Why don't the Children of Israel read the Qur'an to discern truth from falsehood since for true believers there is not a single word that can offend any naturally upright and honest person?

Answer 1

Many Jews have read the Qur'an and they consider the book to be at best a good example of Arabic poetry and at worst a condemnation of Jewish people, Judaism, and the Jewish faith. The question comes from the perspective that the Qur'an is so holy and so perfect that any person who reads it will be instantly converted to Islam; but this is not the case. Additionally, there are many words that can offend naturally upright and honest people when those words are followed by violence. While it is true that most Muslims are loving and peaceful people, it would be a failure to note that words have an incredible power to convince people to do heinous acts.

Aside from the fact that Jews believe that it would be impossible for Mohammed to have been endowed with prophecy since he was born over 800 years after the death of Micah, the Qur'an is viewed by Jews as a false copy of their pre-existing traditions.

The Qur'an's Nature as a Composite Document

The Qur'an is a composite of several previously existing traditions that Mohammed merged and aggregated. Probably the most central basis of the Qur'an is Jewish tradition. This does not mean that the Qur'an lifted phrases only from The Bible, but rather that the Qur'an repeated stories or paraphrases of Jewish sources the commented on the Bible and that existed by 500 C.E. -- over 50 years prior to Qur'anic Revelation.

Some of these verses include:

• Q: 5:31 which corresponds to a story in Targum Y. ben Uzziah -- A raven scratches the ground to tell a dumbfounded Cain how to dig a burial pit for his murdered brother.
• Q: 5:32 which corresponds to Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5 -- This is the famous line that killing one person is like killing the entire world. Both specifically related this story to Cain because the bloods of Abel cry out.
• Q: 21:50-71 which corresponds with Midrash Breishit 38:11-13 -- Abraham is breaking idols in his father, Terah's workshop. The idolmakers get furious and demand that Abraham be punished. Abraham protests saying that the idols are meaningless because there is only One God and He is not in the idols. The idolmakers decide to burn him alive for desecrating the idols, but Abraham miraculously escapes being burned alive.
• Q: 24:24 which corresponds with Chagigah 16, Taanith 11 -- Both sources allege that the various body parts (specifically hands and feet) of a person will testify against him when he arrives in heaven by literally speaking to God.
• Q: 27:16-44 which corresponds with Targum Esther -- Solomon speaks to a large and powerful bird who informs him that there is a Queen in a remote land, which happens to be the Queen of Sheba in Ethiopia. Solomon demands that the bird bring her a message to come and treat with him. The Queen complies and believes Solomon to be a very wise king.

In addition to the numerous Qur'anic verses that have origins in Jewish belief, the entire system of Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqh) is modeled in the same manner as Rabbinic scholarship. Holy Texts are read and interpreted to give meaning and discretion to current situations and these are debated by jurists (Faqih) until such a time as an answer is created and a religious decision (fatwa) published. (Judaism is the same, but replace Fiqh with Oral Law, Faqih with Rabbi, and fatwa with responsum.)

Additional similarities between the religions include that both Judaism and Islam reject the Trinity as the Godhead, are based in orthopraxis (doing over believing), have a form of religious jurisprudence based on their holy books, have dietary restrictions, and pray in distinct holy languages at set intervals during the day.

Qur'anic Assaults on the Dignity of Jews

There is a negative Qur'anic impression of Jews, which portrays them as greedy, selfish, untrustworthy, and as violators of God's laws. While it may be that these verses are directed specifically at Banu Qurayza and Banu Qaynuqa (the Jewish Arab Tribes of Medina that gave Muslims problems), these verses do not clarify that; only knowledge of Mohammed's life in conjunction with the revelation show that. See the relevant verses below, all translations from Sahih International:

Jews have been cursed as apes

Q: 2:63-66: 63 And [recall] when We took your covenant, [O Children of Israel, to abide by the Torah] and We raised over you the mount, [saying], "Take what We have given you with determination and remember what is in it that perhaps you may become righteous." 64 Then you turned away after that. And if not for the favor of Allah upon you and His mercy, you would have been among the losers. 65 And you had already known about those who transgressed among you concerning the sabbath, and We said to them, "Be apes, despised." 66 And We made it a deterrent punishment for those who were present and those who succeeded [them] and a lesson for those who fear Allah.

AND

Q: 4:47: 47 O you who were given the Scripture, believe in what We have sent down [to Muhammad], confirming that which is with you, before We obliterate faces and turn them toward their backs or curse them as We cursed the sabbath-breakers. And ever is the decree of Allah accomplished.

Jews are incredibly greedy

Q: 2:96: 96 And you will surely find [the Jews] the most greedy of people for life - [even] more than those who associate others with Allah . One of them wishes that he could be granted life a thousand years, but it would not remove him in the least from the [coming] punishment that he should be granted life. And Allah is Seeing of what they do.

Jews and Christians actively conspire against Islam

Q: 2:109: 109 Many of the People of the Scripture wish they could turn you back to disbelief after you have believed, out of envy from themselves [even] after the truth has become clear to them. So pardon and overlook until Allah delivers His command. Indeed, Allah is over all things competent.

Jews are almost all deceitful

Q: 5:13: 13 So for their breaking of the covenant We cursed [the Jews] and made their hearts hard. They distort words from their [proper] usages and have forgotten a portion of that of which they were reminded. And you will still observe deceit among them, except a few of them. But pardon them and overlook [their misdeeds]. Indeed, Allah loves the doers of good.

AND

Q: 62:6-8: 6 Say, "O you who are Jews, if you claim that you are allies of Allah , excluding the [other] people, then wish for death, if you should be truthful." 7 But they will not wish for it, ever, because of what their hands have put forth. And Allah is Knowing of the wrongdoers. 8 Say, "Indeed, the death from which you flee - indeed, it will meet you. Then you will be returned to the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, and He will inform you about what you used to do."

Jews kill Prophets and disdain Divine Mandates

Q: 5:70-71: 70 We had already taken the covenant of the Children of Israel and had sent to them messengers. Whenever there came to them a messenger with what their souls did not desire, a party [of messengers] they denied, and another party they killed. 71 And they thought there would be no [resulting] punishment, so they became blind and deaf. Then Allah turned to them in forgiveness; then [again] many of them became blind and deaf. And Allah is Seeing of what they do.

Jews associate partners with God

Q: 9:30 30 The Jews say, "Ezra is the son of Allah"; and the Christians say, "The Messiah is the son of Allah ." That is their statement from their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved [before them]. May Allah destroy them; how are they deluded?

(Of course, it is worth noting that no scholar has found any historical evidence for Jews saying that Ezra/Ozair is a son of God. This is a claim made only by this Qur'anic verse.)