The Promised Land: A Brief Examination from a Religious and Historical Perspective

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

The aim of this short article is not to deny any group’s right to exist within the human race, nor to support the oppression of any individual. Instead, it serves as a religious examination aimed at clarifying the misleading assertions made by those who promote ambiguity, particularly among orientalists and others who seek to manipulate texts for political purposes or to appease figures like Netanyahu and his Zionist allies. Furthermore, it is crucial to recognise that not all individuals who identify as Jewish endorse or support the actions of Netantahu’s regime, who have been perpetrating violence and oppression against Palestinians—actions that many have described as genocidal over the past year. Similarly, we reject the actions of any group or individual identifying as Muslim—whether in Palestine, the UK, or elsewhere—that harms non-combatants, regardless of the victims’ religious backgrounds. Also, we do not support vigilantism or anti-Semitism in any form. Must read clarifications provided at the end of this article.

The Promised Land Examined From a Religious Perspective

Allah [The Exalted] said:

وَلَقَدۡ ڪَتَبۡنَا فِى ٱلزَّبُورِ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ ٱلذِّكۡرِ أَنَّ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ يَرِثُهَا عِبَادِىَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحُونَ

And indeed We have written in Zabur and after (We have already written in the) Dhikr that My righteous servants shall inherit the land. [Al-Anbiya. 105]

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, stated:

The word Zabur in this verse means all the revealed books and does not specifically mean the Zabur that was given to (Prophet) Dawud, peace be upon him. The word Adh-Dhikr in this verse is the Ummul Kitab that is with Allah [i.e. the Lawh Al-Mahfooz], the word Al-Ard in this verse means the worldly life, and the righteous servants mean the Ummah of Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. This verse is one of the signs of the Prophethood of Muhammad because he conveyed this at Makkah, while all the people of Makkah were unbelievers, enemies to him and his companions, and the polytheists had expelled them from their homeland and their dwellings. The word Dhikr has been mentioned in reference to the Kitab in the statement of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, in a hadith reported by Imam Al-Bukhari and Muslim: “There was Allah and nothing else before Him and His Throne was over the water, and He then created the heavens and the earth and wrote everything in the Dhikr [The Book].” [Sahih Al-Bukhari. 7418]

This is the Dhikr [The Book] in which was written that the earth will be inherited by the Ummah of Muhammad, and (also) the revealed books have been referred to as Zubur in the statement of Allah:

وَمَآ أَرۡسَلۡنَا مِن قَبۡلِكَ إِلَّا رِجَالاً۬ نُّوحِىٓ إِلَيۡہِمۡ‌ۚ فَسۡـَٔلُوٓاْ أَهۡلَ ٱلذِّكۡرِ إِن كُنتُمۡ لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ
بِٱلۡبَيِّنَـٰتِ وَٱلزُّبُرِ‌ۗ

And We sent not (as Our Messengers) before you (O Muhammad ) any but men, whom We inspired, (to preach and invite mankind to believe in the Oneness of Allah). So ask of those who know the Scripture [learned men of the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)], if you know not. [بِٱلۡبَيِّنَـٰتِ وَٱلزُّبُرِ‌ۗ – with clear signs and Books]. [An-Nahl. 43-44] [1]

Imam Muhammad Ibn Salih Al-Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: Based on this (verse), the land of the Arabs does not (eternally) belong to the Arabs, the land of the Persians does not (eternally) belong to the Persians, and the land of the Romans does not (eternally belong to them). The land belongs to Allah and He grants it to whomever He chooses – the righteous servants who believe and engage in good deeds. Therefore, if the children of Israel claim, “The land of Sham is ours because Musa, peace be upon him, stated: [يَا قَوْمِ ادْخُلُوا الْأَرْضَ الْمُقَدَّسَةَ الَّتِي كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ – O my people! Enter the holy land (Palestine) which Allah has assigned to you]; we say:

Indeed, Prophet Musa, peace be upon him, stated this because during that era you were righteous people and Allah’s righteous servants. The earth belongs to Allah, who gives it as a heritage to those He chooses among His righteous servants. However, after Islam came and you rejected it, you lost the (specific) right to this inheritance. Instead, the righteous believers in Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, who follow him, became the true inheritors. Before the Muslims were expelled from this land, it was held by the Roman Christians, who took it from the Jews, as they were considered righteous after the Jews. Then, the Muslims took over because they are the true servants of Allah. Therefore, the land of Sham was designated as an inheritance for the righteous.

[وَلَقَدۡ ڪَتَبۡنَا فِى ٱلزَّبُورِ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ ٱلذِّكۡرِ أَنَّ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ يَرِثُهَا عِبَادِىَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحُونَ – And indeed We have written in Zabur and after (We have already written in) Dhikr that My righteous servants shall inherit the land].

As a result, the Children of Israel (inherited the land from) those people in the holy land who had great streghth followed the truth. Later, Christians took it from the Jews, who became followers of the truth. Then, Muslims inherited it from Christians because they became followers of the truth.

وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنكُمْ وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ

Allah has promised those among you who believe, and do righteous good deeds, that He will certainly grant them succession to (the present rulers) in the earth, as He granted it to those before them…[An-Nur. 55] [2] Read article by Shaikh Abu Khadeejah, may Allah preserve him: The State of the Ummah: Causes that led to its Weakness and the Means of Rectification: https://abukhadeejah.com/state-of-ummah-causes-of-weakness-means-of-rectification-ebook/

The Promised Land Examined From a Historical Perspective

The children of Israel are the descendants of (Prophet) Yaqub, peace be upon him. Their first entry into Palestine was with Yusha Bin Nun, peace be upon him, after the death of Prophet Musa, peace be upon him, during his travels from one place to another, and after they initially refused to fight (when commanded to do so). There were three tribes in Palestine before the children of Israel took control of it: they were the Phoenicians who inhabited it around the year 3000 BC, and they settled in the northern region of the Mediterranean Sea. And the Canaanites descended south of the Phoenicians and occupied the central region of Palestine in the year 2500 BC. These were Arab tribes migrating from the Arabian Peninsula, then groups came from the Island of Crete around the year 1200 BC. It was called [فلستين] and was situated between Jaffa and Gaza on the Mediterranean Sea. The Canaanites called these people [فلسطين] and the name prevailed over the entire region, so it became referred to as [فلسطين]. According to what the Jews mentioned in their books, and what was written in the history of the region is that these peoples continued (residing) in the region. Many wars between them and the Children of Israel and the Jews occurred, which continued throughout the presence of the Jews in that region. Therefore, from a historical perspective, it becomes clear to us that the Jews were not the first to inhabit Palestine, but rather they entered it or some of it and captured parts of it after it had been in the possession of these people. [3]

Must Read:

https://abuiyaad.com/sn/muslims-antisemitism

https://abuiyaad.com/a/amalekite-genocide-doctrine-gaza

https://www.abuiyaad.com/w/hamas-israeli-right

https://abuiyaad.com/a/slaughtering-children-holy-war/print

https://abuiyaad.com/a/how-islam-saved-jews

https://abuiyaad.com/a/prophet-dealings-jews

https://abukhadeejah.com/having-alliance-with-the-non-muslims-is-of-two-types-misunderstanding-this-affair-leads-people-astray/

https://www.abukhadeejah.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Living-with-Non-Muslims.pdf

https://www.abukhadeejah.com/the-prophet-of-islam-would-not-kill-diplomats-ambassadors-emissaries-or-foreign-delegations-even-if-they-were-sent-by-the-worst-of-his-enemies/

http://www.shariah.ws/articles/duviqgl-shaykh-salih-al-fawzan-the-islamic-shariah-provides-security–for-muslims-and-non-muslims-and-those-who-violate-it-are-kh257rijites-who-are-to-be-fought-and-severely-punished.cfm

http://www.shariah.ws/articles/szsumlh-the-foundation-of-muslim-relations-with-non-muslims-who-do-not-show-aggression-and-hostility.cfm

http://www.shariah.ws/articles/nmsdfkp-islam-and-the-muslims-are-free-and-innocent-of-the-kharijite-extremists.cfm

[1] An Excerpt from “Shifaa Al-Aleel” page 39

[2] An Excerpt from “Tafseer Surah An-Nur”. Ayah 55

[3] An Excerpt from “Diraaasaat Fil Ad’yaan Al-Yahoodiyyah Wan-Nasraaniyyah. pages 65-66. Publisher: Daar Adwaa As-Salaf. 6th Edition 1439AH (2018).