Houston, Texas Imam, In Sermon On 'Our Duties Towards Al-Quds [Jerusalem],' Denies Jewish Connection To Palestine, References Hadith About Killing Jews: On Judgment Day 'The Muslims Will Kill The Jews... The Stones And The Trees Will Say: Oh Muslim, Oh Servant Of Allah, There Is A Jew Hiding Behind Me, Come And Kill Him... This Is The Promise Of Allah'

In his Friday, December 8, 2017 sermon titled "Our Duties Towards Al-Quds [Jerusalem]" at the Tajweed Institute's Houston, Texas branch, the institute's imam and founder, Sheikh Raed Saleh Al-Rousan, speaking in a combination of Arabic and English, referenced the widely quoted Hadith stating that on Judgment Day, the Muslims will fight the Jews and kill them, saying:

"My brothers, the Prophet Muhammad brought the good tidings, when he said: 'Judgment day will not come until the Muslims fight the Jews. The Muslims will kill the Jews, and the Jews will hide behind the stones and the trees, [which] will say: Oh Muslim, oh servant of Allah, there is a Jew hiding behind me, come and kill him... This is the promise of Allah." He added: "The hour [i.e. Judgment Day) will not start until Muslims fight the Jews there, in Palestine."

He also said that since "Britain brought Jewish [people] from different countries to live in Palestine... do not tell me that Palestine is the country of the Jewish [people]."

The video of the sermon was posted by the Tajweed Institute on its Facebook and YouTube accounts.[1]

Sheikh Al-Rousan speaking at the Tajweed Institute. Source: Facebook.com/pg/tajweedinstitute/posts/?ref=page_internal, accessed December 18, 2017.

According to its Facebook page and its website,[2] the Tajweed Institute, which Sheikh Al-Rousan established in Florida in 2013, with its Houston branch opening in mid-2017,[3] is "a  non-profit, 501(c)(3), institute that strives to teach and spread the authentic knowledge of the Glorious Quran. Our goal is to spread the skills of Tajweed [correct recitation of the Koran]to all Muslims, young and old, so they can carry on this knowledge to future generations.​"[4]

Sheikh Al-Rousan, who according to the Facebook page was born in Jordan, has a Bachelors degree in Islamic Hadith from the Islamic University of Al-Madina, Saudi Arabia,[5] and, after arriving in the U.S. in 2007, earned a Masters in Islamic Studies from the Graduate Theological Foundation in Indiana. He has served as imam in mosques in Jordan and the U.S., including at Masjid Al-Qassam in Tampa, FL and Ebad AlRahman in Saint Petersburg, FL. Several YouTube videos, in both Arabic and English, show him teaching Quran recitation at various venues.[6] He has also led a Hifdh (Quran memorization) program for grades 4-9 at the American Youth Academy in Tampa.[7]

The Tajweed Institute Facebook page shows that Sheikh Al-Rousan teaches courses on Quran recitation and leads other events, for example, a February 5, 2016 fundraising event for the Austin Peace Academy,[8] an event at the Islamic Society of Arlington, Texas,[9] a November 11, 2016 Night of Quran Recitation at the Masjid As-Salam in Houston,[10] an April 155, 2016 event titled "The Successful Marriage" at the North Austin Muslim Community Center,[11] and a pre-Ramadan course at the River Oaks Islamic Center in Houston.

The following is the MEMRI TV clip and transcript of Sheikh Al-Rousan's December 8, 2018 statements:

To view this clip, click here or below:

 

"The Jews Killed The Prophets; They Did Not Accept Any Religion"

Raed Al-Rousan: "[The Jews] killed the Prophets and the messengers of Allah. They did not accept any religion, and they even changed the Torah. They became enemies of each other and they fought each other, brothers and sisters. Go and read the history."

 

"Britain... Brought Jewish [People]... To Live In Palestine... Do Not Tell Me That Palestine Is The Country Of The Jewish [People]"

"Nowadays, they say: You know, we have been living in Palestine for thousands of years. After the fall of the Ottoman Caliphate, they were able to... Britain entered and did what it did in Palestine, and they brought the Jews, and now they are bringing Jews from all corners of the earth. They are amassing their multitudes over there. So after, you know, the Ottoman kingdom... After it was ended... Britain, who made that agreement, brought Jewish [people] from different countries to live in Palestine. So do not tell me that Palestine is the country of the Jewish [people]. No!

 

"And Solomon, and the Temple... When did Solomon come, anyway? This is after... you know... the Prophets, you know, Solomon and David... So we speak about… you know, not in the early time, not in the early time. These are the facts that we need to know and understand, brothers and sisters. So yes, Trump was mistaken."

 
 

[...]

"The Prophet Muhammad Brought The Good Tidings When He Said: Judgment Day Will Not Come Until The Muslims Fight The Jews; The Muslims Will Kill The Jews"

"My brothers, the Prophet Muhammad brought the good tidings, when he said: 'Judgment day will not come until the Muslims fight the Jews. The Muslims will kill the Jews, and the Jews will hide behind the stones and the trees, and 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, which is one of their trees. This is the promise of Allah.

  

  

  

   

"The hour [i.e. Judgment Day] will not start until Muslims fight the Jews there, in Palestine. And they know that fact. The Muslims will have victory. Jews will hide behind the trees and the stones, and the stones and the trees will call the Muslims: 'Oh Muslim, come, there is a Jew behind me,' except for a kind of tree called 'Gharqad,' and, Allah be praised, they try to plant a lot of this Gharqad there, because they know these facts, brothers and sisters. But they are trying to delay it."

  

A "Jewish Soldier" Said: "Your God Will Give You Victory... When You Guys" Attend The Dawn And Friday Prayers "In The Same Numbers"; They "Are Trying To Put All Obstacles In Front Of Us... They Don't Want Us To Know Our Religion"

"A Jewish soldier once told one of my friends: 'Do you know when you are going to have victory upon us? Do you know when your God will give you victory?' He said: 'No, I don't know.' He said: 'When you guys will be in the same numbers in the dawn prayers and the Friday prayers.'

  

   

"They know, but they are trying to put all the obstacles in front of us, because they do not want us to be religious, they don't want us to know our religion.

 

"All these games in the Muslim and Arab countries are from them. They do not want a Muslim leader. Look at what happened in Egypt. They don't want a Muslim leader, because they know what will happen."