Zionist Qur’an

[Opinion: This is one of the most important pieces I have read about Jews and Muslims. Neither side is practicing their religion. It was very hard to abridge so I hope readers will access the complete article and visit the Hashlamah Project for reconciliation.]

Zionist Qur’an: Allah Chose the Children of Israel Over All Nations

The Times of Israel: 24 April 24, 2025

The Qur’an acknowledges the historical connection of the Children of Israel to the Land of Israel — Eretz Yisrael. It does not, however, explicitly state that this Land or any land, belongs exclusively to any specific group or nation.

The Qur’an emphasizes that the earth belongs to Allah, who is the ultimate owner and sovereign over all lands. It encourages believers to respect the rights and dignity of all people, regardless of their background, and to strive for justice, peace, and harmony in society. At the same time, the Qur’an makes it clear that the Land of Israel is assigned to the Jewish People.

Perhaps more surprisingly, the Qur’an mentions that Allah chose the Children of Israel for specific blessings and responsibilities, such as sending prophets and revealing scriptures to the Jewish people more so than any other nation.

Being selected as the chosen people, however, does not imply superiority over others. Instead, it emphasizes the importance of upholding piety, spreading goodness, and following Allah’s guidance.

The Qur’an acknowledges the diverse nature of humanity and stresses that individuals from all nations can attain closeness to Allah through faith and good deeds. But the Qur’an singles out the Bani Israel, the Children of Israel, as having been “chosen above all nations” (2:47).

We read this notion of being “chosen above all nations” – fadhaltukum ala al-Alamin (فَضَّلْتُكُمْ عَلَى ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ) — again in the same Surah, ayah 122:

“O Children of Israel! Remember My favors upon you and how I honored you above the others.

The Qur’an could not possibly be more clear: the Children of Israel were chosen as the “favorites” of Allah — based upon excelling the other nations. While the Torah says this was preference over the other nations of the Land — that is to say, of the region – the Qur’an goes much further.

We read in the Qur’an that Allah not only chose Israel above other nations and even over all worlds throughout the Universe – the Quran’s words, not mine – but also pardoned the Jewish People from that which other nations were destroyed for.

Compounding the absurdity, essentially no one who denounces “Zionism” seems capable of giving and even remotely accurate definition of the word – lending credence to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s (1929 – 1968) claim — verified by his closest friends — that the term “Zionist” is merely an antisemitic dog-whistle for “Jew.”

Accordingly, for the believer in the Qur’an who truly reads it and accepts its words in “Clear” or Mubin Arabic, cursing “Israel” is a literal curse upon oneself.  Israel is a Holy name in the Bible and Qur’an alike. Cursing someone for being of or from the City of Jerusalem, the Land of Israel or the Land of Judea is no better. The reality is most people saying “we hate Zionists not Jews” don’t even know what the word Zionist means, nor could they correctly define the political meaning of “Zionism” as a historical movement.

The very fact that they believe there is a single homogenous group, movement, ideology or the like called Zionism highlights just how little they understand about any of this. Even from the earliest days there were an array of very — extremely — different types of Zionism. To say that one opposes all of them means that one opposes the most peacenik, pro-Palestinian Israeli leftist, or the entire Ethiopian Jewish community, or any number of other ardent Zionists.

Consequence is no coincidence.

Words have meaning. Words matter. A person who is careless in their speech is doomed. If you wish to create change through acts of spiritual intention and “prayer” then you must be mindful of your words and intention in the first place. If you are not, don’t be surprised when the answer to your prayers is: “No.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Micah Ben David Naziri is a scholar, author, and community activist whose work bridges Jewish and Muslim traditions through the Hashlamah Project Foundation, which he founded to foster grass-roots reconciliation between Jews and Palestinian Muslims.

A specialist in Near Eastern languages, history and religions, he holds multiple graduate degrees in religious studies and conflict resolution and is training for Rabbinical s’mikhah ordination. Descended from Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, Naziri is also a lineage-holder and “Keeper of the Light” of the Tariqat ʿIsāwiyyah Judeo-Sufi order and is the sole teacher of the “Magen David” system of Krav Maga outside Israel.

An instructor in multiple Asian martial arts systems and an award-winning educator, his interdisciplinary work explores the historical, linguistic, and spiritual connections uniting the peoples of the Near East and the diaspora. If you found this work edifying, clarifying, or constructive, please DONATE NOW to support it.

Dr. Naziri’s research, writing, and reconciliation-centered activism—grounded in doctoral research on the persistence of Jewish–Muslim reconciliatory activism under conditions of threat and informed by my lineage as a direct descendant of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov—are produced ; reader support directly sustains independent scholarship and durable reconciliation work, and sharing, commenting on, and forwarding this piece also meaningfully helps.

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