Jasmin Zine, a professor at Berkeley and Wilfrid Laurier universities, has recently published a book titled “The Canadian Islamophobia Industry” accusing the American Center for Democracy of “promot[ing] the divisive reading” of the first chapter of the Quran, and portraying Islam as antisemitic and anti-Christian in its essence.
However, reviewing her chapter in question reveals dubious academic practices. The only
“evidence” Zine relies on poses serious questions regarding her thesis. It seems that Jasmin Zine turned Muhammed Asad’s statement “some of the greatest Islamic thinkers (e.g., Al-Ghazali or, in recent times, Muhammad’ Abduh)” into “many influential interpretations of the verse make no reference to it” with no clear evidence and without citation of any primary sources or basic fact-checking of the secondary sources.
The interpretation of the verse in question by the great commentators of the Qur’an contradicts the reading that Jasmin Zine endorses. Tafsir al-Tabari, Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Wasit, Tafsir Al-Saadi, Tafsir Al-Baghawi, Tafsir al-Qurtubi, and Tafsir Al-Jalalayn. All identify the Jews, the Christians, and others like them in the verse in question that is an integral part of the Islamic daily five prayers. The same interpretation also appears in Al-Tafsir al-Muyassar, which was written by a group of scholars under the direction of sheikh Saalih Aal al-Sheikh, Minister of Islamic Affairs for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and It was designed to be a simple and easy-to-understand tafsir according to the understanding of the salaf.
Furthermore, Jasmin Zine dismissed the interpretations of the verse by Tafsir Ibn Kathir and Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, among others mentioned in Dr. Andrew G. Bostom’s article, as well as influential contemporary Canadian and American scholars and Imams quoted in the American Center for Democracy’s article as a “divisive reading” of Surah Al-Fatiha.
In light of the presented wealth of evidence, Dr. Jasmin Zine should be compelled to correct the misinformation in her book.
Jasmin Zine’s allegations
Dr. Jasmin Zine is a full professor of Sociology, Religion, and Culture, and the Muslim Studies Option at Wilfrid Laurier University, Ontario, Canada, and runs “The Canadian Islamophobia Industry Research Project” that is supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. She is also an affiliated faculty member with the Islamophobia Research and Documentation Project (IRDP) at U.C. Berkeley, California.
The project team for The Canadian Islamophobia Industry Research Project includes Sahver Kuzucuoglu, Doaa Shalabi, Fatima Chakroun, Shifa Abbas, and Philip Oddi.
In her 2022 book “The Canadian Islamophobia Industry: Islamophobia’s Ecosystem in the Great White North,” Jasmin Zine alleges (See Appendix 1):
- Canadian Muslim Journalist Tarek Fatah “weaponized the Qur’an by providing a limited interpretation of the opening verse” and “unequivocally claimed that the Qur’an refers to Jews and Christians as “those who have gone astray” and incurred God’s anger and that Muslims wilfully invoke this meaning during daily prayers.”
- This reading of the Qur’an’s opening verse, as claimed by Fatah, “is not universally accepted by religious scholars, and many influential interpretations of the verse make no reference to it.”
- Articles from “dubious organizations,” including the American Center for Democracy, “promote the divisive reading that Fatah endorses.”
Jasmin Zine’s “evidence”
In footnote 17, Zine provides her “evidence” allegedly contradicting “the divisive reading that Fatah endorses,” stating: “An explanation of this verse by influential Qur’anic commentator Muhammed Asad provides a reading that is reflective of prominent contemporary scholarly views: https://www.alim.org/quran/translation/asad/surah/1/”
Muhammad Asad (1900-1992), described by Jasmin Zine as the “influential Qur’anic commentator,” was a Hungarian-born Jew convert to Islam who worked as a journalist, traveler, writer, linguist, political theorist and diplomat.
Zine’s “evidence” seems to support Fatah’s reading of the verse in question. In his commentary to Surah Al-Fatiha Muhammed Asad wrote:
“According to almost all the commentators, God’s “condemnation” (ghadab, lit., “wrath”) is synonymous with the evil consequences which man brings upon himself by wilfully rejecting God’s guidance and acting contrary to His injunctions. Some commentators (e.g., Zamakhshari) interpret this passage as follows: “…the way of those upon whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings – those who have not been condemned [by Thee], and who do not go astray”: in other words, they regard the last two expressions as defining “those upon whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings”. Other commentators (e.g., Baghawi and Ibn Kathir) do not subscribe to this interpretation – which would imply the use of negative definitions – and understand the last verse of the surah in the manner rendered by me above. As regards the two categories of people following a wrong course, some of the greatest Islamic thinkers (e.g., Al-Ghazali or, in recent times, Muhammad ‘Abduh) held the view that the people described as having incurred “God’s condemnation” – that is, having deprived themselves of His grace – are those who have become fully cognizant of God’s message and, having understood it, have rejected it; while by “those who go astray” are meant people whom the truth has either not reached at all, or to whom it has come in so garbled and corrupted a form as to make it difficult for them to recognize it as the truth (see ‘Abduh in Manar I, 68 ff.).”
Evidence contradicting Jasmin Zine’s allegations
Muhammed Asad presented different views concerning the exact meaning of the words “Ghairi Al-Maghdoubi Alaihim” (غير المغضوب عليهم). In addition, he claimed that “some of the greatest Islamic thinkers (e.g., Al-Ghazali or, in recent times, Muhammad’ Abduh)” identified the people who incurred “God’s condemnation” as “those who have become fully cognizant of God’s message and having understood it, have rejected it” and “those who go astray” as “people whom the truth has either not reached at all, or to whom it has come in so garbled and corrupted a form as to make it difficult for them to recognize it as the truth.” However, he did not dismiss the widely-accepted interpretation that identifies the first group with the Jews and the second with the Christians.
In this context, Muhammed Asad cited five Muslim scholars and commentators of the Quran: Zamakhshari, Baghawi, Ibn Kathir, Al-Ghazali, and Muhammad Abduh. The first four unequivocally identified those who “incurred God’s anger” as the Jews and “those who go astray” as the Christians while affirming that the Quranic verse refers to Jews and Christians who do not comply with Allah’s commandments but extended the scope to include other people who fit this definition.
Al-Zamakhshari (1074 –1143), a medieval Muslim scholar of Iranian descent, wrote in his book Tafsir Al-Kashaf (translated from Arabic): “And it was said [in Surah Al-Fatiha]: Those who incurred Allah’s anger are the Jews, due to the Almighty saying: Those whom Allah curses and becomes angry with. And those who have gone astray are the Christians, according to the Almighty saying: They had gone astray before him. If you say: What is the meaning of Allah’s wrath? I said: It is the will to take revenge on the disobedient, inflict punishment on them, and do to them what the king does if he gets angry at his subordinates.” Source: Al-Zamakhshari, Tafsir AlKashaf, (2009), Khalil Maamoon Shiha (ed.). Beirut: Dar Al-Marefa. ISBN 9953-420-87-4. p. 30.
Al-Baghawi (1041/4-1122), a renowned Persian Muslim mufassir (writer of a commentary on the Quran), hadith scholar, and Shafi‘i theologian, wrote in his book Tafsīr al-Baghawī (translated from Arabic): “And it was said: Those who incurred Allah’s anger are the Jews, and those who have gone astray are the Christians, because Allah Almighty judged the Jews with anger toward them, as He said: Those whom Allah curses and becomes angry with.” Source: Al-Baghawi, Tafsīr al-Baghawī (1989), Vol 1, Riyadh: Dar Taiba, p. 55.
Ibn Kathir (1300-1373), a highly influential Quran exegete, scholar and historian, wrote in Tafsir Ibn Kathir: “(Not (the way) of those who earned Your anger, nor of those who went astray) meaning guide us to the straight path, the path of those upon whom you have bestowed Your grace, that is, the people of guidance, sincerity and obedience to Allah and His Messengers. They are the people who adhere to Allah’s commandments and refrain from committing what He has prohibited. But, help us to avoid the path of those whom Allah is angry with, whose intentions are corrupt, who know the truth, yet deviate from it. Also, help us avoid the path of those who were led astray, who lost the true knowledge and, as a result, are wandering in misguidance, unable to find the correct path. Allah asserted that the two paths He described here are both misguided when He repeated the negation `not’. These two paths are the paths of the Christians and Jews, a fact that the believer should beware of so that he avoids them. The path of the believers is knowledge of the truth and abiding by it. In comparison, the Jews abandoned practicing the religion, while the Christians lost the true knowledge. This is why `anger’ descended upon the Jews, while being described as `led astray’ is more appropriate of the Christians. Those who know, but avoid implementing the truth, deserve the anger, unlike those who are ignorant. The Christians want to seek the true knowledge, but are unable to find it because they did not seek it from its proper resources. This is why they were led astray. We should also mention that both the Christians and the Jews have earned the anger and are led astray, but the anger is one of the attributes more particular of the Jews. Allah said about the Jews, (Those (Jews) who incurred the curse of Allah and His wrath) (5:60). The attribute that the Christians deserve most is that of being led astray, just as Allah said about them, (Who went astray before and who misled many, and strayed (themselves) from the right path) (5:77).” Source: https://www.recitequran.com:443/tafsir/en.ibn-kathir/1:1
Al-Ghazali (1058-1111), one of the most prominent and influential jurisconsults, legal theorists, muftis, philosophers, theologians, logicians, and mystics of the Islamic Golden Age, wrote in his book The Revival of the Religious Sciences (translated from Arabic): “He bestowed upon them the blessing of guidance from the prophets, the truthful ones, the martyrs, and the righteous, to the exclusion of those who were angry with them among the unbelievers and deviants among the Jews, Christians, and Sabians.” Source: https://archive.is/wip/NjsYo
Muhammad’ Abduh (1849-1905, an Islamic scholar, judge, and the Grand Mufti of Egypt, wrote in his book Tafsir Al-Quran (translated from Arabic): “Some of them interpreted those who were blessed as Muslims, who incurred Allah’s anger as Jews, and those who went astray as Christians.” As mentioned above, ‘Abduh applied these definitions to others who behaved similarly. Source: ‘Abduh, Muhammad, Tafsir Al-Fatiha, (1901), Cairo: Al-Manar, p. 55.
It seems that Jasmin Zine turned Muhammed Asad’s statement “some of the greatest Islamic thinkers (e.g., Al-Ghazali or, in recent times, Muhammad’ Abduh)” into “many influential interpretations of the verse make no reference to it” with no clear evidence and without citation of any primary sources or basic fact-checking of the secondary sources.
The interpretation of the verse in question by the great commentators of the Qur’an contradicts the reading that Jasmin Zine endorses. Tafsir al-Tabari, Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Wasit, Tafsir Al-Saadi, Tafsir Al-Baghawi, Tafsir al-Qurtubi, and Tafsir Al-Jalalayn. All identify the Jews, the Christians, and others like them in the verse in question that is an integral part of the Islamic daily five prayers. The same interpretation also appears in Al-Tafsir al-Muyassar, which was written by a group of scholars under the direction of sheikh Saalih Aal al-Sheikh, Minister of Islamic Affairs for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and It was designed to be a simple and easy-to-understand tafsir according to the understanding of the salaf.
Furthermore, Jasmin Zine dismissed the interpretations of the verse by Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Jami` at-Tirmidhi and Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi among others mentioned in Dr. Andrew G. Bostom’s article, as well as influential contemporary Canadian and American scholars and Imams quoted in the American Center for Democracy’s article as a “divisive reading” of Surah Al-Fatiha. Here is article published on January 30, 2018:
What are Praying Muslims Repeating 17 Times daily?
By Rachel Ehrenfeld
The Muslim prayer (also known as salah, salat or namaz) is one of the Five Pillars of Islam and obligatory religious duty to every Muslims who reached the age of puberty.
The purpose of the prayer is to demonstrate a total submission to Allah and a commitment to follow in his path unconditionally. At the start of each unit of prayer (rakah), Muslims must recite Surah (chapter) al-Fatihah (“The Opening”), the first chapter of the Quran. In total, Surah (chapter) al-Fatihah is recited at least seventeen times a day by a practicing Muslim. The prayer also includes supplications to Allah.
Muslims who pray 5 times daily, repeat at least 17 times the verse, “The path of those you bestowed favors upon, not those who have incurred [Your] wrath and those who have deviated.”
Every Muslim who repeats this verse knows it is that those who “deviated” from Allah are the Jews and the Christians. But especially the Jews, who angered Allah, who cursed them “and turned them into monkeys and pigs,” according to Osman Haji, Imam of the Sahaba Masjid mosque in Edmonton, Alberta. “Who are those who earned the wrath of Allah?… They are the Jews… Those who were cursed by Allah. Allah was angry at them and turned them into monkeys and pigs.”
Muhammed Alshareef, who is the founder and President of Huston (TX) based AlMaghrib Institute, reaffirms the dictate to be angry with Christians and adds a warning to Muslim youth that enjoys entertainment by Christian and Jewish actors, such as Seinfeld (see video).
The conclusion, which is drummed into every praying Muslim on Friday’s noon congregational sermons everywhere, is that they should be angry with the Jews for angering Allah, and if Allah is angry with the Jews, so should every Muslim.
Friday prayers and teachings are performed in public schools across the U.S. and Canada and also during public Islamic events at the Federal, State and provincial legislatures and City Halls. Why are they allowed to preach for anger against Christians and Jews?
The enclosed video shows American and Canadian Muslim religious leaders explaining the context of Surah Al-Fatiha.
They are:
Osman Haji Madad, Sahaba Masjid. Edmonton, Alberta: “Who are those who earned the wrath of Allah?… They are the Jews… Those who were cursed by Allah. Allah was angry at them and turned them into monkeys and pigs.”
Muhammed Alshareefis the founder and President of Huston (TX) based AlMaghrib Institute, now operating in “40 cities around the globe,” and boasts of having more than 80,000 students. Alshareef, who was born and raised in Canada, kicked-off the AlMaghrib Institute in 2002, in College Park, Maryland. In the video, Alshareef says: “Adiyy ibn Hatim [one of the companions of Muhammad], May Allah, Exalted be He, be please with him, asked the Prophet, blessings. and peace of Allah be upon him, he said: Who are the “Al-Maghdoubi Alaihim”? Who are those that evoked Allah’s anger? That made Allah angry at them? And the Prophet, blessings, and peace of Allah be upon him, said: “Houm Al-Yahood” [Arabic], they are the Jews. And so every time you’re reciting Surah [chapter] Al-Fatiha [first chapter of the Quran], and in fact is some Muslim countries they want to take out the verses because they want to have good relationships with Israel… they said let’s not teach in our curriculum the verses that deal of and speak about the Jews and praise be to Allah, the scholars said: what are going to do with “Ghairi Al-Maghdoubi Alaihim” [not those who have incurred [Your] wrath]? Are they going to take Surah [chapter] Al-Fatiha from the curriculum? They cannot take it out… And so because the Muslim youth aren’t growing up on the “Aqida” [Islamic faith], and most beloved people to them are becoming actors and actresses, Jewish actresses, Christian actresses, when they hear a speech about how Allah, Exalted, and Glorified be He, condemned the Jews, they say: What’s wrong with Seinfeld? Every Wednesday at 8 pm, prime time television, they’re watching Seinfeld, and he’s funny. [They say:] Are you telling me Seinfeld is going to hellfire? And that’s in their mind. Because they have laughed and spent very joyous moments with the sitcom and now they cannot understand what Allah, Exalted, and Glorified be He, is telling them in the Quran… If the Jews evoked Allah’s anger, then they did it for a reason, and Allah page after page in the Quran shows us the reason why the Jews evoked Allah’s, Exalted and Glorified be He, anger.”
Omar Subedar, Imam at Makki Masjid in Brampton, Ontario and Vice President of Mathabah Institute: “First I’m going to recite the verse. I seek refuge in Allah from Satan the accursed. In the name of Allah the Beneficent the Merciful. Not the path of those who have incurred Your anger or the path of those who have deviated, who have fallen astray. Now, who are these people? Whom are these categories Allah (swt) is referring to? The first group, the prophet (pbuh) has identified as the Jews (اليهود), and the second group ‘those who have deviated,’ the prophet, peace, and blessing be upon him, has identified them as the Christians(النصارى).”
Musleh Khan, Toronto Police Muslim Chaplain: “Al-Timidhi reports in an authentic Hadith the the Prophet (PBUH) was asked by a companion: those who have earned your anger غير المغضوب عليهم, the Prophet (PBUH) says this refers to the Yahoudi [Jews] and then companion continue to ask والضاليين the Prophet responds and says this refers to the Nasara [Christians] and those who have gone astray…”
Younus Kathrada, of Vancouver, British Columbia: “Pointing specifically at different groups here. As we said, although the Ayat (verses) include all non-Muslims whether they’d be Christians or Jews or other than them. But we speak about المغضوب عليهم those who earned the wrath and the anger of Allah, Exalted, and Glorified be He, specifically here the scholars (علماء) speak of the Jews Al-Yahoud. Why? Well, if you look in the Quran, it’s because they are the ones who are the most argumentative. They’re the ones who knew, they have knowledge of things, and yet they rejected it. So, of course, they earned the wrath and the anger of Allah, Exalted, and Glorified be He… We find that even in the Sunnah [narrations attributed to Muhammad statement or deeds] the Prophet [Mohammad], peace be upon him, they, because they know and yet they reject. الضالين those who went astray, you know, because they don’t base things on knowledge. It’s all about emotion. And Glorified be Allah, the more we think about it, look at today even, you know, if you look at many of the Christians today, they like to talk about, everything is love, it’s not based on knowledge. Nothing is knowledge-based. Everything is emotions, ok, and so they’ve gone astray because they refused to seek that knowledge and they refuse to act upon this knowledge that is present غير المغضوب عليهم ولا الضالين.”
Sheikh Mashhoor Hasan, explained in a lecture in a Toronto mosque the meaning of this chapter. The following are excerpts from his lecture translated by Abu Umar Abdulaziz: “Not those whom you have become angry on, not those who have deviated. The prophet [Mohammad], peace be upon him, said in Jami` at-Tirmidhi [collection of hadiths, narrations attributed to Mohammad], after he recited this verse, he said: Those whom Allah is angry on [are] the Jews and those who deviated they are the Christians. Why were the Jews called the ones whom Allah is angry on? And why the Christians called the ones went astray? It is very easy, but most of the Muslims they resemble themselves with these ones [Jews] or with these ones [Christians]… The Jews have been called the ones whom Allah is angry on because they had knowledge. They have knowledge, but they don’t act on this knowledge. And those who are astray [the Christians] are called astray because they do actions and they do acts of worship, but they do have knowledge.”
Website: gloriousquranhistory.ca, Quran exegesisby Muhammad ash-Shawkani: “In this 7th and last Ayah [verse] of [Surah – chapter] Al Fatiha, Allah [SWT] mentions the Muslims who practice Islam, the Jews and Christians… Those who have evoked the Wrath of Allah [SWT] are the Jews [or Israelites] who knew the full truth through Prophet Mousa [Alyhi Al Salam: AAS] but deviated from this truth with selfishness, pride, and prejudice. They thus deserved the Wrath of Allah [SWT]. The astray, on the other hand, are the Christians who deviated from the Message of Prophet Isa [AAS] out of ignorance and ill-knowledge…”
“In his book “Commentary on The Holy Quran” (Volume 1, SURAH AL-FATIHA), Mirzā Ghulām Ahmad, the leader and the founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam, explained verse no. 7 of-of Al-Fatiha. The following are excerpts from the book (p. 338-340): “All commentators are agreed that those who incurred Divine wrath and those who went astray are the Jews and Christians respectively. A prayer to be safeguarded against these mischiefs, not to be included among those who went astray, nor among those who incurred Divine wrath, has been taught. This must be repeatedly offered in the five daily Prayer services. It is thus clear that this is the biggest and most serious mischief which must be safeguarded against. It should be called the mother of mischiefs… Those who incurred Divine displeasure are the Jews, and those who went astray are the Christians…”
The booklet “Muslim Prayer Handbook For Beginners” has been handed out at the Islamic booth at Toronto’s Dundas Square. Printed and distributed by the Walk-In Islamic InfoCenter located at Toronto (collectfreequran.org), the booklet introduces the daily prayers for Muslims. In some of the supplications dealing with the “Kafiroun,” the disbelievers or infidels, Muslims are ordained to ask Allah to help them overcome and defeat their enemies who are identified as the disbelieving people.
The following are the recommended daily prayers for Muslims in which the disbelievers are mentioned: “Du’a [supplication] to overcome enemies… Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and our transgressions, establish our feet firmly, and give us victory over the disbelieving people.” (3:147)… The Witr (The Last Night prayer) … we also abandon and reject anyone who disobeys you… Your punishment surely overtakes the disbelievers… The most comprehensive Supplication… You are our protector, and give us victory over the disbelieving people.”
Surah (chapter) al-Fatihah – its text and meaning:
The following is the translation of Surah (chapter) al-Fatihah as provided by Omar Subedar, Imam at Brampton Makki Masjid, The Islamic Society of Peel, Vice President of Mathabah Institute and CEO & Founder of Bukhari Publications (see here, here, here, here, here and here):
- In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
- All praise is for Allah, the Sustainer of every creation
- The Most Merciful and the Ever Merciful
- Master of the Day of Compensation
- It is only You who we worship and only You Who we seek assistance from
- Guide us to the straight path
- The path of those you bestowed favors upon, not those who have incurred [Your] wrath and those who have deviated .
Imam Syed Soharwardy, the head of the Calgary-based Islamic Supreme Council of Canada, testified before the Standing Senate Committee on National Security and Defence on February 2, 2015, on the radical Islamic brainwashing in Canadian universities. The following are excerpts from his testimony:
“The money comes in different ways, in secret ways. Money comes through institutions.
“There are two organizations in Canada. Basically, they are U.S. organizations that are operating in Canada.
“One is called AlMaghrib Institute, the other is called AlKauthar Institute.
“Both work in universities, not in mosques. Both give lectures. Both organize seminars.
“They are the ones who brainwash these young kids in lectures. Their topic is very normal: We’re going to talk about the life of Prophet Muhammad. We’re going to talk about how to live in a non-Muslim society. When you look on the surface, the topics are very normal No one has a problem.
“But when you develop an association with them — not everybody develops a long-term relationship, only a few — then the brainwashing begins.
“The shoe bomber in the United States attended AlMaghrib Institute lectures.
“These people are given a very free hand in our universities and colleges. They are organizing lectures and seminars…
“Go after the ideology of Wahhabi Salafi. That is the opening door for recruitment. Yes, not every Wahhabi Salafi imam recruits towards ISIL and ISIS and extremism. I agree with that, but there are a few imams, and they are the only imams who are the opening door for recruitment.
“Do these three things. Go after the recruitment process. It’s not just the recruits. It is the one who brainwashes; it is the one who teaches intolerance, and that intolerance is towards Muslims too, by the way. Look at the intolerance.”
Additional evidence contradicting Jasmin Zine’s allegations
Since then, the American Center for Democracy documented additional contemporary Arab, American, and Britain influential scholars and imams who hold the same interpretation of the Quranic verse.
Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi (1926-2022), Egyptian Islamic scholar based in Doha, Qatar, and chairman of the International Union of Muslim Scholars – “From the concluding verse of Surat [Al-Fatiha, which states] ‘The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray’, it transpires that the people are divided into three types with regard to this path: The first type are those who were granted [Allah’s guidance], and they are those to whom God has shown favor: the prophets, the saints, the martyrs and the righteous, as they are listed in Surat Al-Nisaa [Quran 4:69]. They are the ones whom Allah guided, who knew the truth [i.e. Islam]. [The truth] became clear to them and they distinguished between it and straying and falsehood, and therefore they went on the path out of awareness and became men [of truth], in their knowledge, faith, deeds, and preaching. The second type are those who evoked [Allah’s] anger. They are those who recognized the truth and nevertheless did not take its path, and even stubbornly opposed it, and were hostile towards the Prophet [Muhammad] after the straight path became clear to them. [They did this] out of reliance on falsity, love of this world, following urges, blind fanaticism, arrogance, or jealousy… and thus they deserve Allah’s wrath. These are the Jews, for whom the explanation is presented in Surat Al-Maida [5:60, which states]: ‘Those whom Allah has cursed and with whom He became angry and made of them apes and pigs and slaves of Taghut – these are worse in position and further astray from the sound way’… The third type are those who were struck with ideological blindness, who did not distinguish between truth and falsehood, between the straight path and straying, and did not bother to seek the truth. Accordingly, they lived and died astray, far from the truth [i.e. Islam], and for this they deserve to have straying attributed to them. They are the Christians, about whom Allah said [in Quran 5:77]: ‘Do not follow the inclinations of a people who had gone astray before and misled many and have strayed from the soundness of the way’… With regard to [those who have gone astray,] for example among the polytheists, [Allah] said [in Quran 6:140]: ‘They have gone astray and were not [rightly] guided’…”
Yasir Qadhi, a former Dean of Academic Affairs at the Al-Maghrib Institute, and currently the resident scholar of the East Plano Islamic Center in Plano, Texas: “And we notice this in the Quran غَيرِ المَغضُوبِ عَلَيهِمْ وَلاَ الضَّالِّينَ [the people upon whom anger is shown and the people who are astray] it is as if, and of course this is true, even though the concept of ‘qadar’ [divine fore-ordainment] is deep,we’re not going to fully understand it, much less explain it in a five-minute discussion over an idea [خاطرة]. It is as if the people upon whom anger is shown and the people who are astray, they deserve the anger and they deserve to be astray. It’s not that Allah forced them. It’s not that there’s any injustice being done. There is no Injustice. Those upon whom anger is shown they deserve that anger, but those who are blessed, those who are fortunate, they do not earn that fortune. Allah blessed them with that fortune. Also one could also say, and this is the interpenetration of many scholars غَيرِ المَغضُوبِ عَلَيهِمْ, not the path of those whom anger has been shown means multiple entities are angry, not just Allah. Evil people is not just Allah who’s angry with them. The tyrants, the sinners, the people who cheat and steal, the people who caused sedition [فتنة] and corruption [فساد], who is angry with them? Not just Allah. The angels are angry with them, and all of humanity is angry with them. So when we say ‘people upon whom anger is shown’ [مغضوب عليهم] we are saying: Evil people are despised by the creation. Evil people are despised by the creation. And how true is this. We don’t like tyrants. We don’t like people who cheat and lie. We don’t like people who caused sedition and corruption. People upon whom anger is shown [مغضوب عليهم] the world is angry with them. So committing sins earns you the anger, not just of Allah, of the angels and of the righteous and even of all of humanity. Now, Our Prophet [Mohammad], peace and blessing of Allah be upon him, he gave some examples, and he said that an example of ‘the people upon whom anger is shown’ [غَيرِ المَغضُوبِ عَلَيهِمْ] are some of the followers of the Prophet Musa [Moses], peace be upon him, and an example of what ‘the people who are astray’ [الضَّالِّينَ] some of the followers of Jesus, Issa bin Maryam. Now, this is, as Imam Fakhr al-Din [al-Razi] says an example that two categories of people ‘the people upon whom anger is shown and the people who are astray’ [المَغضُوبِ عَلَيهِمْ وَلاَ الضَّالِّينَ] and the Prophet [Mohammad] illustrated these categories by two religions [Judaism and Christianity]. Now what is the illustration? ‘The people upon whom anger is shown’ [مغضوب عليهم] are people are people who know the truth but do not follow it. ‘The people who are astray’ [ضالين] are those who don’t know the truth and they’re trying to follow it sincerely. So the difference between the two is what? ‘The people upon whom anger is shown’ [مغضوب عليهم] they know the truth but for some reason they refuse to follow. They don’t have sincerity. They know what is right and wrong, and an example of this is Shaytan [Satan], and this is worse than what is ‘the people who are astray’ [الضالين], to know the truth and to not follow is worse, as for what ‘the people who are astray’ [الضالين]? They don’t know the truth. They’re trying to find the truth and this is exactly how Allah, May He be glorified and exalted, describes the modern followers of the Prophet Musa [Moses, meaning the Jews] and the modern followers of the Prophet Issa [Jesus, meaning the Christians]. The modern followers of the Prophet Musa [Moses, meaning the Jews] by large they know the truth, and yet they do not want to follow it. And the followers of Jesus Christ in our times they think they know the truth. Generally speaking Allah says: You’ll find them the most sincere people. The true followers of Jesus Christ they’re misguided. They think Jesus taught Christianity, the Trinity. They think Jesus taught whatever they believe he taught, but he didn’t teach that. But they are sincere. They want to follow what they think is Jesus Christ’s methodology. And this is an example our the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said. Now what this means therefore this means therefore is the true Muslim avoids both of these paths. The path of knowledge without action and the path of action without knowledge.”
Sheikh Abdur-Raheem McCarthy, American Educator and International lecturer, graduate of the Islamic University of Madinah: “غير المغضوب عليهم ولا الضالين When you loom at the tafsir [Quran exegesis], the tafsir that almost all of the Muslims know, who are the المغضوب عليهم those whom Allah has invoked His anger on. And who are the الضالين those who have gone astray? What is the tafsir [Quran exegesis] that we know? The Jews and the Christians. The Jews, the ones Allah invoked His anger on, because they knew it was the truth. They were in [city of] Medina, migrated to Medina, because the description of Medina was in their books. They knew that the Prophet, that the last prophet sent to mankind would be in an area with this description They knew they were in the right place. But when he was sent from the Arab and not from them from Bani Israel [Jews] they rejected the truth, even though they knew it was the truth. And even today, when you sit with many of them [Jews], they say we know Islam is the truth, even till today, many of them open up and tell you. But they refuse to follow it out of arrogance and pride. Therefore Allah, Exalted be He, invoked His anger upon them. When you get the Christians, they worship Allah, but they worship on ignorance.”
Ustaad Abdulrahman Hassan – British Imam, da’ee and teacher at Amau Academy: “Surah Al-Fatiha, brothers, is gems. The final conclusion of Surah Al-Fatiha was what? ٱهۡدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٰطَ ٱلۡمُسۡتَقِيمَ صِرَٰطَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنۡعَمۡتَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ غَيۡرِ ٱلۡمَغۡضُوبِ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا ٱلضَّآلِّينَ The people who are three types in this Allah’s verse [آية]. They are what? They are three types [mentioned in Surah Fatiha]. There are the Christians and there are the Jews, and there are those who Allah guided, those who Allah is pleased with. And the ones whom Allah is pleased with are who? أُولَئِكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَاءِ وَالصَّالِحِينَ وَحَسُنَ أُولَئِكَ رَفِيقًا [Quran 4:69] those will be with the ones upon whom Allāh has bestowed favor of the prophets, the steadfast affirmers of truth, the martyrs and the righteous. And excellent are those as companions. May Allah make us with those people and amongst them. The Christians and the Jews, what did they fall short and what was their problem? The problem with the Christians was they acted without no knowledge, and every Muslim should stay away from that. And the Jews they had the knowledge and they did not act upon it. And if any person does things with no knowledge he has a resemblance in, he’s resembling who? the Christians. And if anybody has the knowledge and chooses not to act upon the knowledge that he has gained, he resembles the Jews.”
Appendix 1 – An Excerpt from Jasmin Zine’s book “The Canadian Islamophobia Industry”
Muslims Are Anti-Christian and Antisemitic / Weaponizing the Qur’an. While addressing the Parliamentary committee hearings on Motion 103 and Islamophobia in Canada, Fatah claimed that Muslims “mock Christians and Jews daily. When we read the opening words of the Quran that is the Surah Al-Fatiha five times a day, a minimum of twenty times a day, anyone who prays is mocking Christians and Jews.”
Fatah weaponized the Qur’an by providing a limited interpretation of the opening verse. He unequivocally claimed that the Qur’an refers to Jews and Christians as “those who have gone astray” and incurred God’s anger and that Muslims wilfully invoke this meaning during daily prayers.
This reading of the Qur’an’s opening verse is not universally accepted by religious scholars, and many influential interpretations of the verse make no reference to it.17 Like all religious texts, the Qur’an is open to interpretation and often the various meanings ascribed to it are subject to the imposition of diverse historical, cultural, and political standpoints (Abu El Fadl 2001).18 The meanings derived from all religious texts can be literal, narrow, and chauvinistic, or they can be more holistic, variegated, and contextual.
Nonetheless, various dubious organizations promote the divisive reading that Fatah endorses. It can be found on an evangelical Christian website, was attributed to an oddly named, self proclaimed “Christian apologist to Islam,” and has been in wider circulation through media articles in outlets such as the Israel National News. It also appeared in an article from the American Center for Democracy, whose leadership team includes former Israel Defense Forces intelligence officer Jonathan Halevi, responsible for mistranslating a Toronto Imam’s prayer that caused him to be accused of antisemitism (see chapter 1), and Nina Rosenwald founder of the Gatestone Institute (see chapter 1.4 “Monetizing Hate).
Banning Niqab. Fatah has been a vocal opponent of the veil and niqab since the mid-2000s. In 2006, he wrote that “wearing veils—whether as an expression of religious identity, or as a means of political defiance—is not in the best interest of Canada’s Muslim communities.”
17 An explanation of this verse by influential Qur’anic commentator Muhammed Asad provides a reading that is reflective of prominent contemporary scholarly views: https://www.alim.org/quran/translation/asad/surah/1/
18 As Sharify-Funk (2012, 141) explained, “We face a fundamental paradox: Islam is one, and it is many. Its meaning for believers transcends history, yet the development of diverse Muslim standpoints and beliefs is an inevitable outcome of historic processes.”
Zine, Jasmin. “The Canadian Islamophobia Industry: Islamophobia’s Ecosystem in the Great White North.” Islamophobia Studies Center, Islamophobia Research & Documentation Project. Berkeley, California, 2022, p. 187