Sermon Title: The Jews: A People of Treachery and Betrayal
Sermon's Key Elements:
Killers of Prophets.
Their history of treachery and betrayal.
Reasons for their treachery towards others.
The loyalty of the faithful.
All praise be to Allah, who knows the hidden and the most concealed. Exalted is He, the Lord of the Earth and the high heavens, who brings laughter and tears, life and death, and riches and sufficiency. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah, alone without any partner, and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, the most faithful prophet. May Allah exalt him, his family, his companions, and those who are purified. Moving forward.
O servants of Allah, fear Allah with true fear, and be conscious of Him in private and in secret.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ
“O you who believe, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims [in submission to Him].”
O servants of Allah:
Our Prophet ﷺ fell severely ill towards the end of his life. While enduring pain, he said, “I still feel the effect of the meal I had at Khaybar, and now it is the time when it cuts my aorta.” This was reported by Abu Dawood.
Allah granted His Prophet ﷺ both prophecy and martyrdom, a gesture of immense honor and dignity. So, what is the story behind this meal?
A Jewish woman from Khaybar gifted the Prophet ﷺ a poisoned sheep. He and his companions ate a little before Allah informed him of the poison. He instructed his companions to stop eating and informed them that Allah revealed its poisoning. Consequently, the companion Bishr bin Al-Baraa died from the poison. The Prophet ﷺ was affected and suffered until the ailment intensified towards the end of his life. He said during his final illness, “O Aisha, I still feel the pain caused by the food I ate at Khaybar, and now I feel as if my aorta is being cut from that poison.” Narrated by Bukhari.
Indeed, the Jews were known for killing prophets. Allah says:
لَقَدْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَأَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهِمْ رُسُلًا كُلَّمَا جَاءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ بِمَا لَا تَهْوَى أَنْفُسُهُمْ فَرِيقًا كَذَّبُوا وَفَرِيقًا يَقْتُلُونَ
“We had taken the covenant of the Children of Israel and sent them messengers. Every time a messenger came to them with what their souls did not desire, a group of them they called liars, and another group they killed.”
They are people of treachery and betrayal, breaking pacts and violating covenants.
Allah says:
الَّذِينَ عَاهَدْتَ مِنْهُمْ ثُمَّ يَنْقُضُونَ عَهْدَهُمْ فِي كُلِّ مَرَّةٍ وَهُمْ لَا يَتَّقُونَ
“Those with whom you made a covenant, then they break their pledge every time, and they do not fear Allah.”
They repeatedly attempted to kill the Prophet ﷺ and betrayed him and his companions until he expelled them from Medina.
When the Prophet ﷺ migrated to Medina, there were Jewish tribes like Banu Qaynuqa, Banu Nadir, and Banu Qurayza. They collectively disbelieved in the Prophet ﷺ out of envy and aggression, despite knowing his truthfulness. Only a few, like Abdullah bin Salam, embraced Islam. The Prophet ﷺ made a pact with the Jews for good neighborliness and mutual defense of Medina, not to support the polytheists against him. However, they repeatedly betrayed this pact.
For instance, the Banu Qaynuqa dishonorably betrayed the Muslims, stripping a Muslim woman in their marketplace. A zealous companion killed the perpetrator, leading to his own murder. The Prophet ﷺ then expelled them from Medina.
Banu Nadir conspired to kill the Prophet ﷺ by dropping a rock on him. Informed by Gabriel, he left and later expelled them.
Banu Qurayza broke their covenant during the Battle of the Trench, allying with polytheists against the Prophet ﷺ. Their fate was death and disgrace, a just verdict from the Almighty.
Their history always reflected Allah’s words:
وَلَا تَزَالُ تَطَّلِعُ عَلَى خَائِنَةٍ مِنْهُمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِنْهُمْ
“You will always find betrayal in them except a few.”
How could they not betray the Prophet ﷺ and the believers when they had already betrayed Allah? He who betrays Allah finds it easy to betray humans, as Allah says:
وَإِنْ يُرِيدُوا خِيَانَتَكَ فَقَدْ خَانُوا اللَّهَ مِنْ قَبْلُ فَأَمْكَنَ مِنْهُمْ
“If they seek to betray you, they have already betrayed Allah before, and He empowered [you] over them.”
They were entrusted with Allah’s Book, His religion, and law, but they distorted the words, bought a small gain with His verses, and altered His religion to please the wealthy and powerful.
Their treachery, theft, and looting are evident. They stole lands, wealth, even the skins of prisoners and organs of the deceased, and kidnapped infants. How vile are these treacherous thieves!
Brethren in Islam:
One might wonder, why has betrayal and treachery become inherent in these people?
The Jews consider themselves Allah's children and beloved, the chosen people, viewing others as unworthy of life. They believe deceiving or killing others is justified as they lack the honor of being Jewish. As Allah says:
وَمِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ مَنْ إِنْ تَأْمَنْهُ بِقِنْطَارٍ يُؤَدِّهِ إِلَيْكَ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ إِنْ تَأْمَنْهُ بِدِينَارٍ لَا يُؤَدِّهِ إِلَيْكَ إِلَّا مَا دُمْتَ عَلَيْهِ قَائِمًا ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا لَيْسَ عَلَيْنَا فِي الْأُمِّيِّينَ سَبِيلٌ وَيَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ
“Among the People of the Scripture is he who, if entrusted with a great amount [of wealth], will return it to you. Yet among them is he who, if entrusted with a single silver coin, will not return it unless you are constantly standing over him.”
They base their mass extermination on their corrupted Torah, falsely attributing to Allah commands to burn cities, kill all inhabitants, even infants and animals, and destroy everything.
They believe that no matter their deeds, Allah will forgive them. Their rabbis sell the Hereafter for worldly gains, altering Allah’s religion to please the wealthy and powerful, falsely claiming Allah will forgive them. Allah says:
فَخَلَفَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ وَرِثُوا الْكِتَابَ يَأْخُذُونَ عَرَضَ هَذَا الْأَدْنَى وَيَقُولُونَ سَيُغْفَرُ لَنَا وَإِنْ يَأْتِهِمْ عَرَضٌ مِثْلُهُ يَأْخُذُوهُ أَلَمْ يُؤْخَذْ عَلَيْهِمْ مِيثَاقُ الْكِتَابِ أَنْ لَا يَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ إِلَّا الْحَقَّ وَدَرَسُوا مَا فِيهِ وَالدَّارُ الْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ
“And there followed them successors who inherited the Scripture [while] taking the commodities of this lower life and saying, "It will be forgiven for us." And if an offer like it comes to them, they will [again] take it. Was not the covenant of the Scripture taken from them that they would not say about Allah except the truth, and they studied what was in it? And the home of the Hereafter is better for those who fear Allah, so will you not use reason?”
They expect Allah’s punishment to be brief, believing they will be forgiven regardless of their crimes. Allah says:
ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا لَنْ تَمَسَّنَا النَّارُ إِلَّا أَيَّامًا مَعْدُودَاتٍ وَغَرَّهُمْ فِي دِينِهِمْ مَا كَانُوا يَفْتَرُونَ * فَكَيْفَ إِذَا جَمَعْنَاهُمْ لِيَوْمٍ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ وَوُفِّيَتْ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ
“That is because they say, ‘The Fire will not touch us except for a few numbered days,’ and [because] they were deluded in their religion by what they were inventing. So how will it be when We assemble them for a Day about which there is no doubt? And each soul will be compensated [in full for] what it earned, and they will not be wronged.”
Deceived by their fabrications against Allah, fear has been removed from their hearts, replaced by false hopes and beliefs, making them a distorted nation among others, known only for treachery and theft, even against the living and the dead.
Woe to those misled by their hearts and hypocrites who trust them! Woe to those seeking honor and empowerment through alliance with them!
فَعَسَى اللَّهُ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ بِالْفَتْحِ أَوْ أَمْرٍ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ فَيُصْبِحُوا عَلَى مَا أَسَرُّوا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ نَادِمِينَ
“Allah may bring victory or a decree from Him, causing them to regret what they kept in their hearts.”
May Allah bless us with the wisdom of the Qur'an and forgive us. He is the Most Forgiving, the Merciful.
Second Sermon:
Praise be to Allah, peace and blessings upon His messenger, his family, his companions, and his followers.
O servants of Allah:
Allah is just, compassionate, and merciful, commanding justice and integrity, forbidding injustice and treachery.
Our Prophet ﷺ was the most faithful, even to his enemies. Hudhaifa bin Al-Yaman said, “I was prevented from participating in Badr because when my father and I set out, Quraysh captured us. They suspected we were heading to Muhammad. We said we only wanted to go to Medina. They took a pledge from us not to fight with him. When we reached the Prophet ﷺ and told him, he said, ‘Go back, we will fulfill their pledge, and we will seek Allah's help against them.’”
Such was the Prophet ﷺ – truthful, trustworthy, and loyal, who knew neither deceit nor treachery. He instructed his conquering army, “Fight in the name of Allah, against those who disbelieve in Allah. Fight, but do not cheat, betray, mutilate, or kill a child.”
His sincere followers spread these values worldwide, bringing Islam’s message through their integrity and loyalty.
The contrast is stark between those who protect their enemies’ captives, returning them unharmed, and those who release tortured, exhausted captives or deliver their bodies mutilated and skinned.
May Allah support Islam and honor Muslims, destroy the criminal Jews, comfort the hearts of the Mujahideen in His cause, save His oppressed servants, and raise the banner of religion. May Allah guide our leader to what He loves and approves, guiding him to righteousness and piety. Our Lord, grant us good in this world and the Hereafter and save us from the torment of the fire.
O servants of Allah: remember Allah frequently, glorify Him morning and evening. Our final prayer is that all praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.
