A Historical and Theological Examination of the Israel Question
How did the Israel-Palestine question emerge from the intersection of Western colonialism, European Jewish history, and the Muslim World? In this thoughtful historical study, Dr. Ismail Raji al-Faruqi examines fourteen centuries of Muslim-Jewish relations, the rise of European Zionism, and Islamic principles of religious coexistence.
Al-Faruqi traces Jewish experience under Christendom from medieval persecution through Enlightenment emancipation to the rise of romantic nationalism. He analyzes political Zionism's European origins and its transformation of Palestine under British colonial administration. The author distinguishes between universalist and ethnocentric interpretations within Jewish scripture, offering nuanced textual analysis alongside historical documentation.
Central to the work is al-Faruqi's presentation of Islamic legal and constitutional principles that historically governed relations between Muslims and People of the Book. He documents the Covenant of Madinah, examines the dhimmi system of religious autonomy, and explores the Golden Age of Jewish philosophy and Hebrew linguistics that flourished under Islamic civilization.
Dr. Ismail Raji al-Faruqi (1921-1986) was Professor of Islamic Studies and History of Religions at Temple University, founder of the International Institute of Islamic Thought, and author of numerous influential works on comparative religion and Islamic thought.
Originally published 1980 | Complete unabridged text
