace with former
enemies is an explicit Koranic order (see Koran 8:61), and since,
according to Islam, Peace is G-d Himself, any believer who is
killed because of his search for Peace must be understood as a
religious martyr. The same considerations clearly apply to Yitzhak
Rabin. 4. Arabic name of Jerusalem, from the root q-d-s, meaning
"holiness". It is an abridged form of Bayt al-maqdis,
"the sanctified House" or "the House of the Sanctuary",
an exact equivalent of the Hebrew Beth ha-mikdash. The name originally
referred only to the Temple Mount, and was afterward extended
to the City as a whole. This extension of meaning became common
among Arabs from the tenth century C.E. onwards. Earlier Islamic
sources use the name Iliyia, an adaptation to Arabic pronounciation
of the Roman name Aelia.
5. Koran 2:145.
6. M. Shaykh Zadeh Hashiyaah 'ali Tafsir al-Qadn al-Baydawn
(Istanbul 1979), Vol. 1, p. 456.
7. Daniel 6:10
***********************************
Prof. Abdul Hadi Palazzi has been a lecturer in the Department
of the History of Religion at the University of Velletri (Rome,
Italy).
In 1987, after completing his secular and religious education
in Rome and Cairo, he was asked to serve as an Imam (spiritual
leader) for the Italian Islamic Community. In addition to numerous
Masters Degrees, Prof. Palazzi hold a Ph.D in Islamic Sciences
by decree of the Grand Mufti of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
In 1989 he was appointed a member of the Board of Directors
of the Italian Muslim Association (AMI) and afterward elected
its Secretary General.
In 1991 he was asked to act as Director of the Cultural Institute
of the Italian Islamic Community (ICCII), with a program based
on the development of Islamic education in Italy, refutation of
fundamentalism and fanaticism, and deep involvement in inter-religious
dialogue, especially with Jews and Christians.
In 1997, Prof. Palazzi's essay entitled "The Jewish-Moslem
Dialogue and the Question of Jerusalem" was published by
the Institute of the World Jewish Congress.
In 1997, Prof. Palazzi joined the International Council of
the Root & Branch Association.
In 1998, Prof. Palazzi and Dr. Asher Eder (Jerusalem, Israel)
co-founded the Islam-Israel Fellowship, which promotes a positive
Muslim attitude towards Jews and Israel based on what Prof. Palazzi
believes are the authentic teachings of Muhammed as expressed
in the Koran and Hadith (Muslim Oral Tradition). Prof. Palazzi
serves as Muslim Co-Chairman of the Fellowship. Dr. Eder serves
as the Jewish Co-Chairman.
[reprinted with the permission of Rabbi Pesach Lerner, Executive
Vice-President of the National Council of Young Israel (NCYI),
from the Winter '98 issue of NCYI's "Viewpoint" magazine.
The NCYI is the coordinating and umbrella organization of 150
Torah-observant ("orthodox") synagogues in North America
and over 60 synagogues in its sister council -- Yisrael HaTzair,
Young Israel of Israel. For further information on NCYI, please
contact Rabbi Lerner at: Email -- [ mailto:[email protected] - [email protected] ];
Telephone -- 212-929-1525]
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Daniel Dworsky wrote:
~ Our feet are earthbound, but our hearts and our minds have wings ~
