Islam began as a 7th century Noahite reform among the [[Elagabalites]] and other people of the Middle East. However [[Hagarim]] of that time soon rose up to suppress their [[Idumean]] and other Karaite Judaic teachers as they followed Christianity back down along the path of [[Supersessionism]]. There has been much less halachic literature written about Islam compared to Christianity. It has been suggested that this is due, in part, to the fact there has not been in the way of substantial polemics directed at Islam.<ref>Much of this article is based on 'Islam and the halacha'' in ''Judaism: A Quarterly Journal of Jewish Life and Thought'', 6/22/1993, Author: Shapiro, Marc B.</ref> Almost all halachic authorities follow Maimonides and rule that Islam is not idolatry. Many halachic authorities disagree with Maimonides and rule that Muslims enjoy, at least in part, the status of a ''[[Ger Toshav]]''. Although concerning both these points there are major halachic authorities with dissenting opinions. The most serious issues with Islam from a Noahide point of view is the non-acceptance of Jewish scriptures and the "[[replacement theology]]" of the Prophethood of Muhammed. The Brisker Rav said that for Muslims to be considered Noahides, they must accept the 7 mitzvos because Hashem commanded it at Sinai. Additionally, they must honor the prohibition of "shfichas domim".

==Islam and the halachah==

Also important for understanding Maimonides' view of Islam is a well known letter than he wrote around the year 1165, when he was still a resident of Fez, having not yet travelled to Erez Yisrael and Egypt. It was addressed to the inhabitants of Morocco, who had been threatened by the Almohads with conversion, exile, or death. It so happened that an anonymous scholar who had been living outside of the Almohads' reach had issued a ruling that Islam was idolatry and that, therefore, one must give up his life rather than convert to Islam. If one did not, he was to be treated as no different than a true apostate. This ruling created somewhat of a storm among the crypto-Jews of Morocco, and it was in response to this confusion that Maimonides wrote his letter, which was a marvelous defense of a Jewish community that was forced to hide its religion because of persecution.<ref>Regarding the debate as to whether Maimonides himself was a crypto-Jew while be lived in Fez, see the recent discussion by Jay Harris, "Maimonides in 19th Century Historiography," Proceedings of the American Academy of Jewish Research 54 (1987), pp. 133ff.</ref>

~~Rabbi Haym~~ [[Rav Hayyim Soloveitchik]]'s discussed at length the issues involved.<ref>Maimonides' Iggeret Ha-Shemad: Law and Rhetoric," in Leo Landman, ed., Rabbi Joseph H. Lookstein Memorial Volume (New York, 1980), pp. 284ff.</ref> However, one thing which appears to be sure, is that it was the Maimonidean acceptance of Islam's monotheistic character that enabled him to come to the defense of the crypto-Jews, even if he does not argue this point explicitly. Either he felt that this notion was so obvious, he did not feel the need to defend it. Alternatively, one could say that his refusal to argue the case that Islam is not idolatry was because he regarded the crypto-Jews as never having truly accepted the religion in the first place and, therefore, his argument was able to proceed along a different line, one which argues that, even assuming that Islam is idolatry, the Jews still have not violated the idolatry prohibition.<ref>See Soloveitchik, Op. cit., pp. 286-287.</ref> However, had the Jews truly accepted Islam, one could probably have expected Maimonides to argue that, whereas the Jews may have been heretics, they were not idolaters. By assuming that the Jews never adopted Islam, Maimonides can argue the way that he does.

However, Rabbi Soloveitchik argues that, since Maimonides identifies the denial of prophecy with idolatry, "why should the Shahadah, with its assertion of the primacy of Mohammed's prophecy, not be on a similar footing? The contemporary nature of Judaism changes little whether one asserts that there never was a revelation or whether one claims that it occurred but is now outmoded. Both statements would seem to be equally treasonable" (pp. 285-286). The Magen Avraham, <ref>Orah Hayyim 128:37</ref>, who argues that, at least in one respect, Maimonides equates conversion to Islam with idolatry.

This question has been dealt with above.

====The [[Hajj]], Facing Mecca and Shechitah====

As late as the fifteenth century, we find that R. Simeon ben Zemah Duran (''Tashbez'') ruled that Islam itself was not idolatrous.<ref>She'elot u-Teshuvot Tashbez, vol. 2, no. 48.</ref> but he also ruled that a shohet to was not permitted to slaughter animals while facing Mecca.<ref>Ibid., vol. 3, no. 133.</ref> because he regarded the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca as being of an idolatrous nature.<ref>Keshet u-Magen (Jerusalem, 1970), p. 19b.</ref> Of course, there is a difference between the view of the ''Tashbez'' and R. Nissim quoted above. Where the ''Tashbez'' was concerned with the remnants of the pre-Islamic period, R. Nissim's objection appears to be directed at what he considered to be pure Islam, not including any pre-Islamic pagan remnants.

:Narrated Abdullah Ibn Umar: A group of Jews came and invited the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) to Quff. So he visited them in their school. They said: Abu Qasim, one of our men has committed fornication with a woman; so pronounce judgment upon them. They placed a cushion for the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) who sat on it and said: Bring the Torah. It was then brought. He then withdrew the cushion from beneath him and placed the Torah on it saying: I believed in thee and in Him Who revealed thee. He then said: Bring me one who is learned among you. Then a young rabbi<ref>Islamic tradition says the young rabbi was Abdallah ibn Saba. Modern historiographic research identifies this rabbi as Heman ibn Shallum, the 38th Jewish Exilarch (de jure), who was a youth at the time. Heman ibn Shallum was deposed in 642CE in by Caliph 'Umar in favor of Bostanai.</ref> was brought..."

==Islam as a Noahide Faith?=== ~~Some have speculated that the [[Mesani]] refer to the Seven Laws of Noah, but this is impossible to prove.~~ ~~15.87 And We have bestowed upon thee the Seven Oft-repeated (verses) and the Grand Qur'an.~~ ~~17:22 — Prohibition of Idolatry #1~~

17Prophet Noah (pbuh) is clearly seen as a lawgiver in the Qur'an. It is taught that what the Almighty Lord reveals to the Prophet Noah (pbuh) He also revealed to the other Prophets and the Prophet of Islam (pbuh):~~23 — Prohibition of Blasphemy #2~~

17* Surat Ash-Shura 42.13, "He has laid down the same religion for you as He enjoined on Noah:~~32 — Prohibition of Sexual Immorality #4~~that which We have revealed to you and which We enjoined on Abraham, Moses and Jesus: 'Establish the religion and do not make divisions in it.' What you call the associators to follow is very hard for them. Allah chooses for Himself anyone He wills and guides to Himself those who turn to Him."

17* Surat Nooh 71:~~33 — Prohibition of Homicide #3~~1, "We sent Noah to his People: 'Do thou warn thy People before there comes to them a grievous Penalty.'"

17Some have suggested that the seven [[Mesani]] refer to the Seven Laws of Noah:~~34 — Prohibition of Theft #5~~

~~17:35 — Imperative of Legal System #7~~* Surat Al-Hijr 15.87 "And We have bestowed upon thee the Seven Oft-repeated (verses) and the Grand Qur'an."

~~17:36 — Prohibition of Limb~~ * Surat Az-Zumar 39.23 "Allah has revealed the most beautiful Message in the form of a ~~Living Creature #6???~~ Book, consistent with the Oft-repeated (~~although prohibition of blood specifically mentioned by the 2:173; 5:3~~verses)."

39Surat Al-Isra'# 17:22 Take not with Allah another object of worship; or thou (O man!) wilt sit in disgrace and destitution. '''— Prohibition of Idolatry #1'''# 17:23 Thy Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him, and that ye be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honour. '''— Prohibition of Blasphemy #2'''# 17:32 Nor come nigh to adultery: for it is a shameful (deed) and an evil, opening the road (to other evils). '''— Prohibition of Sexual Immorality #4'''# 17:33 Nor take life - which Allah has ~~revealed~~ made sacred - except for just cause. And if anyone is slain wrongfully, we have given his heir authority (to demand qisas or to forgive): but let him not exceed bounds in the matter of taking life; for he is helped (by the Law). '''— Prohibition of Homicide #3'''# 17:34 Come not nigh to the orphan's property except to improve it, until he attains the age of full strength; and fulfil (every) engagement, for (every) engagement will be enquired into (on the Day of Reckoning). '''— Prohibition of Theft #5'''# 17:35 Give full measure when ye measure, and weigh with a balance that is straight: that is the most ~~beautiful Message~~ fitting and the most advantageous in the ~~form~~ final determination. '''— Imperative of Legal System #7'''# 17:36 And pursue not that of which thou hast no knowledge; for every act of ~~a Book~~hearing, ~~consistent with~~ or of seeing or of (feeling in) the ~~Oft-repeated~~ heart will be enquired into (~~verses~~on the Day of Reckoning). '''— Prohibition of Limb of a Living Creature #6''' (see Surat al-Ma’ida 3, Surat al-Baqara 173 for direct prohibition. The prohibition of blood mentioned in 2:173; 5:3)

~~71:1 We sent Noah~~ Concerning the term "Muslim" which means "submission", it should be noted that in the Torah, everywhere the word "Kenite" used, it is translated to Aramaic as Salamai or [[Muslamai]]. Some suggest this refers to ~~his People: "Do thou warn thy People before there comes~~ the great numbers of non-Jewish believers who came to ~~them~~ sacrifice the Qurban Shlamim in Jerusalem together with the Jews. Salamai, [[Musalamai]], Muslims. This could be a ~~grievous Penalty~~clear indication in our literature that Islam is an ancient religion, dating back to second temple times, at least. And if Islam's roots are the same as what we call ''Bnei Noah'', then it is much older, it is the religion of Noah, and Adam himself."

==Sheich Palazzi's Speech at the Conference on Noahide Council==

==Bibliography==

* Abraham Geiger (1810–1874), "Was hat Mohammed aus dem Judenthume aufgenommen?" (1833).

* Reinhart Dozy (1820–1883) "Die Israeliten zu Mecca" (1864)

* Rabbi Abraham I. Katsh's "Judaism and the Koran" (1962)

* Judaism: A Quarterly Journal of Jewish Life and Thought, 6/22/1993, Author: Shapiro, Marc B.

* Moshe Perlmann, "The Medieval Polemics Between Islam and Judaism," in S.D. Goitein, ed., Religion in a Religious Age (Cambridge, Mass., 1974), pp. 121-122, 126. and

* Ronald Kiener, "The Image of Islam in the Zohar," Mehkerei Yerushalayim be-Mahshevet Yisrael 9 (1989): 43-65 (English section)

* Abraham Schreiber, "Yahas Hachmei Yisrael le-Istam," in Itamar Warhaftig, ed., Minhah le-Ish (Jerusalem, 1991), pp. 276-292.

* Regarding [[Karaite Jewish]] attitudes, see Haggai Ben-shammai, "The Attitude of Some Early [[Karaite Jews|Karaites ]] Towards Islam," in [[Isadore Twersky]], ed., Studies in Medieval Jewish History and Literature (Cambridge, Mass., 1984), Vol. 2, pp. 1-40.

* Regarding Islamic influence on Jewish practice, Naphtali Wieder, Hashpa'ot Islamiyyot al ha-Pulhan ha-Yehudi (Oxford, 1947).

* [[Islam]]

* [[Noahide Law in the Qur'an]]

* [[~~Jewish Sources~~ Halakhah of Shammai in the Qur'an]]

==References==

[[Category:Islam's Origins]]

[[Category:Islamic_Religion]]

[[Category:Noahide Islamic Religion]]

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