INVESTIGATING ISLAM

Cursing of Non-Muslims in Daily Prayers

A Religion of Mercy—or Hatred?

Subtitle:

Islam claims to be a religion of mercy, yet embedded within its most sacred ritual is a call for divine wrath upon anyone who disagrees.

📿 Introduction: The Hidden Hostility in Daily Devotion

Every day, five times a day, over a billion Muslims face Mecca and engage in a sacred act of devotion known as Salat — the ritual prayer that stands as one of Islam’s Five Pillars. On the surface, this ritual appears serene, focused on submission, humility, and reverence for Allah.

But scratch beneath the surface, and something more disturbing emerges.

At the core of this daily act of worship lies a recurring plea: not merely for guidance for the believer — but for divine cursing upon all who do not follow Islam’s path.

That’s not mercy. That’s sectarian hostility—disguised as piety.

📖 Surah Al-Fatiha: The Daily Invocation of Division

The first chapter of the Qur’an, Surah Al-Fatiha, is recited in every unit of every prayer — a minimum of 17 times a day by observant Muslims. It is often called "The Opening" or "The Essence of the Qur’an."

Let’s examine its closing lines:

"Guide us on the straight path — the path of those You have favored, not of those who have earned Your anger or those who have gone astray."
(Qur’an 1:6–7)

At first glance, this seems like a harmless contrast between right and wrong. But ask any classical tafsir (Qur’anic commentary), and the subtext becomes explicit:

“Those who earned Allah’s anger” = Jews
“Those who went astray” = Christians

Don’t take my word for it — take Ibn Kathir, al-Jalalayn, al-Tabari, and other mainstream exegeses that have confirmed this interpretation for over a millennium.

In other words: The opening chapter of the Qur’an — which Muslims recite in nearly every prayer — contains a ritualized condemnation of Jews and Christians.

🧠 Why This Matters: Repetition is Indoctrination

This isn’t a one-time commentary or a marginal interpretation. This is a core liturgical formula, repeated mechanically by children and adults, imprinted into the fabric of Islamic identity.

Imagine if a Christian prayer book opened every service by saying:

“Lord, bless us — and curse the Jews and Muslims who reject Christ.”

That would be rightly condemned as sectarian, bigoted, and hateful.

So why is it acceptable when it's embedded into Islamic orthopraxy?

🧾 Classical Tafsir Confirms the Sectarian Intent

📚 Ibn Kathir (d. 1373 CE):

“The Jews are those who earned the wrath of Allah, and the Christians are those who went astray.”

📚 Al-Jalalayn:

“Those who incurred wrath” refers specifically to the Jews, and “those who went astray” refers to the Christians.

📚 Al-Tabari:

He elaborates that Jews “knew the truth but rejected it,” hence divine wrath, while Christians “got lost” and deviated from it.

Conclusion? According to Islam’s most authoritative voices, this verse is not a vague moral plea. It is a coded invocation against the People of the Book — the very groups Islam claims to respect.

🤯 It Gets Worse: The Qunut Curse in Daily Prayers

In addition to Surah Al-Fatiha, there is the practice of du’a al-qunut — a supplication often included in prayers during times of hardship, Ramadan, or political crisis.

What does this supplication often contain?

Calls for defeat of non-Muslims
Curses against disbelievers
Pleading for humiliation and punishment of non-Muslim enemies

Example from common Qunut text:

"O Allah, destroy the disbelievers who block Your path, curse them, shake the earth beneath their feet..."

This is not metaphor. These prayers have been recorded, broadcast, and repeated in mosques across the Islamic world — from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan, from Egypt to the West.

What kind of “mercy” prays five times a day for its rivals to be cursed, crushed, and burned?

🔁 Muslims Say: “It’s Just Against Enemies, Not All Non-Muslims”

Let’s address the standard apologist defense:

“The Qur’an only curses those who actively fight Muslims — not all non-believers.”

But if that’s true, why:

Are Jews and Christians specifically named in classical tafsir of Surah Al-Fatiha — not just militant enemies?
Are these verses used ritually in all prayers, regardless of conflict or context?
Is there no equivalent daily prayer for the well-being of all humanity, including disbelievers?

The rhetoric of "mercy and tolerance" is for interfaith panels — not for the prayer rug.

🎭 The Double Standard: Mercy for Muslims, Malice for Others

The Qur’an often refers to Muhammad as a “mercy to the worlds” (21:107). Yet when we examine:

The daily liturgy
The tafsir tradition
The hadiths on Jews and Christians
The legal rulings on dhimmis, jizya, and apostates

…a different picture emerges.

A mercy for whom, exactly?
Certainly not for those who disagree with Islam — unless you define “mercy” as second-class status, cursing, or legal inferiority.

🔥 Final Verdict: Not Just Personal Piety — Institutionalized Prejudice

This isn’t about isolated radicals or extremist misuse.

This is about a structural, ritualized invocation of disdain toward non-Muslims baked into Islam’s most sacred act — prayer.

Islamic prayer is not just about praising God — it’s also about vilifying others.

Until Muslims confront the theological implications of cursing Jews and Christians 17 times a day, the claim that Islam is a “religion of peace” will remain cosmetic at best, deceptive at worst.