Fun Fact: The Qur’an is Zionist.

Many people are surprised to see that Islam’s foundational text affirms the Jewish historical and spiritual connection to the Land of Israel.

photo: Malik Shibly/Unsplash

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Many people today are surprised to learn that the Qur’an, Islam’s foundational scripture, contains passages that unambiguously affirm the Jewish historical and spiritual connection to the Land of Israel.

In an era when political narratives often attempt to erase or rewrite that connection, returning to the Qur’an itself reveals a text that recognizes the Jewish claim as both divine and enduring. In this sense, the Qur’an can be seen as a profoundly Zionist document, commanding the Children of Israel to enter the land and never look back.

The clearest example of this appears in Surah Al-Ma’idah (5:21), where Moses addresses the Israelites:

“O my people, enter the Holy Land which God has assigned to you, and do not turn back shamefully, for then you will be overthrown, to your own ruin. My people, enter the Holy Land Allah has promised you, and don’t turn your backs, or you will become losers.”

The Arabic phrase kataba Allahu lakum (“God has written/ordained for you”) leaves no room for ambiguity: The Land of Israel is a divine inheritance. The command “Do not turn back” emphasizes perseverance and steadfastness, echoing the core Zionist principle that the Jewish people are meant to reclaim and inhabit their ancestral homeland regardless of opposition or difficulty.

This theme is reinforced in Surah Al-Isra (17:104), which speaks of the Israelites’ return to the land after dispersion: “And We said to the Children of Israel after that: ‘Dwell in the land, and when the final promise comes, We will bring you forth as a mixed assembly.’” Both passages underline that the Jewish connection to the land is not temporary, political, or incidental, but divinely sanctioned and historically continuous.

Understanding the Qur’an’s affirmation of Jewish ties to Israel requires placing it in historical context. When Muhammad arrived in Medina in 622 CE, he encountered several Jewish tribes, most prominently the Qaynuqa, Nadir, and Qurayza. These tribes were influential in trade, agriculture, and local governance and had long been integrated into the social and political fabric of Medina. Muhammad initially sought their recognition as prophet and ally, even going so far as to adjust early Islamic practice (directing prayers toward Jerusalem and adopting Yom Kippur-like fasting) to accommodate Jewish sensibilities.

Yet the tribes largely resisted, viewing Muhammad as a messenger for Arabs rather than a prophet for all Israel. In response, the Qur’an began issuing polemics against them, culminating in a series of political and military confrontations that included sieges, deportations, and property confiscations. These events, recorded both in Muslim and Western scholarship, form the backdrop for much of the Qur’an’s “Jewish” content.

Herein lies some of the contradiction between the Qur’an being Zionist and it being flagrantly antisemitic. Scholars estimate that over 10 percent of the Qur’an contains antisemitic material. These verses describe sins, disobedience, and the breaking of covenants, echoing biblical themes while casting Muhammad’s contemporaries in a moral and theological struggle.

For isntance, Surah 2:61 and 3:112 describe Jews as having “shame and misery stamped upon them” and incurring God’s wrath because they “killed the prophets” and defied Allah’s will. Surah 5:64-65 even describes some Jews as “cursed” and likens them to apes and swine. Simultaneously, other verses acknowledge divine guidance given to the Israelites, their covenantal role, and their eventual triumph, as in Surah 17:4-7, which references their punishment and subsequent restoration.

What’s more, the Qur’an groups anti-Jewish and anti-Christian sentiments together. In Surah 5:51, it warns believers not to take the Jews and Christians as awliya (often translated as “friends” or “allies”), stating they are allies of each other, and whoever does so becomes one of them. Surah 9:29 calls to “fight those who were given the Scripture” (Jews and Christians) who do not believe in Allah and the Last Day, until they pay a special tax (jizya) “in humiliation.”

The Qur’an also critiques the religious leadership of the Jews, emphasizing adherence to rabbis over direct obedience to God (9:30-31), and portrays them as hostile toward Muhammad’s followers (5:85, 33:26). These verses, rooted in the specific historical tensions of 7th-century Arabia, have been interpreted by some scholars as early sources of Muslim anti-Jewish sentiment, though it is also fair to say that they reflect disputes over theology, leadership, prophecy, and law rather than modern racialized antisemitism.

Regardless, this historical and theological duality makes the Qur’an a fascinating witness to the Jewish claim to Israel. The polemics against Jews in 7th-century Arabia do not erase the text’s recognition of their divine inheritance. On the contrary, by repeatedly highlighting the Israelites’ covenantal role and their commanded presence in the land, the Qur’an preserves, within its narrative, a recognition of Jewish nationhood and historical continuity that aligns with modern Zionist understanding.

The implications are striking. Modern Islamic anti-Zionist rhetoric often asserts that the Jewish connection to Israel is a colonial imposition or political fabrication. Yet the Qur’an, a text central to the lives of over a billion people for 14 centuries, repeatedly confirms the opposite: The Israelites’ historical and spiritual rights are divinely sanctioned. Even as polemics in the Qur’an reflect the historical conflicts of Muhammad’s time, the overarching narrative affirms the legitimacy of Jewish habitation of the land.

The challenge, then, is interpretive: to read the text with historical awareness, to distinguish between polemical criticism of Jews and affirmation of divine promise, and to recognize the continuity of Jewish presence in the Land of Israel.

In conclusion, the Qur’an is unexpectedly Zionist. It commands the Israelites to inhabit the land, documents their covenantal bond, and preserves the memory of divine promise.

So, why, then, is antisemitism so pervasive among many modern-day Muslims? The answer is complex, but for the sake of brevity, I want to highlight three primary drivers.

The first has to do with post-Quranic development of Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh). Early Islamic jurists developed concepts such as:

• Dar al-Islam (Abode of Islam): territories where Islamic law (Sharia) is dominant and Muslims can practice their faith freely under Muslim governance

• Dar al-Harb (Abode of War): territories ruled by non-Muslims

• Dar al-’Ahd or Dar al-Amn (Abode of Covenant/Safety): an intermediate status for non-Muslim lands with which there is a peace treaty or covenant

These divisions were formulated by scholars during periods of early Islamic expansion, roughly a century after the Prophet Muhammad, as an attempt to provide a legal framework for their specific historical and political contexts.

In the contemporary world, some extremist or literalist groups still adhere to the strict, classical interpretation, using it to advocate for the re-establishment of Islamic rule in lands that were once under Muslim control (such as Al-Andalus in Spain and the territory known as “Palestine” during the Ottoman Empire).

The second major reason antisemitism is so widespread across the modern-day Muslim world can be attributed to geography and social context. A large portion of the Muslim world is concentrated in North Africa and the Middle East, regions where hostility toward Jews and Israel is deeply ingrained in daily life. Antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment are not incidental; they are woven into school curricula, reinforced in religious sermons, and broadcast explicitly across television, radio, and print media. From an early age, children absorb these narratives as unquestionable truths, shaping perceptions that persist into adulthood.

This systematic cultivation of a “common enemy” serves multiple purposes. It provides a unifying symbol around which societies can rally, diverting attention from domestic injustices, corruption, and economic hardship. By focusing public anger outward, leaders and institutions foster cohesion at home while masking failures and inequalities in their own communities. Over time, this has created an environment in which hostility toward Jews is normalized, even celebrated, leaving little room for nuance or critical engagement.

The third major reason antisemitism is so pervasive among many modern-day Muslims stems from socioeconomic circumstances. In much of the Middle East and North Africa, education systems and economic opportunities are often limited, leaving a significant portion of the population without the skills or knowledge necessary to fully participate in the global economy. As a result, many Muslims find themselves trapped in low-wage or unstable work, struggling to meet basic needs and experiencing a persistent sense of frustration and stagnation.

For those who migrate to Western countries, the situation often does not improve. Despite high hopes for a better life, many are forced to take blue-collar or menial jobs. These conditions (economic precarity, marginalization, and limited upward mobility) create a sense of dissatisfaction and resentment. Lacking alternative outlets, this frustration is often projected outward, and Jews, Israel, or the concept of Zionism become convenient targets.

The result is a feedback loop: Economic hardship and social frustration reinforce narratives of external enemies, while cultural and educational systems further embed these narratives as unquestionable truths. In this way, antisemitism is not merely a product of religious belief or ideology; it is also the expression of tangible, lived experiences — economic exclusion, social stagnation, and the inability to fully participate in a world that seems to reward others.

Of course, the reasons I’ve outlined (geography, social conditioning, and socioeconomic frustration) are only part of the story. There are many other factors that contribute to widespread antisemitism among Muslims today. Radicalization plays a role, as extremist ideologies spread easily online and offline, often framing Jews and Israel as ultimate enemies. Social reinforcement is another: Individuals adopt and echo antisemitic views to fit in with their families, friends, or local communities, even when those views conflict with reality.

The rise of what some call “TikTok University” (short-form social media content that prioritizes emotion over nuance) has also created a generation with limited critical thinking skills, making them more susceptible to simplistic narratives and conspiracies.

A lack of literacy in the Qur’an itself compounds the problem; perhaps many Muslims have never engaged deeply with the text, which, contrary to popular interpretation, contains clear passages supporting the idea of the Jews’ historic connection to the Holy Land.

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