The Quran’s “Address to the Israelites” (Q. 2:122–152): A New Translation

This translation of the Quran’s “Address to the Israelites” (Q. 2: 122–152) highlights the ecumenical beliefs of the Early Muslims for whom sacrality was possible in every space, through every lineage, and among every people. This belief fostered a collective identity as an Ummah, an inclusive community, a potent incorporative force that rapidly transmuted into an imperial impetus at the close of the Quranic era (ca. 632 CE). Belonging to the early Medinan period (ca. 620 CE), the Address responds to sectarian tensions in western Arabia, documenting the community’s religio-political consolidation amidst local conflicts. It underscores a supra-sectarian ethos, contrasting the unity of diverse believers with the factionalism of outsiders, and lays out key concepts like Qibla, Ummah, and Abraham as emblems of communal toleration.