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Canadian Islamic Sermons, Literature on Killing Jews and Enemies of Islam

 
Filed under: Anti-Semitism, World Jewry

Canadian Islamic Sermons, Literature on Killing Jews and Enemies of Islam

Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld, American Center for Democracy

  • A Canadian Arabic newspaper has recently published a hadith, accounts of sayings attributed directly to Muhammad, that speaks about Muslims killing Jews as part of the final Islamic fight to establish Sharia law and justice in the entire world.
  • The same hadith appears in online books on the websites of Canadian Islamic organizations and was recited in sermons and lectures in mosques.
  • Canadian imams also recite prayers to Allah to annihilate disbelievers, enemies of Islam.

Al Forqan is a Canadian Arabic newspaper based in Windsor, Ontario. According  to its website,1Al Forqan is a daily online newspaper and a monthly printed newspaper issued by Al Forqan Media Foundation, Editor and Managing Director Mohamad Hisham Khalifeh [محمد هشام خليفة], accompanied by a group of administrators and highly qualified individuals.”

Al Forqan states:2

It is an independent, political and cultural newspaper that does not follow any political party yet pursues a policy of truth and justice and includes sections on education, culture, sports and society. Al Forqan is a contemporary newspaper which deals with life affairs and includes topics of interest to all segments of society (Arab and Canadian writers, elite, doctors, professors and professionals).

Distribution: The administrators purposely made the distribution of the newspaper free so as to ensure that it reaches all segments of society. The newspaper consists of 16 pages (Eight in color), Five of which will be in English and the other 11 in the Arabic Language, with over ten thousand copies distributed a month in the Windsor, London and Michigan areas (including all shops, mosques and residential complexes).

The opinions expressed in the articles published on this website are strictly those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Al Forqan Newspaper, its publishers or employees.

In Issue 64, May-June 2018, p. 7, Al Forqan published an article entitled “Prophecies that have not yet been fulfilled after the time of the Prophet [Mohammad].” Here is an excerpt from the original Arabic article:3

Fighting the Jews. “It is narrated from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: ‘The Hour will not begin until the Muslims fight the Jews and the Muslims will kill them.’”

This is a first segment of hadith 2922 in Sahih Muslim: “Abu Huraira reported Allahs Messenger as saying: The last hour would not come unless the Muslims will fight against the Jews and the Muslims would kill them until the Jews would hide themselves behind a stone or a tree and a stone or a tree would say: “Muslim, or the servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me; come and kill him; but the tree Gharqad would not say, for it is the tree of the Jews.”4

The same hadith, accompanied with modern commentary, appears also in an online book (Riyadh as-Salihin – The Gardens of the Righteous, by Al-Nawawi) on the website of the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) Canada:5

[Hadith] 1820. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: The Last Hour will not come until the Muslims fight against the Jews, until a Jew will hide himself behind a stone or a tree, and the stone or the tree will say: “O Muslim, there is a Jew behind me. Come and kill him,” but Al-Gharqad tree will not say so, for it is the tree of the Jews.’” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary: Gharqad is a thorny plant which is well-known in the area of Palestine. Allah can bestow the power of speech to whatever thing He likes. When Allah wills, He will give mastery to the Muslims. He will help them even by means of plants and stones which will assist the Muslims against the Jews by informing them about the whereabouts of the Jews. The Jews have predominance over the Muslims in spite of the fact that they are a minority. But according to this true narration, the situation will definitely change before the Day of Resurrection, and the Muslims will dominate the Jews. Allah is the Master and Rubb of everything.

It appears in the online book (Riyadh as-Salihin – The Gardens of the Righteous, by Al-Nawawi) posted on the website of Brampton Islamic Center in Ontario:6

Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: The Hour will not come until the Muslims fight the Jews and the Jews hide themselves behind stones and trees and the stones and the trees say: ‘O Muslim! This Jew is behind me, so kill him! With the exception of the thorn-tree which is one of the trees of the Jews.” [Agreed upon]

In recent years Muslim religious leaders (imams) in Canada have cited this hadith and recited prayers in support of killing Jews and/or disbelievers.  

In a Friday sermon delivered on December 23, 2016, at Dar Al-Arkam Mosque in Montreal, Canada, Jordanian cleric Sheikh Muhammad Bin Musa Aal Nasr said:7

What is the disease of the Jews? It is that they believed in only part of the Scripture, while rejecting another part. As Allah said, disparaging them: “Do you believe in part of the Scripture and reject another part? And what is the reward of those among you who do so, except disgrace in this world?” Allah ordained disgrace for them in this world: “On the Day of Resurrection they will be consigned to the most severe torment. Allah is not ignorant of what you do.” And what is said about the Jews is also said about all those who imitate the Jews… If you worship Allah, you can rest assured that Allah will fulfill His promise and will support you. On Judgment Day, when the Muslims defeat the most vicious of creatures – the human demons – the stones and the trees will say: “Oh Muslim, oh servant of Allah, there is a Jew hiding behind me, come and kill him!” – except for the Gharqad tree, for it is the tree of the Jews.

In response to a media report about the content of the sermon, the president of the Muslim Council of Montreal, Salam Elmenyawi, told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC):

I do not understand how this person was invited to come and give a sermon and spread this hatred in Montreal against any community… to use the themes of the Prophet to spread hatred is actually something that is disrespectful towards the Prophet himself… these people, not only do they show hatred towards non-Muslims, they even show hatred to us Muslims.8

In two Friday sermons delivered on August 16, 2014 at the Al-Andalous Islamic Center in Montreal, Canada, Sheikh Sayyed Al-Ghitawi said:9

Oh Allah, support our brothers who wage Jihad for Your sake everywhere. Oh Allah, support our brothers the mujahideen in Palestine. Oh Allah, give them patience. Oh Allah, help them gain a foothold. Oh Allah, help them gain a foothold. Oh Allah, give them victory over their enemy. Oh Allah, destroy the accursed Jews. Oh Allah, show us the black day You inflict upon them. Oh Allah, show us the wonders of Your might and ability inflicted upon them… Oh Allah, turn their children into orphans and their women into widows, and make them suffer adversities, oh Lord of the Worlds.

In his sermon at the same mosque on August 3, 2014, Al-Ghitawi said:

Oh Allah, grant victory to our brothers who wage Jihad in Palestine, oh Lord… Oh Allah, destroy the accursed Jews. Oh Allah, show us the black day You inflict upon them. Oh Allah, show us the wonders of Your might and ability inflicted upon them, and make the land quake under their feet. Oh Allah, kill them one by one. Do not leave a single one of them. Oh Allah, turn their children into orphans and their women into widows. Oh Allah, make them suffer adversities.

Subsequently the Al-Andalous Islamic Center issued a clarifying statement:10

Al-Andalous Islamic Center administration reiterates its strong condemnation of any hate speech regardless of the target community, and regardless of the speaker. This condemnation includes any speech targeting the Jewish community, including the clumsy and unacceptable phrasing used in the videos of a sermon held in 2014 at the Center by a substitute imam.

In a lecture at the at Masjid Al Hikma mosque in Toronto Sheikh Abdulqani Mursal read the chapter, “Turmoil and Portents of The Last Hour” from Sahih Muslim, including the hadith about fighting the Jews (originally in Arabic):11

Ibn ’Umar reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: “You will fight against the Jews and you will kill them until even a stone would say: ‘Come here, Muslim, there is a Jew (hiding himself behind me); kill him.’” Ubaidullah has reported this hadith with this chain of transmitters (and the Words are): “There is a Jew behind me.” Abdullah b. ’Umar reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: “You and the Jews would fight against one another until a stone would say: ‘Muslim, here is a Jew behind me; come and kill him.’” Abdullah b. ’Umar reported that Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: “The Jews will fight against you and you will gain victory over them until the stone would say: ‘Muslim, here is a Jew behind me; kill him.’” Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: “The last hour would not come unless the Muslims will fight against the Jews and the Muslims would kill them until the Jews would hide themselves behind a stone or a tree and a stone or a tree would say: ‘Muslim, or the servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me; come and kill him;’ but the tree Gharqad would not say, for it is the tree of the Jews.”

Ayman Elkasrawy, imam at Masjid Toronto mosque, recited in summer 2016 the following prayers:12

July 4, 2016

You are our Protector and give us victory over the disbelieving people. [congregation:] Ameen [declaration of affirmation]…
O Allah! Give victory to Islam and raise the standing of the Muslims. [congregation:] Ameen.
And humiliate the polytheism and polytheists. [congregation:] Ameen.
O Allah! Give victory (help) to your slaves who believe in the oneness of Allah. [congregation:] Ameen.
O Allah! Give them victory over the criminal people.
O Allah! Destroy anyone who killed/ fought against Muslims. [congregation:] Ameen.
O Allah! Destroy anyone who displaced the sons of the Muslims. [congregation:] Ameen.
O Allah! Count their number; [congregation:] Ameen, slay them one by one, [congregation:] Ameen, and spare not one of them.[congregation:] Ameen.
O Allah! Purify Al-Aqsa Mosque from the filth of the Jews! [congregation:] Ameen.
O Allah! Purify Al-Aqsa Mosque from the filth of the Jews! [congregation:] Ameen.

June 16, 2016

O Allah, we ask You for… victory over the enemies. [congregation:] Ameen,
O Allah! Raise the standing of Islam and the Muslims. [congregation:] Ameen.
O Allah! Give victory (help) to your oppressed slaves all over the world, east to west. [congregation:] Ameen.
O Allah! Give victory (help) to your slaves who believe in the oneness of Allah, O the Lord of the Worlds! [congregation:] Ameen.
O Allah! Destroy the criminals. [congregation:] Ameen.
O Allah! Destroy anyone who inflicts injustice on your slaves, O the Lord of the Worlds! [congregation:] Ameen.
O Allah! Count their number; [congregation:] Ameen, slay them one by one, [congregation:] Ameen and spare not one of them. [congregation:] Ameen
O Allah! Do not defer [it] from them, O the Lord of the Worlds! [congregation:] Ameen
O Allah! Seize them with the seizure of One Mighty, Omnipotent [referring to a Quranic verse that deals with the punishment Allah inflicted on Pharaoh and his people] [congregation:] Ameen

June 13, 2016

You are our Protector and give us victory over the disbelieving people.
[congregation:] Ameen [declaration of affirmation]…
O Allah, give victory to Islam and raise the standing of the Muslims. [congregation:] Ameen.
O Allah, give victory to Islam and raise the standing of the Muslims. [congregation:] Ameen.
O Allah, whoever wishes good for Islam and the Muslims bestow all goodness upon him
O Allah, whoever wishes ill for us and wishes ill for Islam and the Muslims, make his plot (tied) around his neck. [congregation:] Ameen.
O Allah, turn fate against them, [congregation:] Ameen, and destroy/ annihilate them as You destroyed/ annihilated [the peoples] of ʿĀd and Thamud [ancient peoples annihilated by Allah because they didn’t heed the warnings of the prophets]. [congregation:] Ameen.

Ayman Elkasrawy said that he “never prayed for the killing of Jews.”13

In 2016 Mazin AbdulAdhim, a Canadian Muslim scholar affiliated with Hizb ut-Tahrir, commended a young Jordanian preacher who called on the Muslim nation to launch jihad to liberate Palestine and prayed to Allah to annihilate the Jews, the “enemies of humanity.”

The Jordanian child preacher Abd Al-Aziz Al-Sayifi took over the pulpit of mosques in Jordan and recited standard anti-Semitic and jihadi texts, criticizing Arab rulers for not liberating the Al-Aqsa Mosque.14 Here are excerpts from Al-Sayifi’s sermons as documented by MemriTV:15

[The Jews] sometimes claim that they are searching for their temple. They are plundering a land that is not theirs. Worse still, the extremist Zionists are now openly speaking about dividing Al-Aqsa Mosque in terms of space and times of prayer.

Jerusalem is crying for help: “Oh Arabs! Oh Muslim!”… We expect the Arabs and Muslims to adopt a more powerful stand in defence of Jerusalem and to devise a strategic plan to resist Zionist policies. We must preserve the resources of the Islamic nation, its ideology, its ulema [scholars]…

[Those who do not like] to climb mountains will forever live in pits, but the Arabs and Islamic peoples like to climb mountains and refuse to live in pits. I’m telling you, brothers, Palestine will not be liberated through negotiations but through jihad and struggle. Jerusalem lives on in the hearts of every Jordanian man and woman, and in the hearts of every Muslim man and woman.

[The Jews] are the enemies of all humanity, so Allah sentenced them to [inaudible]. They spread corruption in the land, and Allah does not like those who spread corruption. Where are the ulema [scholars] of the nation? Where are the armies? Where are its young people? Where are its men? Where are the Muslims?

Oh Allah, annihilate the Jews and those who help them and those who stand by them! Oh Allah, liberate our land. Oh Allah, free our prisoners. Oh Allah, protect the mujahideen [Muslims who wage war against infidels in the name of Islam] and the [Muslim] fighters.

And I, Abd Al-Aziz Al-Sayfi, would like to congratulate and salute you. Peace be upon you and may Allah’s mercy and blessings be upon you.”

Mazin AbdulAdhim called the Jordanian child preacher a “courageous voice of the Ummah [Muslim nation]” and a “giant of a man” who was “speaking the truth.” He accused the “cowards and the ignorant” in the Muslim nation of being “frightened of what the tyrants might say” and just “want to keep the corrupt situation unchanged.”

Here is Mazin AbdulAdhim’s Facebook post (June 25, 2016):

This is a young and amazingly courageous voice of the Ummah [Muslim nation]– a man in the body of a youth, and a leader standing with the courage that so many grown men among the Ummah lack – speaking the truth, without fear or repercussions or reprisal, without allowing the cowards to silence him.

Wallahi [by Allah] this shakes my heart. The Ummah needs more men with this sort of courage to stand up and speak the truth.

Look at the cowards stand up against this courageous brother, trying to silence him, and for what? They are frightened of what the tyrants might say; they want to keep the corrupt situation unchanged. They tell this courageous voice that what he is saying “is not allowed” and “this is taking us backwards.” Not allowed by whom exactly? Does Allah (swt) not allow him to speak the truth? Is speaking the truth ‘going backwards’?

By Allah, the only ones who take this Ummah backwards are the cowards and the ignorant among us who neither have the spine to speak the truth nor the comprehension to understand the Deen [religion] properly. They make excuses for the corruption around us, and only have the “courage” to attack those without influence; but when they deal with the wealthy or the politically connected, they are like a submissive pet who sits when told to sit.

The cowards and the ignorant are the ones who should be thrown off the pulpit as they throw this courageous young brother; they are the ones who should be thrown out of the Masjid [mosque] as they tried to throw him out. And the courageous and sincere men of the Ummah should be defended and raised to stand before us and speak the truth where they belong.

Khalid Ibn Al-Waleed (ra) said: فلا نامت أعين الجبناء “The eyes of the cowards cannot sleep,” which is referring to the fact that cowards act tough but cannot sleep out of fear of what might happen to them, and the courageous are the ones who are not afraid of reprisal or the repercussions of standing up for the truth.

May Allah (swt) bring forth all the courageous speakers like this giant of a man in the video. And may Allah (swt) silence the cowards and those addicted to the corruption that infests the Muslim lands.”

* * *

Notes

1 http://www.alforqannewspaper.ca/about-%D8%AA%D8%B9%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%81/

2 http://www.alforqannewspaper.ca/about-%D8%AA%D8%B9%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%81/

3 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FMagM2gstkKua4xiWAHjUuE4nzVg3qLd/view?usp=sharing

4 https://sunnah.com/muslim/54/105

5 http://icnacanada.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Syllabus-for-the-Month-of-April-for-MGAs-and-Members.pdf

6 http://bsia.ca/documents/riyad-us-saliheen-gardens-of-the-righteous-vol-i-and-ii.pdf

7 https://www.memri.org/tv/jordanian-cleric-montreal-friday-sermon-judgment-day-trees-and-stones-will-call-muslims-kill-jews  

8 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/imam-sermon-montreal-mosque-1.4037397  

9 https://www.memri.org/tv/montreal-sheikh-sayyed-al-ghitwai-calls-friday-sermons-allah-annihilate-jews-kill-them-one-one-do  

10 https://web.archive.org/web/20171104123303/www.icandalous.ca/en/press-release-about-incident-reported-cijnews-feb-8th-2017  

11 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yXajDGcUPQ&t=491s

12 https://dianebederman.com/fakenews-toronto-star-what-prayers-are-shared-in-the-masjid-toronto-mosque/

13 Ayman Elkarawy’s statement: https://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2017/10/30/i-never-prayed-for-the-killing-of-jews-elkasrawy.html. Ample evidence based on Islamic sources supports Halevi’s translation: http://acdemocracy.org/toronto-stars-fake-news-in-service-of-political-islam/; https://dianebederman.com/is-the-toronto-star-canadas-fakenews-media-outlet/; https://dianebederman.com/toronto-star-publishes-fake-news-but-refuses-to-retract-even-after-being-proven-wrong/; https://dianebederman.com/why-doesnt-the-toronto-star-correct-and-apologize-for-its-front-page-fakenews-article/; https://dianebederman.com/was-toronto-stars-front-page-expose-defamatory-fake-news/; https://dianebederman.com/toronto-star-fakenews-its-not-manipulation-its-an-ellipsis/; https://dianebederman.com/ibrahim-hindy-sets-his-own-definition-of-antisemitism-in-muslim-prayers /; https://dianebederman.com/fakenews-what-didnt-toronto-star-tell-readers-about-its-independent-expert/; https://dianebederman.com/fakenews-toronto-star-concealed-ayman-elkasrawys-affiliation-with-the-muslim-brothe; https://dianebederman.com/toronto-star-fakenews-writing-about-social-media-posts-but-neglecting-to-check-them/; https://dianebederman.com/fakenews-toronto-star-ignored-ayman-elkasrawys-sympathy-with-hamas-al-qassam-brigades/; https://dianebederman.com/fakenews-toronto-star-where-were-elkasrawys-anti-jewish-israel-posts/; https://dianebederman.com/toronto-star-fakenews-what-did-ayman-elkasrawy-mean-by-reciting-slay-them-one-by-one/; https://dianebederman.com/fakenews-toronto-star-what-prayers-are-shared-in-the-masjid-toronto-mosque/; https://dianebederman.com/why-did-fakenews-toronto-star-ignore-elkasrawys-third-supplication/; https://jcpa.org.il/2017/08/%D7%94%D7%9C%D7%90-%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%A1%D7%9C%D7%9E%D7%99%D7%9D/

14 http://www.memritv.org/clip_transcript/en/5536.htm

15 http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/5536.htm