By Anas Zubedy
By the end of this article, I hope to demonstrate that, historically, Islam has provided some of the most enduring periods of peace, dignity, and prosperity for Jewish communities.
Let us begin with a compelling moment from history — one that exemplifies Islamic values of justice, humility, and respect for religious diversity.
The Conquest Without Bloodshed
In the year 637 CE, Caliph ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab entered the holy city of Jerusalem. But this was no ordinary conquest — there was no massacre, no looting, no forced conversions.
The Christian Patriarch Sophronius, who had agreed to surrender the city, insisted on handing over the keys personally to the Muslim Caliph, trusting in his fairness.
When ʿUmar arrived, he came not as a conqueror, but as a humble servant of God — walking alongside his attendant, even switching places with him during the journey so as not to privilege himself.
When prayer time came during a tour of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, ʿUmar chose not to pray inside the church — not because he was unwelcome, but because he feared that future generations of Muslims might convert the church into a mosque on the grounds that the Caliph once prayed there. Instead, he prayed on the steps outside, leaving the church protected for Christian worshippers.
This act of restraint and reverence became a hallmark of how Islam, at its best, treated the People of the Book — Jews and Christians alike — with respect, justice, and a sense of shared belonging in the broader ummah of human civilization.
The Return of a Forgotten People
As ʿUmar walked through the sacred city, another troubling truth struck him: the Jews were missing.
They had been banished from Jerusalem for centuries — first by the Romans after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, and later by the Christian Byzantine rulers who continued to enforce the ban.
A people who once built their spiritual and cultural life in this city were now absent from its streets, synagogues, and sacred grounds.
ʿUmar was shocked.
This went against the very grain of the Islamic vision — a vision that honored the followers of previous prophets and upheld their right to live, worship, and thrive.
So he acted.
ʿUmar climbed the Temple Mount, known to Muslims as Al-Haram al-Sharif, and found it buried under centuries of garbage and ruin. The sacred space had been defiled and abandoned — a bitter symbol of humiliation.
Rather than issuing orders from afar, ʿUmar rolled up his sleeves and began cleaning the site himself. With his own hands, he helped clear the filth, initiating the restoration of a place deeply tied to the Abrahamic tradition — an act of humility and solidarity.
But ʿUmar didn’t stop there. He took the bold and unprecedented step of inviting the Jews back to Jerusalem.
Under his leadership, they were allowed to return and rebuild their lives in the very city from which they had been expelled for over 500 years. He appointed Kaʿb al-Ahbar, a respected Jewish scholar who had embraced Islam, to help identify the exact site of the ancient Temple so that it could be properly honored.
Jewish families returned, synagogues reopened, and Jewish life in Jerusalem was reborn — not in opposition to Islam, but under its protection.
This was not mere tolerance. It was a moral correction — a redemptive gesture aligned with the Qur’anic call to justice and dignity for all communities of faith.
The Qur’anic Compass: Justice, Pluralism, and Sacred Space
ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab’s actions in Jerusalem reflected the moral and spiritual framework of the Qur’an — a scripture that calls believers to justice, compassion, and the protection of all who worship God.
At the heart of Islamic governance is the principle of ʿadl (justice). The Qur’an commands:
“Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due and when you judge between people to judge with justice…”
(Qur’an 4:58)
ʿUmar lived by this principle. His insistence on fairness, his refusal to pray in the church, and his invitation for Jews to return to Jerusalem all reflect the Qur’anic ethos that justice must be universal and impartial, regardless of faith or tribe.
Even more powerful is the Qur’an’s affirmation of religious pluralism and the protection of sacred places of worship:
“…Had Allah not repelled some people by means of others, monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques — where Allah’s Name is often mentioned — would have been destroyed. Surely Allah supports those who support Him…”
(Qur’an 22:40)
This verse is profoundly inclusive. It recognizes the holiness of all places where God is worshipped — not just Islamic ones. It commands Muslims to defend the freedom and sanctity of others.
ʿUmar’s decision to protect Christian churches and restore Jewish presence in Jerusalem was therefore not a political anomaly — it was an embodiment of Qur’anic values.
The Covenant of Madinah: The Qur’an in Action
If ʿUmar’s actions reflected Qur’anic values in practice, the Covenant of Madinah was their foundational blueprint — the first real-world constitution built upon Qur’anic ethics.
Drafted by Prophet Muhammad ﷺ after his migration to Madinah, the Covenant brought Muslims, Jews, and pagan Arab tribes under one political entity — not through conquest, but through mutual agreement honoring each community’s rights and responsibilities.
One clause 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 not mere tolerance — it was constitutional inclusion.
The Prophet ﷺ created a civic order rooted in revelation:
“Do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just…” (Qur’an 5:8)
“There is no compulsion in religion…” (Qur’an 2:256)
“Help one another in righteousness and piety…” (Qur’an 5:2)
The Prophet ﷺ proved that Islam is not merely a private faith, but a complete way of life encompassing social, political, and economic justice.
The Golden Age in Al-Andalus: When Jews Called Muslims Their Protectors
In Muslim Spain — Al-Andalus — from the 8th century onward, Jews experienced a cultural renaissance. Under Muslim rule, they held high government positions, built schools, and contributed to philosophy, medicine, and science.
Figures like Hasdai ibn Shaprut and Maimonides rose to prominence — thriving in Muslim courts and intellectual circles. Ordinary Jews practiced their religion freely, owned property, and lived alongside Muslims and Christians in shared cities like Córdoba and Granada.
This was coexistence, not mere tolerance — a time when Jewish culture thrived under Muslim protection.
The Ottoman Empire: A Refuge in the Storm
In 1492, as Spain expelled its Jews, the Ottoman Empire welcomed them. Sultan Bayezid II mocked the Spanish monarchs for “impoverishing his kingdom and enriching mine.”
Jewish refugees rebuilt their lives in cities like Salonika, Istanbul, and Izmir, where they ran printing presses, schools, and synagogues. They lived openly as Jews — secure, productive, and respected.
Jews in the Modern Middle East: Echoes of Coexistence
Before colonial disruption, Jewish communities thrived across the Muslim world — in Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Yemen, Morocco, and Syria.
Iran
Jews remain recognized as a protected minority with representation in parliament. Dr. Siamak Moreh Sedgh continues this legacy as a current MP.
Morocco
King Mohammed V famously declared during WWII:
“There are no Jews in Morocco. There are only subjects.”
Today, Morocco preserves synagogues and Jewish cemeteries, and its Jewish adviser André Azoulay promotes interfaith dialogue.
Iraq
Before its modern upheavals, Baghdad’s population was one-third Jewish. Sassoon Eskell, Iraq’s first Finance Minister, was so valued that King Faisal I said:
“Sassoon Eskell is worth his weight in gold for Iraq.”
If History Is a Guide…
Jewish welfare has consistently been strongest when Muslims were guided by the Qur’an — when they were just, principled, and confident, not vengeful or divided.
The historical pattern is unmistakable:
When Muslims live by the Qur’an, Jews live in security.
A Call to Righteous Partnership
To our Jewish brothers and sisters who oppose Zionist oppression:
Re-connect. Re-build. Re-join hands with Muslims and all people of conscience.
True allies of the Jewish people today must reject extremism — of any kind — and work toward justice and coexistence.
The Qur’an Has the Final Word
“O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm for Allah, witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just: that is nearer to righteousness.”
(Qur’an 5:8)
“Indeed, this Qur’an guides to that which is most upright…”
(Qur’an 17:9)
“And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression…”
(Qur’an 5:2)
“Good and evil are not equal. Repel evil with what is better; then the one you were in conflict with may become as close as a devoted friend.”
(Qur’an 41:34)
Islam has been — and still can be — the best friend Judaism ever had.
The question is whether the Jewish people will have the wisdom to build better relationships with Muslims — and whether we, the Muslims, will have the courage to return to what our faith teaches us: to unite, to be strong, and to use power not for dominance or revenge, but for justice in the world.
Peace,
Anas Zubedy
Penang
This article was written on 20 July 2025