A Historical Study of Zionism, Judaism, and the Islamic Perspective on Peace and Coexistence
Originally published in 1980, Islam and the Problem of Israel offers a comprehensive historical and intellectual analysis of one of the twentieth century's most complex questions. Written by distinguished scholar Dr. Ismail Raji al-Faruqi, this work examines the intersection of Western colonialism, European Zionism, and the Muslim World.
What This Book Examines:
Dr. al-Faruqi traces the historical roots of the modern Israel question through three interconnected narratives: the long history of Muslim-Christian relations since the seventh century, the experience of European Jewry from medieval persecution through the Enlightenment to modern nationalism, and the emergence of political Zionism as a European romantic movement in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
The book provides detailed analysis of Jewish history under Christendom, examining the centuries of persecution that shaped European Jewish consciousness, the brief promise of Emancipation during the Enlightenment, and the subsequent rise of romantic nationalism that led to renewed anti-Jewish sentiment. Al-Faruqi distinguishes between universalist and ethnocentric strands within Jewish scripture and tradition, offering a nuanced reading of religious texts.
The author examines political Zionism's development as a response to European persecution, analyzing how Theodor Herzl and other founders adapted European nationalist ideology to Jewish concerns. He traces the Balfour Declaration, British Mandate policies in Palestine, and the 1948 establishment of Israel through the lens of colonial history.
The Islamic Framework:
Central to the work is al-Faruqi's presentation of Islamic constitutional principles regarding religious pluralism. He examines the Covenant of Madinah and the Islamic legal tradition of dhimmi status, which historically provided Jewish and Christian communities autonomous religious and legal jurisdiction within Islamic states. The author documents the "Golden Age" of Jewish scholarship, language, and philosophy that flourished under Islamic civilization from Spain to Baghdad.
Al-Faruqi's Islamic analysis critiques both the injustices committed in establishing Israel and the theological problems he identifies in political Zionism's interpretation of Judaism. He proposes that authentic Jewish security and religious freedom would be best guaranteed within a reconstituted Islamic state governed by Shari'ah principles of religious tolerance.
Who This Book Is For:
This work is valuable for students of Middle Eastern history, Islamic studies, Jewish studies, and political science. It offers Muslim readers an Islamic framework for understanding a defining issue of the twentieth century. General readers interested in religious approaches to the Palestine question will find detailed historical context often absent from contemporary discussions. Academic libraries and interfaith study programs will benefit from its documentation of Islamic legal principles regarding religious minorities.
Historical Context:
Written during a period when academic discussion of Palestine remained relatively open, this book represents an important document in Islamic intellectual history. While readers may not agree with all of al-Faruqi's conclusions, his work remains significant for understanding how Muslim scholars have engaged with questions of justice, religious identity, and political sovereignty.
This edition preserves the complete original 1980 text without alteration.
