Ali al-Tantawi
Qissatuna ma'a al-Yahud
- Author died
- 1420 AH
- Editions
- Dar Al-Manarah for Publishing and Distribution
Qissatuna ma'a al-Yahud (Our Story with the Jews) is a political and ideological treatise by the Syrian scholar and writer Ali al-Tantawi (1327–1420 AH / 1909–1999 CE), analyzing the history and religious dimensions of the conflict over Palestine and the broader Muslim struggle against Israel.
Publication and Context
The work was published in its first edition in 1411 AH (1990 CE) by Dar al-Manara in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Written toward the end of al-Tantawi's life during his period of seclusion in his eighties, the treatise reflects on the long history of Arab and Islamic engagements with the Palestinian question and offers commentary on the developments of the First Intifada.
Content and Themes
Al-Tantawi frames the confrontation between Muslims and their adversaries through the concept of universal divine laws (sunan), arguing that transient military defeats and political setbacks do not determine the ultimate outcome of history. He draws historical parallels to past crises overcome by the Muslim community, including the Apostasy Wars after the Prophet's death, the Crusader occupation of Jerusalem that lasted over ninety years, and the Mongol invasion that devastated Baghdad.
Key arguments and historical assessments in the text include:
- International Politics and the Creation of Israel: Al-Tantawi criticizes Western and Eastern powers, observing that despite their global rivalries, both the United States and the Soviet Union rapidly recognized the State of Israel upon its declaration. He rejects contemporary peace initiatives that equate the dispossession of Palestinians with legitimate political compromise.
- Critique of Zionist Actions: The author condemns Israeli violations of Islamic and Christian holy sites, citing excavations near the foundations of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the 1969 arson attack against it, and abuses involving the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
- Military Conflicts and Faith: Reviewing the wars of 1948 and 1967, al-Tantawi attributes Arab defeats to internal division, lack of secrecy, and abandonment of religious principles. By contrast, he highlights the crossing of the Bar Lev Line during the October/Ramadan War of 1973 as an example of overcoming heavily fortified barriers through spiritual resolve and religious rallying cries alongside military preparation.
- The Nature of the Cause: Al-Tantawi emphasizes that the Palestinian issue is fundamentally an Islamic religious obligation rather than an exclusively local or secular Arab nationalist cause, warning against reducing its scope to the territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. He praises the popular resistance of the First Intifada and recalls King Abdulaziz's historical recommendation that the Arab states arm and finance the Palestinians directly to wage their own defense.
The booklet concludes with al-Tantawi recalling his address at the opening of the General Islamic Conference held in Jerusalem in 1953, where he affirmed that victory is bound to adherence to Islamic principles and that failure to do so results in divine replacement.
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