The Respect of a Cousin
Published by Haseeb February 15th, 2006 in Islam, Current NewsThanks to sister Siham for forwarding this to me earlier this evening. Subhanallah, a very beautiful article published in The Jewish Week. Here are some excerpts:
The Respect Of A Cousin By Edward Miller
… As we condemn the violence on the streets, perhaps we should take a moment to understand the hurt in the hearts of the great majority of Muslims who did not engage in violence.
For Muslims, the mere rendering of an image of Muhammad is sacrilege. The portrayal of Muhammad in a pejorative fashion is to them an inconceivably offensive desecration, on the level of what would be for us the defilement of a Torah scroll. Because it was done in newspapers across Europe, it was a slap in the face repeated thousands of times….
… What can we do as Jews to lessen the hostilities? Perhaps, just perhaps, a little respect would help. Rather than ripping the wounds wider with editorial musings extolling freedom of speech and condemning violent protests, is it not time for a bit of healing?
The pages of this Jewish newspaper present a place for a small start by showing Muslims right here that though we too have the freedom to say anything we like, we choose to convey respect to our Muslim cousins. Printing something positive about Muhammad best does this. …
… We Jews need to learn to be more flexible, pursuing the claims of Jews expelled from Arab countries and criticizing anti-Jewish TV programs and cartoons in the Muslim media, while at the same time displaying gratitude for all the good Islam did for us. There is a time to jump over our pain and see the humanity of the other. That time is now. Let us start:
There is a Hadith (oral tradition concerning the words and works of Muhammad) recorded by Bukhari in the name of Amer Bin Rabiha that reads as follows:
“A funeral procession passed us and the Prophet stood up for it. We said, ‘but Prophet of God, this is a funeral of a Jew.’ The Prophet responded, ‘rise.’ ”
One can search the writings of the ancient non-Jewish world for a more powerful example of a public display of respect for the humanity of the Jew. There simply is no more powerful statement than the single word uttered by Muhammad nearly 14 centuries ago.
(Printed in The Jewish Week - 2/10/2006)
Now compare this response (that of a Non-Muslim) to the response felt by Muslims around the world with violence, bloodshed, destruction, desacrilization of Christian symbols (the Danish flag has a cross on it), anti-Semitism, etc…. Subhanallah its such a shame… :-/.
Anyways whoever this Edward Miller guy is, may The Most Merciful (Allah 
) mercifully reward him for his work and defense of our prophet in a way many of our Muslim brethren are failing to do so…
27 Responses to “The Respect of a Cousin”
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from: Germany de
Trackback on Feb 16th, 2006 at 6:23 pm
Its tough to respect those whom you are often taught to hate. Edward Miller is to be commended for his positive tone and call for understanding.
Haseeb, I don’t mean to off base, but I do not think we are allowed to ask Allah
to reward someone who has no imaan. Rather, we should ask that Allah 
guide such a person. This is my understanding but I could be wrong. Someone please correct me if this is the case. Wasalaamualaikum
Praying for mercy for a non-Muslim (From SunniPath)
Nawawi (Allah
have mercy on him) stated in his al-Adhkar that… it is permitted to pray for guidance for non-Muslims, good health well-being, and the like, because of the hadith of Anas (Allah 
be pleased with him) that, “The Prophet (Allah 
bless him & give him peace) asked for water and a Jew gave him some, so the Prophet (Allah 
bless him & give him peace) said to him, ‘May Allah 
make you beautiful,’ so the man did not see gray hair till he died.” …
There are many hadiths that mention this, and there is scholarly consensus (ijma`) on this matter.” [al-Mawsu`a al-Fiqhiyya, Kuwait]
As for making dua that Allah
give them that which is best for them, or that which they deserve, even after death, while consigning their affairs to Allah 
, there is nothing wrong with this.
Thanks for that Haseeb. “Give them that which is best for them, or that which they deserve, even after death…, is different than asking Allah
to reward them. Anyway, the point is understood.
wow that was amazing… i was thinking…maybe everyone should try senidng an email to the editor and tell tehm how much u liked the article… to encourage such behaviour u know? u can write it to: gary@jewishweek.org
its a lost cause….respect itself is lost on most people….if you really want to solve the jew muslim problem have all of the muslims and jews marry each other starting with yourselves and your children. Blood ties tie everything else together thereby making hatred really hard.
I’d marry a Jew. Too bad Muslim women aren’t allowed hahaha
This might sound disrespectful but its really not meant to be, in response to Uthman who sounds like a respectable guy
–Its tough to respect those whom you are often taught to hate. –
What respectful and intelligent person EVER said hate Anyone? The kid who wraps himself in a palestinian flag and curses jews while smoking all day and accomplishing nothing? I dont know any respectable people who teach hatred of anyone.
–Haseeb, I don’t mean to off base, but I do not think we are allowed to ask Allah
to reward someone who has no imaan. Rather, we should ask that Allah 
guide such a person. –
A person need not just follow the instruction manual word for word. A non muslim pulls your kid out of the path of a car that was about to hit em. Do you say thank you, may you be guided to Islam? Or do you wish only the very best for that person and also wish they might be guided to islam? Lets be human for a change
its a lost cause if ur going to act like smokey bear here.
Let us indeed be humans. Let Get Real though. Muslims in general are not painted with a friendly picture of Jews. Rather, its quite the opposite. I have seen otherwise good Muslims whom I have respect for often blinded by there hatred for Jews. They use the Qur’an to fuel their hatred as well as emotions surrounding the issue of Palestine. This is my opinion. If I never interacted with Jews personally or dealt with them in some way, I would probably have some type of emotional hatred directed at them. In fact, I still do. I know hatred is a very strong word and comes out as unhumane. I am not saying its right. Again, I like the idea of just being human for a change. Ehhh. I hope understands what I’m trying to say. PEACE
I get what your saying but that doesnt make it justified. Likewise Im sure there are many Jews who in general arent painted with a friendly picture of Muslims. In fact, many may be blinded by their hatred for Muslims. They can use Anti-Semitism in the Arab world, Jewish oppression, etc. to fuel their hatred as well. Does that justify their hatred for Muslims???
As Mr. Miller, Sister Sanaa, and many others say, Muslims and Jews are indeed Abrahamic Cousins. There is no group of people as similar to Muslims in terms of beliefs and practices than Jews and vice versa. We need to eliminate hatred of any form from our mentalities.
Ironically enough, those that really do hate Muslims, and mock our religion and beliefs (and ultimately have no respect for religion and tradition as a whole), probably arent too fond of Jews either. So in terms of these regards, were both in the same boat…
maybe growing up in america it’s different for me- but i grew up with jews in school and my dealings with them were very straight forward. i didn’t HATE them they were like another kid in school. to me an innocent jew killed is INNOCENT but to ppl growing up in arabic/muslim countries they are jews that deserved what they got. i went to uni in jordan and i constantly found myself trying to make ppl understand that a jew or even an american walking on the street killed by a roadside bomb or whatever is innocent. but whenever i said i always got shot down with this verse from the quran-
“And We prescribed to them in it that life is for life, and eye for eye, and nose for nose, and ear for ear, and tooth for tooth, and (that there is) reprisal in wounds..”
this is the way ppl think and why their hatred is so great. i also heard more than one person say that a jew that is killed - innocent or not- is not a loss for humanity because that jew may grow up and think or invent something that would kill many palestinians or muslims…
so this is ppl in arabic/muslim countries mentality just to give u an idea.
Haseeb we all know ur ancestors were Jews, so no need to prove your love for them. HAHHA
btw:
http://www.zaytuna.org/viewannouncements.asp
shaykh hamza yusuf - CNN - 10 PM tonight!
Salam alikoum,
I am surprised by certain comments. I live in France, I study in a university where there are many Jews. They’re not persons open mind, they live in autarky, they are narrow mind.
Mali, you speak by saying that all Moslem Arabic hate the Jews. What a joke !!!! The Jews hate all the Arabic Moslems in particular !!!
You speak about the racism of Moslem Arabic to the Jews but you don’t speak about the racism of the Jews to Moslem Arabic, the example of what undergoes palestinians is the most blatant. For me, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a policy conflict but for the Jews it is above all religious then policy.
We, the Moslems, we mix, Moslems of various nationalities, we mix people and have friends of different religion of ours. I remember 5 Jewish girls who stayed between them, which state of mind, and it’s not the only example.
The hatred of many Arabic Moslems is not guided by the Coran Usman Ghumman but it is the fact of a report. Of more, Mali if all Moslem Arabic hated every Jews, why there is a community Jew in Morocco, in Tunisia … as well as in Iran which is not an Arabic but country judged as anti-Jewish.
Smokey Bear you said : “if you really want to solve the jew muslim problem have all of the muslims and jews marry each other starting with yourselves and your children. Blood ties tie everything else together thereby making hatred really hard.” NEVER!!!! Ask to a Jew if he/she wants to marry a Moslem, he/she will answer you the same thing. According to me, to marry a Jew it is a total abomination, what a horror !!!!
J’aime les juifs. Je souhaite que je le pourrais un épouser. Je pense que tu dis n’est pas vrai. Pas tous juifs sont mauvais et pas tous musulmans sont des terroristes.
first of all, to “nadia”
—-We, the Moslems, we mix, Moslems of various nationalities, we mix people and have friends of different religion of ours. —-
—Mali, you speak by saying that all Moslem Arabic hate the Jews. What a joke !!!! The Jews hate all the Arabic Moslems in particular !!!—-
Hmmm, interesting. So in one sentence you are appalled that someone could suggest that muslims are EVER bigoted against jews. In the next sentence you say that All jews hate muslims! This doesnt make much sense to me.
You can say this however many times you want, but keep in mind that there are alot of muslims who hate jews in the arabic world and even in the US whichis famously integrated, youll find these morons walking around spewing hatred. In Iran, the PRESIDENT says the holocaust never happened. I’m not saying all muslims hate jews, im saying something very basic, that there are large numbers in each population that HATE the other but there are large numbers in each that do not. This is a very fundamental truth. You cant bomb some innocent people, end of story.
to Uthman–
I don’t know how u can have blind hatred for anyone if youve interacted with them and like them. I dont know what to think if thats the case.
to people in general
keep in mind that most of the people who really really hate muslims are alot of powerful christians and atheists andnationalists and white supremacists who hate jews just as much as muslims. theyre laughing at you b/c your funny. In italy, a cabinet minister of some sort was happy about the news that only native italians could enjoy the tax breaks given to those italians who have more kids so as to keep the population up. He said, “this law sends a clear message to Ali baba and Mohammed that having more kids isnt going to help them here”
The longer you hate/dislike blindly, the futher the religion will spiral into decline, and keep in mind, its going to decline once mass starvation sets in in a lot of the african and mideast muslim countries. whos going to help them? not UAE
The debate becomes interesting, Get Real, there is not only the president of Iran who says that the holocaust has never existed. In France, Jean Marie le Pen, president of the racist party said also it. Not need to be Iranian and Moslem!!!!!
You said : “The longer you hate/dislike blindly, the futher the religion will spiral into decline, and keep in mind, its going to decline once mass starvation sets in in a lot of the african and mideast muslim countries. whos going to help them? not UAE”
Let me laugh, there is more solidarity within the Moslem community than within the Christian community. What make the United States for his poor people ? Say me, I’m curious. Certain persons are obliged to take several works. Some people cannot treat themselves because they don’t have mutual illness. In the Muslim countries, we have Zakat, an obligation to help his Muslims brothers and sisters.
Every day, the Muslim community increases, MASHALLAH !!! If you think that religion is going to decline in the Africain and mideast countries cause poverty, it is wrong. Many Africain countries already know very hard periods, the lack of water, hunger…. And the opposite, it is religion which help them to support suffering. As for the Christians, you like the resolution of easiness to escape problems, s****** !!!!
Religion is in decline within the christian community, the Muslim community augments more and more, Mashallah!!!!!!!!.
May Allah
protects all the muslims, my brothers ans sisters all around the world, Amîne.
Et Says, je ne sais pas si tu es une fille ou un garçon, si tu es musulman ou pas. Mais épouse une ou un juif si ça te chante, je m’en moque royalement. Me concernant, jamais je n’épouserai un juif, JAMAIS !!!!!!
-there is not only the president of Iran who says that the holocaust has never existed. In France, Jean Marie le Pen, president of the racist party said also it. Not need to be Iranian and Moslem!!!!!-
exactly! im saying they are on both sides and for you to say that one side is absolutely right and the other is absolutely wrong is AN ABSOLUTELY false statement.
-Let me laugh, there is more solidarity within the Moslem community than within the Christian community-
Now let me laugh at your naivety. Do you know whats said about communism? Great in theory…theory.
Of course there is little solidarity in the christian community. But that doesnt mean there is a great deal in the muslim community..in terms of RESULTS. I havent noticed the jordanian/saudi arabian/egyptian/any muslim community say “We welcome you, the Palestinians, come and become citizens” Last I checked, they are still living 3 generations down the road, in refugee camps! I would also question how much money went from muslim countries, even rich ones like saudi arabia and UAE and Qatar to Indonesian relief, compared to the US or many european nations. I’m not saying zakat doesnt do anything - but lets not kid ourselves into thinking that muslim countries give more relief when you and i know its not true.
Im a guy and i’m not the one who made the muslims marry jews comment…but personally, im not thinking there are too many jews knocking on your door asking you so don’t be too worried. Not that theres anything wrong with it, I am an equal opportunity human
You said : “im not thinking there are too many jews knocking on your door asking you so don’t be too worried. Not that theres anything wrong with it, I am an equal opportunity human” I laughed by reading it, you are an equal opportunity human. Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!
In my daily life, I put forward my ethnic and religious origin, even if I don’t wear the hijjab. It’s clear that a Jew wouldn’t come to knock in my door, don’t worry you either, I’m not worried.
I’m sorry, but countries such as Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq have received many Palestinians. Notably, Jordan where there is 55 more than pourcents of Palestinians, what is huge, seen the area of the country. And all are not in refugee camps, as well as in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria. In my country Algeria, there are Palestinians, sorry to disappoint you but there are not refugee camps. They live in good conditions, with a good integration.
You said too : “Now let me laugh at your naivety.” My naivety, quite the contrary i am very very lucid. You and me, we just don’t agree on certain points, even a lot.
I’m curious, you understand french language ? What’s your nationality ? If you don’t want to tell it, it’s not grave, I’ll survive : ).
Je pense que Nadia et Get Real s’aiment.
I agree we disagree on many points. i recognize some of the spanish similarities so i got an idea. im south asian american but its the american part that gives me my liberal views
This mini-debate kinda explains what I am trying to say. Ideas or views of others is influenced by ones environment. When I use the word hate, I’m not talking about the Jewish guy cutting my hair or teaching me chemistry. Its more directed in a historical sense. I agree that we should not hate people blindly. I was trying to explore the reasons behind the hatred. Muslims are obsessed with Jews and do tend to blame them for all the worlds the problems. I was trying to understand what motivated this hate so I and others can correct ourselves. Again, I stress the environment one is around has an influence. I have often been around people who’ve made a habit of bashing Jews on a regular basis, directly or indirectly. And what about the fact that Muslims are supposed to fight them in end-times… Thanks for the comments and advice. Wasalaamualaikum
? Says, ton message m’a fait rire, Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ton français est un français sans faute, ça fait plaisir.
Usman Ghumman, if we had to begin to think about, why the Jews are so much detested ? Debate would be endless. Besides, certain countries such as Italy are traditionally racist and doesn’t love the Jews. One of my knowledge is Italian, born in France, he detests the Jews and its speech is hard contrary to the Jews. Why ? I don’t ask him, it is sure that I don’t fuel his hate, no way.
Get real, you are a south asian american, it’s rather vague, but it’s not grave : ).
Salam alikoum
:o) Le francais est une belle langue. Malheureusement j’oublie plus parce que je ne l’utilise pas souvent.
and thats all folks
Uthman is the man
noooo, I think Ali is Maaaan! rrreeeal maaaan! i liiiiike you…do you liiike me??