IS ISLAM JUDAISM’S BEST FRIEND?

 

History is rarely simple. But on this question, the pattern is clear.

Across centuries and civilisations, Jewish communities have often experienced some of their greatest periods of dignity, security, and prosperity under Muslim rule. This is not a slogan. It is a historical observation.

To understand this, we return to a defining moment.

A Conquest Without Bloodshed

In 637 CE, Caliph ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab entered Jerusalem. This was no ordinary conquest. There was no massacre, no looting, and no forced conversion. Trusting his reputation for justice, the Christian Patriarch Sophronius handed over the keys of the city to him personally.

ʿUmar arrived with humility, taking turns with his servant to ride their only mount. When the time for prayer came during his visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Patriarch invited him to pray inside.

ʿUmar declined.

He feared that future Muslims might use his action as a justification to convert the church into a mosque. Instead, he prayed at an open space just outside the church.

Later, a mosque was built on that spot, now known as the Mosque of Umar, while the Church of the Holy Sepulchre remains a Christian place of worship to this day.

This was not symbolic restraint. It was deliberate leadership. Justice must protect the “Other” as firmly as it protects oneself.

The Restoration of a Forgotten People

As ʿUmar walked through the city, he noticed the absence of the Jewish people. They had been expelled centuries earlier by the Romans and later by Byzantine rulers.

This contradicted the Islamic worldview, which recognises earlier prophetic communities and their right to live and worship.

ʿUmar acted. He helped clean the neglected Temple Mount and invited Jewish families to return. After more than 500 years, synagogues reopened and the community was restored.

This was not tolerance. It was restoration.

A Qur’anic Framework in Practice

ʿUmar’s actions were not improvised. They were grounded in the Qur’an.

He was guided by the command to uphold justice and return trusts (Qur’an 4:58), to protect places of worship including churches and synagogues (Qur’an 22:40), and to recognise diversity as part of a divine design that calls people to compete in doing good (Qur’an 5:48).

The Covenant of Madinah: A Blueprint for Coexistence

This approach began earlier with the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in Madinah. The Covenant of Madinah established a shared political community between Muslims, Jews, and others, while preserving religious freedom.

It declared:

“The Jews of Banu Awf are one community with the believers. To the Jews their religion, and to the Muslims their religion.”

This was a social contract based on mutual responsibility and collective security.

It reflected Qur’anic principles: do not let hatred lead to injustice (Qur’an 5:8), there is no compulsion in religion (Qur’an 2:256), and cooperation must be based on righteousness, not aggression (Qur’an 5:2).

Jews were not outsiders. They were recognised members of society.

Al-Andalus: A Golden Age

In Muslim Spain, this framework reached its peak. For nearly 700 years, Jewish communities flourished.

Hasdai ibn Shaprut rose to high office. Maimonides wrote his works in Arabic within this environment.

Jewish communities lived openly, governed their affairs, and contributed to science, medicine, and trade. They paid jizyah and in return received protection and the freedom to thrive.

The Ottoman Empire: A Sanctuary

In 1492, when Jews were expelled from Spain, many went to the Ottoman Empire. Sultan Bayezid II welcomed them, reportedly criticising Spain for weakening itself while strengthening his empire.

Jewish communities rebuilt their lives. They established schools, printing presses, and commercial networks. They practiced their faith openly and managed their internal affairs with stability that was rare in Europe at the time.

The Modern Middle East: Echoes of Coexistence

Until the 20th century, Jewish communities remained deeply rooted across the Muslim world.

Even today, this has not completely disappeared.

In Iran, Jewish communities continue to live, worship, and maintain official recognition, including parliamentary representation. Their synagogues remain active and protected.

In Morocco, Jewish heritage is preserved and recognised as part of national identity. Synagogues are restored, and figures like André Azoulay serve at the highest levels of leadership.

In Iraq, although the Jewish population has largely declined, their historical role in shaping Baghdad’s economy and culture, through figures like Sassoon Eskell, remains significant.

These are not isolated cases. They reflect a broader pattern.

Jewish life in Muslim lands has not been inherently problematic. Where governance is stable and grounded in principle, Jewish communities have lived, worshipped, and maintained their identity, with their places of worship protected.

The Verdict of History

The pattern is consistent.

Jewish communities have often been safest and most able to flourish when Muslims were united, confident, and guided by their principles.

From Madinah to Jerusalem, from Cordoba to Istanbul, when Muslims led with justice, others lived with dignity.

A Call to Righteous Partnership

To Jewish communities who oppose the current Zionist regime and its actions: reconnect and work with Muslims and all people of conscience.

What we are witnessing today is not strength. It is political and moral recklessness that risks becoming self-destructive.

History is clear. Systems built on sustained injustice do not last. When they collapse, they often harm not only those responsible, but entire communities, including those who opposed the injustice.

That is the danger.

If injustice continues, anger will again be misdirected toward an entire people. This has happened before. It must not happen again.

Those who care about the long-term future of Jewish communities must reject extremist forms of Zionism and return to a path of justice, humility, and coexistence.

The Qur’an as Our Compass

The Qur’an commands justice, even against one’s own bias (Qur’an 5:8). It calls for cooperation in righteousness, not aggression (Qur’an 5:2). It directs toward what is upright and just (Qur’an 17:9), and teaches that evil is overcome not with more evil, but with what is better (Qur’an 41:34).

The Path Forward – Muslim Unity Equals Jewish Safety

History is clear: the safety of Jewish communities has often been linked to the strength and unity of the Muslim world.

This is not superiority. It is responsibility.

When Muslims are divided and disconnected from their principles, instability follows. When they are grounded and united, they create conditions where all faiths can live with dignity.

The path forward is simple in principle, difficult in practice.

Return to the Qur’an as a lived system. Rebuild unity. Rebuild strength. Rebuild leadership.

Not for dominance. Not for revenge.

For justice.

Closing

Islam has been, and can be again, a civilisational force that protects and stabilises.

History already shows the difference between division and unity.

If we want a world where all communities live without fear, Muslims must rise with discipline, unity, and justice to build a system where all, including Jewish communities, can live with dignity.

Justice, when applied consistently, does not divide. It protects.

Peace, anas zubedy

Note: This is a shortened and tightened version of an article I wrote last year.