What did the Jews do against their messengers?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

Indeed, the Jews have a long history of violating covenants and treaties, contradicting the commands of Allaah The Almighty, transgressing His limits and killing the Prophets and Messengers and those who enjoin people to deal justly with each other.  The Quran informs us of many of their heinous deeds and crimes against their Prophets and Messengers, and sheds light on their rebellious reactions towards the uncountable favors which Allaah The Almighty bestowed upon them.

Allaah The Almighty chose them as the best nation of their time and preferred them by choosing prophets and kings from among them; He Says, through the words of Moosa (Moses) while reminding them of the favors of Allaah The Almighty (what means): {And [mention, O Muhammad], when Moosa said to his people, "O my people, remember the favor of Allaah upon you when He appointed among you prophets and made you possessors and gave you that which He had not given anyone among the worlds.”}[Quran 5: 20]

The Quran continues to remind them of these favors and asks them to fulfill the covenant of Allaah The Almighty regarding belief in the seal of the Messengers, Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, whom they knew just as well as they knew their own children.

However, it seems that their arrogant nature did not allow them to acknowledge the fulfillment of prophecies; rather, they only knew treachery, deviation and deceptive means. It is worth noticing that during the time of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, the Quran addressed the Jews of that time as if they were the perpetrators of the crimes that their ancestors had committed. This indicates that all Jews have the same nature and disposition. They have the same nature at all times and in all places. Instead of fulfilling their promises, responding to the commands of their Lord and following the unlettered Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, whose name is mentioned in the Tawraah (Torah), they disbelieved, turned away, maliciously conspired against him and violated the treaties they had made with him. Moreover, the Quran records their recklessness towards their own religion to the extent that they altered and corrupted the Book of their Lord in return for worldly benefits and trivial gain.

In this regard, Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {So woe to those who write the scripture with their own hands, then say, "This is from Allaah," in order to exchange it for a small price. Woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for what they earn.}[Quran 2: 79]

Likewise, the Quran records their unprecedented impertinent behavior towards their Lord. They were so insolent that they described Him as miserly. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {And the Jews say, "The hand of Allaah is chained." Chained are their hands.}[Quran 5: 64]

They also claimed that Allaah The Almighty was poor, Exalted is He and High above what they say. In this regard, Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {Allaah has certainly heard the statement of those [Jews] who said, "Indeed, Allaah is poor, while we are rich.}[Quran 3: 181]

It should be realized that the Quran takes great care to disclose the nature of the Jews, their reality and their real morals and deeds, in order to instruct Muslims and warn them not to be deceived by their soft-speech, their treacherous covenants and their false promises. We know that ultimately they will violate their covenants. In this regard, Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {Is it not [true] that every time they took a covenant a party of them threw it away?}[Quran 2: 100]

Allaah is the only One whose help is sought.

And Allaah Knows best.