Why Did Muslims Not Exterminate the Jews Throughout History?
Why Did Muslims Not Exterminate the Jews Throughout History? This is a question that may arise in the minds of many Muslims and perhaps non-Muslims as well. If Islamic texts describe the Jews as the most intense in hostility toward the believers, and mention that the decisive battle before the end of time will be with them, and that they will fight alongside the False Messiah (al-Masih al-Dajjal) against the Muslims; and if Surah al-Isra (the Night Journey) refers to two major periods of corruption involving them in Palestine and at Al-Aqsa Mosque, followed by their gathering again in Jerusalem after their dispersion, then why did Muslims and their rulers throughout history not attempt to exterminate them? On the contrary, Muslims often rescued them and treated them with benevolence, to the extent that some Jews rose to high ranks in government and society. Indeed, Jewish life under Islamic rule is often described as a “Golden Age” in their history, during which their...