An Analysis of Wahhabi and Salafi Anti-Semitic Views as Recorded in Major English Works and Tafsirs

By V.A. Mohamad Ashrof, New Age Islam 1 August 2025 Abstract This paper provides a comprehensive hermeneutical analysis of anti-Semitic views within the theological and exegetical literature of the Wahhabi and Salafi movements. It argues that the pronounced anti-Semitism found in many of their foundational and contemporary works is not an incidental feature but the direct product of a specific and rigid interpretive methodology. This hermeneutic is characterized by four primary components: a staunch textual literalism that rejects allegorical or metaphorical readings; a deliberate decontextualisation that universalizes historical polemics against 7th-century Jewish tribes into timeless indictments of all Jews; an essentialism that attributes immutable negative traits to a collective Jewish identity; and a modern syncretism that fuses these pre-modern scriptural interpretations with contemporary political grievances, particularly the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and imported European anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. Through an in-depth examination of key Tafsirs (Quranic commentaries), Hadith collections, and the writings of influential scholars from Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab to modern figures like Saleh Al-Fawzan, this paper traces how sacred texts are methodologically transformed into warrants for perpetual hostility. It explores the interpretation of specific Quranic verses (e.g., 5:82, 5:64, 2:61) and Hadith (e.g., the Gharqad tree prophecy) to demonstrate how they function within this interpretive framework. Furthermore, the paper contrasts this dominant Salafi hermeneutic with critical counter-arguments from other Islamic scholars who advocate for contextual, ethical, and more historically grounded readings of the same texts. The paper concludes that understanding this hermeneutic of enmity is essential for comprehending the theological underpinnings of a significant stream of modern Islamist ideology and its profound impact on global interfaith relations. Forging Enmity from Sacred Texts The discourse surrounding the relationship between Islam and Judaism is multifaceted, spanning centuries of complex interaction, from periods of celebrated coexistence and intellectual collaboration to eras of conflict and polemic. Within the vast tapestry of modern Islam, the puritanical and revivalist movements of Wahhabism and Salafism have emerged as particularly influential, yet controversial, voices. Their rise, fuelled by significant financial patronage and global proselytization efforts, has brought their distinct theological positions to the forefront of international attention. Among the most criticized aspects of their ideology are the deeply entrenched anti-Semitic views that permeate many of their foundational texts, Quranic commentaries (Tafsirs), and modern publications. This paper seeks to move beyond a mere cataloguing of these views to conduct a thorough hermeneutical analysis, investigating how these movements interpret their sacred texts—the Quran and the Hadith—to arrive at and justify such hostile conclusions. This study is hermeneutical in its focus; it is concerned with the theory and methodology of interpretation. The central thesis is that Wahhabi-Salafi anti-Semitism is the direct result of a specific and coherent interpretive framework. It is not a random collection of prejudices but a worldview constructed upon a set of interpretive principles that, when applied to scripture, consistently produce a narrative of Jewish perfidy, enmity, and cosmic evil. This framework relies on a rigid textual literalism, the stripping of historical context from scriptural passages, the essentialising of negative characteristics onto an entire people, and the synthesis of these classical interpretations with modern political conflicts and conspiracy theories. To establish analytical clarity, it is crucial to define key terms. Wahhabism refers to the religious movement founded by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab in the 18th century in the Arabian Peninsula, which, through a political-religious alliance with the House of Saud, became the official state-sponsored ideology of Saudi Arabia. Salafism is a broader and more diffuse movement that gained prominence in the late 19th and 20th centuries, advocating for a return to the faith and practices of the Al-Salaf Al-Salih (the pious predecessors), namely the first three generations of Muslims. While all Wahhabis are Salafis, not all Salafis are Wahhabis; however, the two movements share a core methodological commitment to scriptural literalism and are the primary focus of this paper. Anti-Semitism, in this context, refers to hostility, prejudice, or discrimination against Jews as a religious, ethnic, or racial group, often underpinned by negative stereotypes and theological condemnations that extend beyond legitimate political critique of the state of Israel. This paper will unfold in five major sections. First, it will explore the historical and ideological foundations of the Wahhabi and Salafi movements, focusing on the development of their core hermeneutical principles, including the doctrine of Al-Wala' wa al-Bara' (Loyalty and Disavowal), which establishes a rigid "us-versus-them" social framework. Second, it will delve into their interpretation of the Quran, analysing how key verses concerning the Banu Israel (Children of Israel) are systematically read to construct tropes of inherent Jewish enmity, corruption, and divine curse. Third, the paper will examine the critical role of Hadith literature, particularly apocalyptic prophecies like the Gharqad tree hadith, in cementing the image of the Jew as a perpetual and eschatological enemy. Fourth, it will analyse the modern synthesis, wherein this pre-modern exegetical tradition is fused with the political realities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and imported European anti-Semitic myths, such as The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Finally, the paper will present critical counter-hermeneutics from other Islamic scholars, such as Tariq Ramadan and Khaled Abou El Fadl, who challenge the methodological validity of the Wahhabi-Salafi approach and offer alternative, more contextual and ethical, readings of the same sacred texts. Through this structured analysis, a clear picture emerges of how a particular way of reading can transform a complex religious tradition into a source of uncompromising enmity. Historical and Ideological Foundations To comprehend the anti-Semitic views within Wahhabi and Salafi literature, one must first understand the historical and ideological soil from which their hermeneutics grew. These movements were born out of a perceived state of crisis and decline in the Muslim world, and their proposed solution was a radical return to a purified, unadulterated form of Islam. This purification process necessitated the drawing of sharp boundaries between "true" belief and all forms of perceived deviation, a process in which the "Jew" often came to serve as a primary archetypal "other." The Wahhabi movement originated with the teachings of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab (1703-1792), a scholar from the Najd region of central Arabia. He was profoundly disturbed by what he saw as the corruption of Islam in his time, particularly practices he condemned as shirk (polytheism) and Bid’ah (heretical innovation). These included the veneration of saints, the construction of elaborate tombs, and popular Sufi rituals, all of which he believed compromised the absolute and indivisible oneness of God, or Tawhid (DeLong-Bas, p.13-17). His seminal work, Kitab at-Tawhid (The Book of Monotheism), is a manifesto dedicated to this singular principle, outlining in stark terms what constitutes correct belief and what constitutes apostasy. This uncompromising focus on Tawhid created an inherently exclusionary worldview. For Ibn Abd al-Wahhab, the world was divided into two camps: the people of Tawhid (ahl al-Tawhid) and the people of shirk (Ahl Al-Shirk). His definition of shirk was exceptionally broad, encompassing not only the traditional polytheism of pagans but also the practices of mainstream Sunni and Shia Muslims of his day. This theological framework led to the practice of Takfir, the excommunication or declaring of other Muslims as unbelievers, which justified his military campaigns against them (Commins, p.56). Within this binary worldview, Jews and Christians, as People of the Book who had rejected the final prophethood of Muhammad, were firmly placed in the camp of the unbelievers (Kuffar). While his primary polemics were directed at fellow Muslims he deemed deviant, his writings laid the groundwork for a theology that brooked no compromise with other faiths. He argued that any form of association with or affection for unbelievers was a violation of pure faith. In Kitab at-Tawhid, he quotes Hadith and Quranic verses to build his case, often in a decontextualized manner. For example, his use of Hadith 292 from Sahih Muslim, "I have been commanded to fight against people so long as they do not say, 'There is no god but Allah'" (Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab, p. 46), was interpreted to provide a broad justification for conflict with all who did not subscribe to his specific, rigid version of monotheism. The intellectual environment he fostered was one of clear demarcations, where theological purity demanded social and political separation from, and often hostility toward, the "other." Salafism, as a modern phenomenon, has more complex origins, tracing its intellectual lineage to 19th-century reformists like Jamal al-Din al-Afghani and Muhammad Abduh, who sought to reconcile Islam with modernity. However, the stream of Salafism that is the focus of this paper is the one that merged with and was heavily influenced by Wahhabism in the 20th century. This modern, literalist Salafism champions a return to the Manhaj as-Salaf—the methodology of the pious predecessors. The core interpretive principle of this methodology is the belief that the purest understanding of Islam is found in the practices and beliefs of the first three generations of Muslims. In practice, this translates to a profound reverence for the literal text of the Quran and the Sunnah (the Prophet's traditions). Salafi hermeneutics prioritizes naql (revealed text) over 'aql (human reason) and largely rejects interpretive methods that developed later in Islamic history, such as speculative theology (kalam) and allegorical interpretation (ta'wil) (Haykel, p.35). They insist on understanding the text according to its zahir (apparent, literal meaning), believing this to be the safest and most authentic approach. This literalism becomes particularly problematic when applied to polemical or historically specific passages. A scholar who embodies this approach is Muhammad Nasir-ud-Din al-Albani (1914-1999), a highly influential 20th-century Salafi hadith scholar. His life's work was dedicated to sifting through centuries of hadith literature to authenticate or invalidate specific narrations, thereby creating a "purified" canon for modern Salafis. His interpretations, however, were colored by this same unyielding literalism. In his book, The Prophet's Prayer Described, he casually refers to Jews as "enemies of Allah" and "enemies of the believers," grounding these assertions in a literal reading of Quranic verses like 5:64, which states, "And the Jews say, 'God's hand is chained.' Chained are their hands, and cursed are they for what they say" (Al-Albani, p. 215). For al-Albani and his followers, such verses are not historical descriptions of a past community's blasphemy but eternal statements of fact about the Jewish people. This interpretive choice—to privilege the literal over the contextual or metaphorical—is a foundational pillar of Salafi anti-Semitism. The Doctrine of Al-Wala' wa al-Bara' Perhaps the most potent ideological tool for constructing social boundaries is the doctrine of Al-Wala' wa al-Bara', or "Loyalty and Disavowal." While the concepts have classical roots, they were systematized and elevated to a central tenet of faith by Wahhabi and Salafi ideologues. Al-Wala' demands absolute loyalty, love, and support for God, His Prophet, and the community of "true" believers. Conversely, al-Bara' requires complete disavowal, distance, and even hatred for everything that constitutes unbelief (kufr) and its people (kuffar) (Wagemakers, p.33). This doctrine creates a stark and unforgiving social binary. It is not enough to simply believe; one must actively demonstrate loyalty to the in-group and disavowal of the out-group. Prominent Saudi scholar Saleh Al-Fawzan, a member of the Council of Senior Scholars, is a leading contemporary exponent of this doctrine. In his book, Al-Wala' wa Al-Bara', he makes the implications explicit: "Loyalty to the infidels, especially the Jews, is not permissible for the Muslims" (Al-Fawzan, p.101). He supports this prohibition with a literal interpretation of Quran 60:1: "O believers, do not take My enemies and your enemies as friends, showing affection towards them." This verse, revealed in the specific context of the political tensions between Mecca and Medina, is transformed into a universal divine command forbidding any form of friendship or emotional connection with non-Muslims, with Jews often singled out for special condemnation. The doctrine of Al-Wala' wa al-Bara' functions as the social and political extension of the core theological principles of Tawhid and the Manhaj as-Salaf. It takes the abstract belief in a pure, unadulterated Islam and translates it into a concrete set of social behaviours that demand separation, suspicion, and hostility towards those outside the faith. This framework provides the ideological justification for viewing Jews not merely as religious dissenters but as enemies who must be actively disavowed and opposed. It is the practical application of the hermeneutic of enmity. The Quran lies at the heart of Islamic faith, and its interpretation (Tafsir) is a central battleground for competing ideologies. The Wahhabi-Salafi approach to Tafsir is distinguished by its preference for tafsir bi'l-ma'thur (interpretation of the Quran by the Quran and the Sunnah) and its heavy reliance on a few select classical commentators, most notably Ibn Kathir (d. 1373), whose work is seen as closely aligned with their literalist methodology. Through this interpretive lens, a consistent and overwhelmingly negative portrait of the Jew is constructed, built upon a foundation of key theological tropes. The most frequently cited verse to establish the idea of an inherent and eternal Jewish animosity towards Muslims is Quran 5:82: "You will surely find the most hostile of people towards the believers to be the Jews and those who associate partners with Allah." While many Islamic scholars have contextualized this verse as a reflection of the specific political realities of 7th-century Medina—where several Jewish tribes were in active military and political conflict with the nascent Muslim community—Salafi exegesis systematically de-historicizes it, transforming it into a universal and ontological statement. The influential Wahhabi scholar Abdurrahman bin Nasir as-Sa'di (1889-1957) exemplifies this approach in his popular Tafsir, Taysir al-Karim al-Rahman. Commenting on this verse, he writes: "This verse indicates the enmity of the Jews towards the believers, and their disbelief in Allah. The reasons for their intense enmity are many, including their jealousy, arrogance, and condescension ... this is their nature" (As-Sa'di, p.243). The key hermeneutical move here is the shift from describing an action (hostility) to defining an essence ("their nature"). The animosity is no longer a historically contingent behaviour but an immutable trait embedded in the Jewish character. This interpretation forecloses any possibility of genuine friendship or peace, as it frames the conflict not as a political disagreement but as a clash of essential natures decreed by God. Another cornerstone of the Salafi portrayal of Jews is the accusation of tahrif, the deliberate corruption of scripture. This charge is used to delegitimize Judaism as a faith and to portray Jews as fundamentally deceitful. While mainstream Islamic theology holds that previous revelations were superseded by the Quran, the Salafi interpretation often insists on a literal, physical alteration of the Torah. This view is buttressed by verses like 4:46, which accuses a group of Jews of "displacing words from their [right] places" and saying "'We hear and disobey.'" A further example is found in the interpretation of Quran 5:64: "And the Jews say, 'God's hand is chained.' Chained are their hands, and cursed are they for what they say." This verse, likely a polemical response to a specific theological dispute, is interpreted literally by Salafi exegetes as a statement of Jewish blasphemy and stinginess. Al-Albani cites this verse to demonstrate the Jews' malevolent character, presenting it as evidence of their deep-seated disrespect for God (Al-Albani, p.215). The hermeneutic at play transforms a specific, reported utterance into a defining creed of the Jewish people, reinforcing the image of a people who are not only enemies of Muslims but enemies of God Himself. The Quran contains numerous narratives detailing the relationship between God and the Children of Israel, many of which recount episodes of disobedience followed by divine punishment. In Salafi Tafsir, these stories are not read as cautionary tales for all humanity about the consequences of ingratitude and sin. Instead, they are presented as a historical record that reveals the essential, unchanging, and rebellious nature of the Jewish people. Quran 2:61 is a key passage in this regard. It recounts the Israelites in the desert complaining about their monotonous diet of manna and asking for worldly foods, an act of ingratitude for which they were "stamped with humiliation and misery" and "drew upon themselves anger from Allah." Salafi commentaries present this not as a specific failure of a past generation but as a timeless verdict on the Jewish people. The humiliation and misery are seen as a permanent state, a divine curse that follows them throughout history. This theme of divine punishment reaches its zenith in the interpretation of verses describing the transformation of Sabbath-breakers into "apes" (2:65) or "apes and swine" (5:60). While many classical and modern commentators have interpreted these transformations metaphorically—as a depiction of moral and spiritual degradation—the literalist Salafi hermeneutic often insists on a physical metamorphosis. Whether literal or metaphorical, the interpretation serves the same purpose: to dehumanize and portray Jews as morally debased, deserving of spectacular divine punishment. These powerful and visceral images are frequently invoked in modern Salafi sermons and literature to stoke contempt and disgust (Bostom, p.125). By consistently interpreting these Quranic narratives through a lens of essentialism and de-historicization, Salafi Tafsir constructs a formidable and damning theological profile of the Jew: an eternal enemy, a deliberate corrupter of revelation, and a perpetual rebel against God, forever marked by divine wrath and humiliation. This profile is not ancillary to their theology; it is a direct and necessary outcome of their hermeneutical method. The Role of Hadith in Constructing the Jewish 'Other' If the Quran provides the theological framework for the Salafi view of Jews, the Hadith (narrations of the Prophet Muhammad's words and deeds) supply the vivid details, apocalyptic urgency, and practical justifications for hostility. Within the Salafi tradition, the two most authentic collections, Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, hold an authority second only to the Quran. Their literal interpretation of these texts, particularly those dealing with eschatology (end times) and inter-communal relations, is crucial for cementing the image of the Jew as the ultimate enemy. No single text is more central to the modern Islamist anti-Semitic imagination than the eschatological hadith of the Gharqad tree. The most widely cited version, from Sahih Muslim, states: "The Hour will not be established until the Muslims fight the Jews, and the Muslims kill them, until the Jews hide behind stones and trees, and the stones and trees say, 'O Muslim, O servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him'—except for the Gharqad tree, for it is the tree of the Jews." (Muslim 2922) The hermeneutical approach of Wahhabi and Salafi scholars to this hadith is one of absolute and prophetic literalism. It is not read as a metaphor for a spiritual struggle against evil, nor as a symbolic vision, nor even as a political prophecy contingent on specific circumstances. It is interpreted as a literal, divinely-ordained, and inevitable event: a final, genocidal war between Muslims and Jews that is a prerequisite for the end of the world. Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab cited this hadith in his writings to underscore the inevitability of conflict (Ibn Abd al-Wahhab, p.124). For him and his followers, it served as divine proof that any notion of lasting peace with Jews was a dangerous illusion. In the 20th and 21st centuries, this hadith has become a rallying cry for extremist groups. Its most notorious modern application is its inclusion in Article 7 of the 1988 Hamas Charter, which quotes the hadith verbatim to ground its political and military struggle against Israel in sacred, eschatological prophecy (MEMRI). The hermeneutic here is deterministic. It removes human agency and historical contingency, framing the conflict as a non-negotiable part of a divine cosmic plan. The detail about the Gharqad tree is particularly significant, as it is often cited in modern anti-Semitic propaganda to claim that Israelis are planting these trees in preparation for this final battle, thus "proving" the prophecy's imminent fulfilment. This literalist interpretation transforms the hadith from a piece of 7th-century oral tradition into an active and potent justification for violence in the present day. Beyond the apocalyptic, a wide array of other hadith is marshalled to construct a profile of the Jew as inherently treacherous, conspiratorial, and malevolent. Narrations detailing the Prophet Muhammad's conflicts with the Jewish tribes of Medina—the Banu Qaynuqa, Banu Nadir, and Banu Qurayza—are central to this. Events such as the alleged Jewish plot to assassinate the Prophet or their breaking of the Constitution of Medina are not treated as specific historical incidents involving specific actors. Instead, they are presented as paradigmatic examples of timeless Jewish behaviour. For instance, hadith describing the sorcery allegedly performed against the Prophet by a Jew named Labid ibn al-A'sam are often cited as proof of the Jews' proclivity for occultism and malice (Bukhari 5763). Similarly, hadith about the conquest of the Jewish agricultural oasis of Khyber are used to reinforce the narrative of a justified war against a treacherous and wealthy enemy. This selective compilation of negative portrayals creates a one-dimensional caricature. It systematically ignores or downplays other hadith that depict neutral or even positive interactions, such as the Prophet engaging in commerce with Jews, visiting a sick Jewish boy, or standing in respect for a Jewish funeral procession (Abou El Fadl, p.207). The Salafi hermeneutic, in its quest for ideological purity and clear demarcation, "cherries-picks" the traditions that support its pre-existing narrative of enmity and disavowal, while marginalizing those that might complicate it. This methodological choice is not accidental; it is a necessary component of an ideology that relies on a starkly black-and-white view of the world. Finally, general hadith about jihad are often applied with a specific anti-Jewish focus. As mentioned earlier, the hadith "I have been commanded to fight against people so long as they do not say, 'There is no god but Allah'" (Muslim 292) is invoked by scholars like Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab as a blanket justification for offensive war against all non-believers until they submit to his version of Islam (Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab, p.46). Within the broader framework of enmity established by the Quranic interpretations and the specific anti-Jewish hadith, the Jewish people become a primary target of this general command. The hermeneutic at work is one of generalization and de-specification. A command that classical jurists surrounded with numerous conditions and qualifications—concerning just cause, the rules of engagement, and the protection of non-combatants—is stripped of this legal complexity and transformed into a simple, universal imperative for conquest. When combined with the eschatological certainty of the Gharqad tree hadith, the result is a powerful and dangerous synthesis: a divine command to fight a fated, apocalyptic enemy. The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict as a Hermeneutical Lens The establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 and the subsequent displacement of Palestinians and ongoing conflict provided what many Islamists saw as the ultimate empirical proof of their scriptural interpretations. The conflict was not viewed primarily through a political lens of nationalism, territory, or human rights. Instead, it was—and is—interpreted through the pre-existing hermeneutic of enmity. The state of Israel is seen as the physical manifestation of the eternal Jewish hostility foretold in Quran 5:82. The perceived expansion of Israeli territory is viewed as the fulfilment of the Quranic warning about Jews "striving throughout the land to cause corruption" (5:64). The military and political power of Israel is interpreted as a direct challenge to the divinely promised dominance of Islam, a temporary trial before the final, inevitable victory prophesied in the Gharqad tree hadith. This hermeneutical fusion allows for a complete blurring of distinctions between Judaism (the religion), Zionism (the political ideology), and the state of Israel (the nation-state). Any action taken by the Israeli government is seen not as the policy of a secular state but as the act of "the Jews," confirming the timeless truths of the sacred texts. This creates a vicious interpretive circle: the texts are used to explain the conflict, and the conflict is used to prove the timeless validity of the texts. The final element in this modern synthesis is the widespread adoption of the notorious Russian forgery, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. This text, fabricated by the Tsarist secret police in the early 20th century, purports to be the minutes of a secret meeting of Jewish leaders outlining a master plan for global domination. Despite being definitively debunked as a fraud, the Protocols gained immense traction in the Arab and Muslim world because they resonated so perfectly with the existing Quranic narrative of Jewish conspiracy and corruption (Wistrich, p.199-205). The Protocols provided a "modern," secular-looking script for the divine warnings in the Quran. The Jewish plan described in the Protocols to control global media, finance, and politics was seen as the practical implementation of their effort "to cause corruption in the land" (Quran 5:64). This syncretism gave the ancient religious polemic a contemporary political application, allowing preachers and ideologues to present the Protocols as a secular confirmation of Islamic scripture. This fusion is evident in the writings of countless modern Islamists and is a staple of anti-Semitic propaganda broadcast on state and non-state media channels throughout the region. This potent ideological mixture of Salafi hermeneutics, political grievance, and conspiracy theory was disseminated globally through a well-funded infrastructure. Beginning in the 1970s, Saudi Arabia used its immense oil wealth to export its Wahhabi-Salafi interpretation of Islam. This was achieved through the funding of mosques, schools, and Islamic centre’s worldwide, and most significantly, through the mass publication and free distribution of approved religious texts, including translations of the Quran with Wahhabi-Salafi commentary and the works of scholars like Ibn Abd al-Wahhab, Ibn Baz, and Al-Fawzan (Hegghammer, p.105). Publishing houses like Darussalam became global vehicles for this literature. The digital revolution further amplified this reach, with countless websites (like the popular IslamQA.info, supervised by Salafi scholar Muhammad Al-Munajjid), social media influencers, and satellite TV channels broadcasting these views to a global audience. This state-of-the-art dissemination network ensured that a once-regional, puritanical hermeneutic became a major force in global Islamic discourse. The Wahhabi-Salafi interpretation, despite its global reach, does not represent the entirety of Islamic thought and has been subjected to forceful criticism from within the Muslim intellectual tradition. Scholars from diverse backgrounds have challenged its hermeneutical methodology, its historical claims, and its ethical implications, offering alternative ways of reading the same sacred texts. These counter-arguments are essential for a complete understanding of the issue and demonstrate that the Quran and Hadith can be—and are—read in ways that promote tolerance and coexistence. The Argument from Historical Context A primary critique of the Salafi method is its radical de-historicisation of the Quran. Scholars like Tariq Ramadan argue that the verses and hadith concerning Jews must be understood within their specific historical context (Siyaq). He contends that the Prophet Muhammad's conflicts with certain Jewish tribes in Medina were political and military disputes, specific to that time and place, and cannot be legitimately extrapolated into a universal theological decree for perpetual enmity against all Jews (Ramadan, p.156-158). These critics point out that the Constitution of Medina, a document drafted by the Prophet, originally included Jewish tribes as part of the same community (ummah) with the Muslims, granting them religious freedom and mutual protection. The conflicts arose only after specific tribes were accused of breaking this treaty. Therefore, the verses of condemnation were directed at specific political actors for specific transgressions, not at "the Jews" as a monolithic entity. This contextual approach reframes the issue from one of essential natures to one of political alliances and betrayals, a standard feature of human history rather than a unique feature of Jewish character. This reading respects the historical particularity of revelation and resists the anachronistic imposition of later conflicts onto the foundational texts. The scholar Khaled Abou El Fadl mounts a powerful methodological critique, arguing that the anti-Semitic views of Wahhabis and Salafis are based on a flawed and intellectually dishonest approach that he calls "cherry-picking." He writes, "The Wahhabis and Salafis selectively quote Islamic texts to justify their views, while ignoring other texts that promote tolerance and coexistence" (Abou El Fadl, p.205). Their hermeneutic violates a cardinal rule of Islamic jurisprudence (usul al-fiqh), which is to interpret any given text in light of the entire corpus of revelation, including the overarching principles and ethics of the faith. Critics like Abou El Fadl point to a wealth of verses that the Salafi narrative conveniently ignores. For example, Quran 60:8 explicitly permits kindness and justice towards non-Muslims who do not fight Muslims: "Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes—from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly." Furthermore, the Quran repeatedly praises righteous "People of the Book," including Jews. Quran 3:113-114 states: "They are not [all] the same; among the People of the Scripture is a community that is upright... They believe in Allah and the Last Day, and they enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and hasten to good deeds. And those are among the righteous." By ignoring these verses, the Salafi hermeneutic creates a distorted and unbalanced picture of the Quranic message. A sound hermeneutic, critics argue, must reconcile the polemical verses with the conciliatory ones, understanding that the Quran's higher ethical principles—such as justice ('Adl), mercy (Rahmah), and the principle that no soul shall bear the burden of another (6:164)—must take precedence over narrow, decontextualized readings of historical conflicts. Beyond general critiques, many scholars offer alternative interpretations of the specific "problem" verses. The concept of tahrif (corruption), for example, is understood by many mainstream scholars not as a physical alteration of the text but as a corruption of its meaning—a misinterpretation or concealment of its true import, particularly prophecies about the coming of Muhammad (Peters, p.195). This reading preserves the critique of Jewish and Christian theology from an Islamic perspective without resorting to accusations of large-scale textual forgery. Similarly, verses like 5:82 (on hostility) can be read as a sociological and political observation of the alliances of the time. The verse continues by stating that Christians are "nearest in affection" because they are not arrogant, a description that was contextually true of the Christian Abyssinians who had given refuge to the early Muslims, in contrast to the Medinan Jewish tribes who were in a state of political conflict. It is a description of behaviour, not a decree about essence. By applying standard Islamic interpretive tools that Salafis often reject—such as considering the occasion of revelation (Asbab Al-Nuzul), distinguishing between the general ('Amm) and the specific (Khass), and prioritizing the unambiguous (Muhkam) verses over the ambiguous (Mutashabih)—these scholars demonstrate that the sacred texts can yield far more nuanced and tolerant meanings. Warrant for Enmity The Wahhabi and Salafi movements, in their zealous pursuit of a "pure" Islam, have developed a hermeneutical framework that consistently produces a narrative of profound and unyielding anti-Semitism. This is not an accidental by-product of their theology but its logical and necessary outcome. Through a rigid hermeneutic of literalism, decontextualisation, and essentialism, they transform the sacred texts of the Quran and Hadith from a source of spiritual guidance into a warrant for perpetual enmity. This paper has traced the interpretive process by which specific Quranic verses are universalized from historical polemics into eternal indictments of an unchanging Jewish character, defined by hostility, deceit, and divine curse. It has shown how eschatological hadith, most notably the Gharqad tree prophecy, are read with a stark literalism that sanctifies a future genocidal conflict as a divine inevitability. Finally, it has demonstrated how this pre-modern exegetical tradition was fused in the modern era with the political grievances of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the conspiratorial mythology of European anti-Semitism, creating a uniquely potent and dangerous ideology that is disseminated globally through well-funded and technologically savvy networks. However, as the final section has shown, this hermeneutic of enmity is not uncontested within Islam. A rich tradition of Muslim scholarship offers powerful counter-hermeneutics that champion contextual reading, ethical interpretation, and intellectual honesty. These alternative voices insist that the Quran’s overarching message of justice, mercy, and recognition of religious pluralism must temper the interpretation of its more polemical passages. The struggle between these competing hermeneutics is not merely an academic debate; it is a battle for the very soul of modern Islam. The real-world consequences of the Wahhabi-Salafi interpretation—in fuelling extremism, hindering interfaith dialogue, and justifying violence—underscore the profound and urgent importance of challenging this hermeneutic of enmity and promoting an interpretive approach rooted in the highest ethical and intellectual traditions of the faith. Bibliography Abou El Fadl, Khaled. The Great Theft: Wrestling Islam from the Extremists. San Francisco: HarperOne, 2007. Al-Albani, Muhammad Nasir-ud-Din. 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A Lethal Obsession: Anti-Semitism from Antiquity to the Global Jihad. New York: Random House, 2010. ------ V.A. Mohamad Ashrof is an independent Indian scholar specializing in Islamic humanism. With a deep commitment to advancing Quranic hermeneutics that prioritize human well-being, peace, and progress, his work aims to foster a just society, encourage critical thinking, and promote inclusive discourse and peaceful coexistence. He is dedicated to creating pathways for meaningful social change and intellectual growth through his scholarship. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/debating-islam/wahhabi-salafi-anti-semitic-english-tafsirs/d/136372 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism