A Zionist Islam - An Interview With Sheikh Ahmad Al-Adwan

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10/16/23, 12:40 PM A Zionist Islam: An Interview with Sheikh Ahmad al-Adwan

A Zionist Islam: An Interview


with Sheikh Ahmad al-Adwan
“Historic Palestine”?

By Israel in Arabic

11 min. read

Post Views: 9,589

“Historic Palestine”? A heretical invention. The


right to al-Aqsa? Nothing less than a distortion of
Allah’s word • Jordanian Sheikh Ahmad al-Adwan
adheres to his unconventional interpretation of the
Koran, and is not afraid to enrage the Palestinians
and their supporters • In the wake of his visit to
Israel in 2012, al-Adwan agreed to be interviewed
by ‘Israel in Arabic’ and explained his teachings
• Islam like you’ve never heard before

“The Palestinians are murderers of children,


elderly and women. They attack the Jews, use
children as a human shield and hide behind them
without mercy, as though they weren’t their own
flesh and blood. And all this to deliver a false
message, as though the Jews are the hostiles and
not them.” These words, which sound as though
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they come from the IDF Spokesperson or a


Hasbara representative, were recently written by
Jordanian Sheikh al-Adwan on his facebook
account , causing a furor. His unusual statement
was published in the pro-Palestinian daily al-Quds
al-Arabi, after which it made its way to hundreds
of Arabic websites, forums and facebook pages –
all of them fiercely attacking and criticizing him.

A few years ago, al-Adwan was unknown. But his


bravery and sharp statements placed him at
center stage, whether intentionally or not, where
he is understandably under fire from Palestinians
and their supporters. He has now became their
declared ideological enemy after stating that
“Palestine” doesn’t appear in the Koran, that Allah
commanded to bequeath the Land of Israel to the
Jews and anyone who argues otherwise distorts its
meaning.

In December 2012, Sheikh al-Adwan visited Israel


and met with Jewish Rabbis including Rabbi
Shmuel Eliyahu in order to discuss peace and
reconciliation between the religions. He was
interviewed after the visit, which was published a
few months ago on the ‘Israel in Arabic’ site.
‘Mida’ is honored to present for its readers, for the
first time, an English translation [of a previous
Hebrew translation] of this important interview,
which allows a look into unconventional positions
and facts, which are not sufficiently well-known in

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the Israeli and worldwide media. We thank the


website ‘Israel in Arabic’ for their permission to
translate the article and publish it.

Translator’s Note: Koran verses were taken from


Abdullah Yusuf Ali’s translation, available at
Project Gutenberg.

Sheikh Ahmad al-Adwan

Honorable Sheikh, could you tell us a little about


your past and yourself? How do you see your place
in the Kingdom of Jordan?
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In the name of Allah the merciful and


compassionate, praise be to God the Master of
the World.

I was born and raised in the city of Amman in


1952. After I finished high school I continued on
to Islamic Sharia studies at the College for
Islamic studies in Amman. During my studies I
worked in the Jordanian post office in a number of
positions, until I resigned from my official position
there in 1997. Since then I have dedicated myself
to the book of God may He be praised (the Koran),
and I expanded my knowledge of the Islamic
religion and the life of the Islamic Ummah.

God may he be praised and blessed rewarded me


with knowledge of His holy book and chose me to
renew the knowledge of God and religion among
the Islamic Ummah, and interpret that which
needs interpreting in its verses, which most
Islamic scholars misinterpret. Among these are
the verses which deal with the People of the Book
(Jews and Christians) and their rights in particular.
There are a hundred holy verses in the Koran
which contemporary scholars did not properly
interpret. These are verses where there is no
connection between their plain meaning and the
meaning given by the latter. These verses prove
and express God’s will and his intentions: the will
and desire for peace and harmony and His
instructions for people to ensure them.

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I believe my role in the life of the Kingdom of


Jordan is the making of improvements and fixing
that which needs fixing. I conduct meetings with
the greatest scholars, religious institutions,
Ministers in charge of Waqf, Jordanian Kingdom
religious decisors and scholars from different
sects. In addition to Islamic law instructors in a
number of Jordanian, Arab and other universities,
I also meet, of course, with Christian
representatives, monks, Rabbis and other
respected Jewish religious representatives, as is
published on my internet site and on facebook,
and I thank God who rewarded me to act towards
the clarification of their rights.

Distorting the word of God; the Koran. Photo:


Wikimedia, Habib M’henni

In response to our request to conduct an interview


with you on our website, you quoted a verse form

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the Koran and called the Jewish People “cousins”.


What did you mean?

The Jews are our cousins and therefore we must


pray for them and visit them, live alongside them,
grant them respect and cooperate with them at
the highest levels of esteem and appreciation.
This, because we are not more God-fearing,
smarter, or better than the Prophet Muhammad
may he rest in peace, who lived alongside them
and behaved honorably, mercifully and amicably
with them. Let us state that it was permitted for
Muslims to marry them.

Did your openness towards the People of Israel


lead you to recognize their sovereignty of their
historic land?

Indeed, I recognize their sovereignty over their


land. I believe in the Holy Koran, and this fact is
stated many times in the book. For instance “O my
people! Enter the holy land which Allah hath
assigned unto you,” [Koran 5:21], “We made the
Children of Israel inheritors of such things.”
[Koran 26:59] and additional verses in the Holy
Book.

And there are additional reasons: this people


(Israel) is peaceful and peace-loving, is not hostile
or aggressive; [they are] a people that defends
itself only when necessary, while trying to
minimally harm its enemies. In addition, I
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recognize the fact that God may He be praised


gave preference to these people over humans and
demons until the end of days. God does not give
preference for nothing but grants all that which
they deserve. God may He be praised never turned
to any [other] people by name and grant them this
honor, aside from the People of Israel, who are
named for their ancestor Israel (Jacob), may he
rest in peace, as it says in the Koran “O Children
of Israel”. In contrast, in approaching others it is
said “O Believers” or “O people”, which is a more
general greeting.

In 2012, you met with Jewish Rabbis in Tzfat. What


was your impression from the visit? What was the
message you tried to deliver in the meeting?

I came to the city of Tzfat to visit a number of


honorable Jewish religious wise men. I found
among them tremendous courtesy and honor,
forthrightness, transparency, honesty, tolerance,
wide knowledge of the books of Abraham’s
descendants (the Torah, New Testament and the
Koran). This, as it is written “Is it not a Sign to
them that the Learned of the Children of Israel
knew it (as true)?” [Koran 26:197] and in addition
to other things I found by them.

My visit to Tzfat had two purposes: one, promoting


cooperation and coordination for support of the
peace process and its success, as King Abdallah

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II called for, and promoting agreement between


the two religions. The second, interpreting the
words of God in the Koran, which were interpreted
by the majority of scholars of the Ummah in a
capricious, racist and ignorant manner, and
activity for strengthening and spreading the words
said by our Jewish cousins and the role Allah
designated for them until the Day of Resurrection.

All should know that the Holy Land is their [the


Jews’] land and that Jerusalem is the direction
towards which they pray and during their readings
and ceremonies, as God said in the Koran “Turn
then Thy face in the direction of the sacred
Mosque” (in Mecca) [Koran 2:144]. This verse
effectively cancels out the prayer towards al-Aqsa
(the Temple Mount) and all traditions regarding al-
Aqsa for Muslims.

It is also said in the Koran “Even if thou were to


bring to the people of the Book all the Signs
(together), they would not follow Thy Qibla; nor art
thou going to follow their Qibla;” [Koran 2:145].
That is, God created two directions for prayer
[“Qibla” in Arabic]. One he designated for Muslims
– this is the Kaaba in holy Mecca, while the Jews’
prayer direction is al-Aqsa which is holy to the
Jews, this in spite of the nations of the world,
because this is the command of God, the King of
Kings who chooses how to run His world.

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In your opinion, how can we finally put an end to


anti-Semitism among Arab and Muslim nations,
who feel loathing and hostility to the Jews and
refuse to recognize them and live alongside them?

In my opinion the way to end anti-Semitism is to


concentrate efforts and call for peace, spreading
knowledge and forthrightly educate people of the
values of justice and truth in accordance with what
appears in the books of God – the Torah, Tehillim,
the Ingil [the Gospel] and the Koran, which
admired the Israelites, clarified their rights, gave
preference to them and bequeathed to them the
Holy Land and their direction of prayer – to
Jerusalem. The books testify that this is a peace-
loving and peace-calling nation, and it is the first
people for whom the Creator designated a role in
order to serve as its messenger on this earth until
the Day of Resurrection.

In the Koran, it is written “Those who have faith


and do righteous deeds, they are the best of
creatures.” [Koran 98:7]. The intent in the word
best is “the best among people”, but regarding the
Umma of the Koran – that is the Arabs and those
who preach Islam – they have no recourse but to
return to the straight and true voice as appears in
the Koran that many of its scholars interpreted in
a mistaken and deviant manner. They distorted the
true will of God may He be praised, as it is
expressed in the verses, in a false and fallacious

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manner to say that murder of Jews is part of the


commandment of Jihad for Allah and that this land
is not the Land of [the People of] Israel.

They continue to hold this villainous interpretation


towards others, and there will be no true peace but
with the return of the Ummah of the Koran to the
book of the Koran, as God bequeathed to his
adherents. My religious education allowed me to
strengthen what I say, and I have merited much
honor in succeeding in interpreting verses which
scholars did not properly interpret. These are
verses which spell out the obligations and rights of
people and that which is required so that peoples
not be hostile to one another.

Why do Jordanian media outlets tend to describe


Israelis in a racist and negative manner which
does not reflect reality?

God may He be Elevated and Praised who gave


Jacob his name “Israel”, and He is the one who
called His sons “the sons of Israel”, “the Jews”
and “those who believed in Moses”. The meaning
of the word Israel is “present before their God”
and God called them “the community present
before their God”. And the meaning of the word
Jews: those who follow the straight path, who
return in repentance, as Moses may he rest in
peace said “for we have turned unto Thee” [Koran
7:156].

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Therefore, anyone who calls them by names which


Allah did not use is a sinner and a falsifier of the
verses of the Koran. It was already said “Those
who pervert the Truth in Our Signs are not hidden
from Us.” [Koran 41:40], and Ibn Abbas said in his
commentary to this verse “the reference is to
those who distort and replace and change the
verses of God and stray from the truth”. This
matter also arises in another verse, which says: “O
ye who believe! Let not some men among you
laugh at others: It may be that the (latter) are
better than the (former)…It may be that the (latter)
are better than the (former): Nor defame nor be
sarcastic to each other, nor call each other by
(offensive) nicknames” [Koran 49:11]. The
distortion is to use mistaken names, and call a
believing man with negative nicknames. He who
does not repent and cease from doing so is
considered a wicked man and a criminal. The
teaching of Allah’s messenger (Mohammad), may
blessings and prayers be upon him, supported
calling people with the finest names there are and
which respect them.

Therefore, anyone who calls Israelis by names


which Allah did not use is a villain for the following
reasons:

1. He violated religious law, denied the verses of


the Koran.

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2. He disobeyed Allah’s command, who


commanded not to curse or call negative names.

3. If he does not repent and stop his crimes he is


a criminal and a wicked man in every sense of the
religion of Islam.

4. He acts against the efforts of His Majesty the


King of Jordan and his initiative for harmony
between religions and his call for peace.

5. He takes an active part in hindering the peace


process and increasing hostility before other
people.

Media outlets in Jordan, and in the Arab world in


general, need to act in a God-fearing manner and
call Israelis with names Allah used, and the name
he gave to their land. They must stop acting like
the five criminals we mentioned above, who bring
the wrath of God upon themselves and their
people.

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Murderers of women, elderly and children ; Hamas


forces in Gaza. Photo: Wissam Nasr / Flash90

In your opinion, is the conflict part of a Jewish-


Islamic crisis? If this is the case, is this an
historic crisis or a new crisis?

The answer is in the affirmative, but this is a crisis


of racism which was born in the Modern period
and has nothing to do with history or religion. The
proof? As we said above, Allah himself changed
the verse calling to pray towards the al-Aqsa
mosque and instructed Muslims to pray towards
the holy mosque (the Kaaba). Allah gave each
religion its prayer direction. Whoever says
otherwise denies the verses of the Koran brought
down by Allah, who said and clarified this in a
clear manner and with a lucid interpretation.

There are those who say, both in Jordan and


outside of it, that the Kingdom of Jordan in its
present borders is the Palestinian State. What’s
your opinion on this?

The borders of the State of Jordan are clear as


day and it has rooted Jordanian sovereignty. The
State was blessed with the glorious and honorable
leadership of the Hashemites, a strong Jordanian
nation connected to its land of tribes and families,
and proud and brave men who support and
embrace the present leadership and support its

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call for peace. Anyone who says this is the


Palestinian State is either asleep or a
daydreamer…a terrorist and a wicked person.

As a man of religion, do you believe that those


who call themselves “Palestinians” have a right to
establish a state on the Jews’ historic land?

Allah may He be praised wrote in the Torah that


this is the land of the sons of Israel, he
bequeathed the Holy Land to the sons of Israel
and called the land by this name (the Land of
Israel) and so it is stated by the Holy Koran: “O my
people! Enter the holy land which Allah hath
assigned unto you, and turn not back
ignominiously, for then will ye be overthrown, to
your own ruin.” [Koran 5:21]. This holy verse is a
“Kushan” (deed) which confirms that this land is
granted to the Jews. It is also said “We made the
Children of Israel inheritors of such things.”
[Koran 26:59], and in the following verse “And We
said thereafter to the Children of Israel, "Dwell
securely in the land (of promise)"” [Koran 17:104]
and there are many additional holy verses which
prove and confirm this.

So in an answer to your question, how can they


(the Palestinians) have the right to establish a
State on the Jewish Land of Israel, which Allah
granted and bequeathed to the Jews? More than
that, even if all the inhabitants of the land forgot

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their right, or went crazy and collaborated with


those who call themselves “Palestinians” to
establish a state for the latter, they won’t succeed,
and Allah will not allow this until the Day of
Judgment, this because Allah Himself willed and
specifically wrote in His book that this land will be
the land of the People of Israel under Israeli
sovereignty so that no-one would later dispute it.

English translation by Avi Woolf.

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