The Use Of Early Religious Sources In The Hamas Charter To Incite Genocidal War Against The Jews

The Hamas Charter is an authoritative Islamic religious text. In its treatment of Jews, the Charter is antisemitic; the hatred of Jews within it combines anti-Jewish Islamic motifs found in the Quran and Hadith with the antisemitic motif of the "Protocols of the Elders of Zion," which originates in Europe.[1]

Quranic verses and Hadith traditions cited in the Charter convey that the Jews, including those living today, are the eternal enemies of Muslims. The war against them began in the time of the Prophet Muhammad and will continue until the end of days, when the Muslims will finally annihilate them. In fact, Hamas writings imply that the war of the end of days is already unfolding (an idea that echoes a central belief of the  Daesh (ISIS) organization).[2]

The Charter's characterization of the Jews also draws directly from "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion," which is presented in the Charter as  an authentic document. Moreover, the Charter interweaves the text of the Protocols with Quranic verses and Hadith, thus causing it to be perceived as an authoritative Islamic religious text. The result is a depiction of the Jews as an ancient evil force that acts in the world with the goal of achieving global domination and destroying Islam.

The following will describe the Charter's use of Quranic verses, Hadith traditions and jurisprudential literature to instruct its readers about the wickedness of the Jews and the obligation to wage jihad against them until they are destroyed.

The Introduction To The Charter Presents the Jews as the Enemies of Islam Who Must Be Fought

The Hamas Charter is preceded by a short introductory text consisting of selected quotations intended to arouse the religious emotions of believing readers and incite them to fight the Jews and Israel and to participate in the struggle to save the Islamic world. This introductory text already presents harsh Quranic verses depicting the Jews as the enemies of the Muslims. (Although the term "People of the Book" is used, the detailed derogatory descriptions in the verses are well-known to be Quranic texts referring to the Jews):

 "You are the best nation that has been brought out for mankind. You command good and forbid evil and believe in Allah. If only the people of the Book had believed, it would have been well for them. Some of them believe, but most of them are iniquitous. They will never be able to do you serious harm, they will only be an annoyance. If they fight you, they will turn their backs and flee, and will not be succored. Humiliation is their lot wherever they may be, except where they are saved from it by a bond with Allah or by a bond with men. They incurred upon themselves Allah's wrath, and wretchedness is their lot, because they denied Allah's signs and wrongfully killed the prophets, and because they disobeyed and transgressed" (Quran, 3:110-112).

The Charter itself begins with a preamble written in a highly religious style. The Preamble concludes with further harsh statements against the Jews, reinforced with additional Quranic verses, which affirm to the reader that the statements just made against the Jews express an exalted divine truth (even if, in some of these verses, the Jews themselves are only implied by the context):

"…Our fight with the Jews is very extensive and very grave, and it requires all the sincere efforts. It is a step that must be followed by further steps; it is a brigade that must be reinforced by brigades upon brigades from this vast Islamic world, until the enemies are defeated and Allah's victory is revealed. This is how we see them coming on the horizon: 'And after a time you will come to know about it (Quran, 38:88).' Allah has written: 'It is I and My messengers who will surely prevail. Allah is Strong and Mighty' (Quran, 58:21). 'Say: This is my way. I call on Allah with certainty, I and those who follow me, and glory be to Allah, I am not among the polytheists (Quran, 12:108).'"

The Charter Views Contemporary Jews As The Successors Of Those Who Were Enemies Of The Prophet And The Early Muslims

The Charter considers today's Jews to be the successors of the Prophet's adversaries. It also draws lessons from the Prophet's battles against the Jews in understanding the behavior of Jews in the present.

Article 31 (in which the Charter claims that Islam grants rights to people of different religions) draws such a link between the current conflict around Palestine and Muhammad's confrontation with the Jews during his lifetime:

"The followers of the other religions should stop competing with Islam for sovereignty in this region, because, when they rule, there is nothing but carnage, torture and deportation, and they cannot get along with their own, let alone with followers of other religions. Both the present and the past are full of evidence for this.

'They do not fight you together, except from within fortified villages, or from behind walls. They fight fiercely with one another. You consider them to be united, but their hearts are divided, for they are a people with no sense (Quran, 59:14).'"

Significantly, the text immediately goes on to emphasize that the Jews in Israel (referred to in particularly harsh terms as "Nazi Zionist") are destined for destruction, and reinforces this by quoting a famous ancient saying (highlighted below in bold) attributed by many to the fourth Caliph, Ali ibn Abi Talib:

"Islam accords to every person his rights, and prevents any infringement on other people's rights. The Nazi Zionist measures against our people will not succeed in prolonging the duration of their invasion, for the rule of injustice lasts but one hour, while the rule of the truth will last until the Hour of Resurrection."

The War Against The Jews Is Portrayed As Enduring Until The End Of Days And The Annihilation Of The Jews

Two Hadith traditions are quoted in the Charter to indicate that the fight against the Jews will continue until the end of days. One asserts that the struggle against the Jews and their destruction will be carried out by Muslims, while the other promises that the region of "Greater Syria" (Al-Sham), including Palestine (Bayt Al-Maqdis), will be subject to unceasing Jihad until the end of days.

The first tradition – promising that the fight against the Jews will continue until the end of days and until their destruction – is the well-known Hadith of the Trees and the Stones, and is embedded in Article 7 of the Charter:

"…The Islamic Resistance Movement aspires to realize the promise of Allah, no matter how long it takes. The Prophet, Allah's prayer and peace be upon him, says: 'The hour of judgment shall not come until the Muslims fight the Jews and kill them, so that the Jews hide behind trees and stones, and each tree and stone will say: "Oh Muslim, oh servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him," except for the Gharqad tree, for it is the tree of the Jews (Recorded in the Hadith collections of Bukhari and Muslim).'"[3]

The second tradition, in which the Prophet states that the jihad in Palestine will continue until the end of days (thus necessitating a war against the Jews currently living there), is found in Article 34:

"Palestine is the center of the Earth and the meeting place of the continents; it has always been the target of greedy aggressors. This has been the case since the dawn of history. The Prophet, Allah's prayer and peace be upon him, points to this in his noble words with which he addressed his exalted companion, Mu'adh b. Jabal, saying: 'Oh Mu'adh, Allah will give you the land of Al-Sham after my death, from Al-Arish to the Euphrates. Its men, women and handmaids will be [constantly] stationed on the frontier until the Day of Resurrection, for any one of you who chooses [to live in] some part of the coastal plains of Al-Sham or Bayt Al-Maqdis [that is, Palestine], will be in a [constant] state of jihad until the Day of Resurrection.'"[4]

The Obligation Of Jihad Against The Jews

Article 12 of the Charter asserts, quoting a legal text already known in the 11th century, that the duty of Jihad against the Jews is an individual obligation incumbent upon every man and woman.

"When the enemy tramples Muslim territory, waging jihad and confronting the enemy become a personal duty of every Muslim man and Muslim woman. A woman may go out to fight the enemy [even] without her husband's permission and a slave without his master's permission."[5]

This principle, that the duty of Jihad against the Jews (whom the Charter also calls "Zionists," "the enemies" and even "Nazis")[6] is an individual obligation, is mentioned several times in the Charter, accompanied by a call for all Muslims to participate in this jihad, including the Palestinians (with Hamas at the forefront), the inhabitants of the countries bordering Palestine, and indeed all Muslims worldwide. A clear example of this can be found in Article 32, one of the most antisemitic sections of the Charter. Immediately after depicting the Jews as fulfilling their plan to dominate the world, as described in the "Protocols of the Elders of Zion," the article presents the duty of Jihad against the Jews as a duty from which retreat is absolutely forbidden, using a well-known Quranic verse that prohibits the believers from shirking holy war:

"…Leaving the circle of the conflict with Zionism is an act of high treason; all those who do this shall be cursed. 'Whoever [when fighting the infidels] turns his back to them, unless maneuvering for battle or intending to join another [fighting] company, he incurs Allah's wrath, and his abode shall be hell. Most unfortunate is his fate' (Quran, 8:16). All forces and capabilities must be pooled to confront this ferocious Mongol, Nazi onslaught, lest homelands be lost, people be exiled, evil spread on the earth and all religious values be destroyed. Each and every person should know that he is responsible to Allah."

Article 32 is given special weight by the Quranic verse quoted at its conclusion:

"In the circle of the conflict against world Zionism, the Islamic Resistance Movement sees itself as a spearhead or as a step forward on the road [to victory]. It joins its efforts to the efforts of all those who are active in the Palestinian arena. It now remains for steps to be taken by the Arab and Islamic world. [The Islamic Resistance Movement] is well qualified for the upcoming stage [of the struggle] with the Jews, the warmongers. 'We have planted enmity and hatred among them [that is, among the Jews] until the Day of Resurrection. Every time they kindle the fire of war, Allah extinguishes it. They strive to spread evil upon the earth, and Allah does not love those who do evil. (Quran 5:64).'"

Islamizing The "Protocols Of The Elders Of Zion" Through Association With Quranic Verses And Hadith Traditions[7]

The Charter interweaves the contents of the Protocols with quotations from the Quran and Hadith, thereby granting them the authority of divine truth and evoking a religious experience in the reader. A clear example of this is found in Article 22, where a Quranic verse (the same verse mentioned in the previous section) [8] immediately follows a sentence from the Protocols:

"... There is no end to what can be said about [their involvement in] local wars and world wars … Wherever there is war in the world, it is they who are pulling the strings behind the scenes. Whenever they ignite the fire of war, Allah extinguishes it. They strive to spread evil in the land, but Allah does not love those who do evil (Quran 5:64)."

Here, the reader encounters a perceived Jewish threat that is prominently featured in the Protocols: the Jews are behind all the wars in the world. This accusation is seamlessly integrated into an Islamic context by means of the Quranic quote, which affirms the Protocols' claim that Jews are instigators of conflict. The verse also provides a religious Islamic response to this perceived threat: Allah does not favor those who incite wars and will ensure their defeat (by extinguishing the fire of wars they kindle). The devout reader is thus encouraged by the Quran to follow God's will and combat the Jews.

Having combined text from the Protocols and the Quran to convey that all wars are orchestrated and "ignited" by the Jews, Article 22 envisions what is to come: a conflict in which all infidels will join the Jews in fighting against Islam. In describing this conflict the article incorporates a well-known ancient saying,  that " all unbelief is one denomination ." This saying (highlighted below in bold) originates in Hadith literature and attributed by many to the second caliph, Umar ibn Al-Khattab (d. 644), one of the two figures whose words are accepted in Sunni Islam as the highest source of authority after the Prophet Muhammad.

The article says: "The colonialist powers, both in the capitalist West and the communist East, support the enemy (i.e the Jews) with all their might, both materially and with manpower, alternating one with the other [in giving support]. When Islam appears, all the forces of unbelief will unite to oppose it, for all unbelief is one denomination. "

* Dr. Eliyahu Stern is a researcher at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a research fellow at MEMRI.