Q. The Qur’an mentions that the “strongest in enmity to the believers are the Jews” but another verse makes it clear that it is permissible for Muslim men to marry Jewish women. How do you reconcile the two?
(Name and address withheld)
A. There is no contradiction between the two. In marriage, the relation is between individuals, and certainly there are among the Jews people who are good in their conduct, and have good qualities. If a Muslim man meets a Jewish woman who is good and kind, there is no harm in marrying her. On the other hand, the verse that speaks of hostility toward the Muslim community is referring to attitudes on a community or national level. As a community, or a religious grouping, the Jews have had a long history of hostility to Islam, but there are among them individuals who do not share this attitude. We do not judge any individual on the basis of his people’s attitude. We see this clearly today, with Israel nurturing Jewish hostility to Islam and Muslims at every level. Yet there are Jews who do not agree with this policy and dissociate themselves from Zionism and its oppressive policies.
— Arab News Islam published 6 October 2003
