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Former Saudi Minister of Justice Sheikh Muhammad Issa, who currently serves as the Secretary-General of the Muslim World League, said in a June 17, 2020 interview on Al-Arabiya Network (Saudi Arabia) that some people misunderstand the Quranic verse that says that Jews and Christians will never be pleased with the Muslims until they follow their religion. He clarified that this was referring to the direction of prayer or other matters of faith. In addition, he explained that Muslims, Jews, and Christians are "brothers" because all of humanity comes from the same source and he emphasized that Muslims have never benefited from having a hateful or provocative approach. Saying that there are Jews who have stood alongside the Muslims against Islamophobia, Sheikh Issa added: "We do not deal with extremists, fanatics, or haters, [but] people should not bear the consequences of mistakes committed by some of them."
Muhammad Issa: "Some people misunderstand the words of Allah in [the Quran]: 'And never will the Jews or the Christians approve of you until you follow their religion.' according to Ibn Abbas' interpretation, this verse refers to the direction of prayer. Even if it pertains to things beyond the direction of prayer, then it is referring to religious convictions. Every religion has its own convictions and does not approve of other faiths until they accept its own. Otherwise, all religions would unite into one religion. When I use the term 'our Christian and Jewish brothers' - well, brotherhood has many meanings in the Quran.
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"Humanity stems from the same source, which makes it a brotherhood, even if it has split to different faiths. Allah says: 'Oh mankind, We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another.' this is the source of the term 'brothers in humanity.' Some people understand the word 'brotherhood' as referring to co-religionists, but the Quran completely disagrees, as I have shown. The important thing is that we will benefit absolutely nothing from adopting hateful and provocative approach.
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"We deal with Judaism as a religion, just like we deal with Christianity. They are all People of the Book.
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"There are Jews who have stood by the Muslims against Islamophobia. We do not deal with extremists fanatics, or haters - especially those who have caused harm to the Muslims - regardless of their religion, culture, or ideology. [But] people should not bear the consequences of mistakes committed by some of them. What have we gained from screaming hate and rancor? The only thing we have gained is harm to our religion, which has been described in the worst possible terms."
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