In a series of December 2024 lectures on Islamic eschatology at the Muslim American Society (MAS) Youth Center in Brooklyn, Director Mohammad Badawy shared controversial interpretations of religious prophecies and historical events involving Jewish people.
The Middle East Media Research Institute reported that during his December 14 lecture titled “Precursors to the Major Signs – Armageddon and Al-Mahdi,” Badawy discussed an Islamic prophecy claiming Jews would fight alongside the Antichrist against Muslims. According to his interpretation, the prophecy states Jews would eventually hide behind rocks and trees, which would then reveal their locations to Muslims, calling out, “There is a Jew hiding behind me, come and kill him!”
Badawy is citing a hadith in the Koran which begins by claiming that. “Judgement Day will not come until the Muslims fight the Jews. The Jews will hide behind the stones and the trees, and the stones and the trees will say, oh Muslim, oh servant of Allah, there is a Jew hiding behind me — come and kill him.”
This hadith is quoted as part of the Hamas covenant, which emphasizes that one of the goals of Hamas is to murder all the Jews.
Badawy dismissed concerns that this teaching promotes violence. He characterized critics as having “the bloodiest hands” and calling their questions “audacious.” He added, “Whose fault is it that they are on the side of evil, right? That’s the choice that they’re going to make at the time.”
In a subsequent lecture on December 21 titled “The 2nd Coming of Jesus – Liberation of Al-Aqsa,” Badawy expanded on these themes, presenting a narrative about Jesus and Jewish people throughout history. He claimed Jesus had confronted Jews for “corrupting Allah’s laws” and finding “loopholes” in religious commandments.
“This is not their norm at all!” Badawy said sarcastically about alleged plots against prophets, adding, “If we had subtitles, there would be ‘sarcasm’ under it, just in case you guys are not picking it up… This was their norm with their prophets all the time.”
Badawy concluded by claiming Jewish leaders had conspired with Roman authorities to have Jesus arrested and crucified, stating they reported him as “a troublemaker” who would “lead a rebellion.”
Islam believes in Jesus (Issa) as the penultimate prophet and messenger of God and the Messiah sent to guide the Children of Israel. In contrast to the traditional Christian narrative, however, he is stated to have not been crucified, died on the cross, nor resurrected, instead, he is depicted as having been miraculously saved by God and ascending into heaven.
There is no direct reference to a messiah in the Koran, however Islam has a strong tradition of Mahdi, a redeemer of Islam who will come as a ruler. The arrival of Mahdi will coincide with the arrival of the Christian messiah, who will be the Mahdi’s assistant in fighting the Masih ad-Dajjal, the false messiah or anti-Christ. According to the tradition, the Mahdi will reappear along with Jesus, who will declare himself a Muslim, and kill Christians who refuse to convert.
Mahdi is also seen as a time when everyone will convert to Islam. In the Hadith, quotes from Umm Salama, one of Muhammad’s wives, states that when the Mahdi arrives, non-Muslims will all convert. According to Shia Islam, the Mahdi will be preceded by an era in which two thirds of the world’s population will die – one third by plague and one third by war. The time before the arrival of the Mahdi will also see a great war in Syria and Iraq that will destroy both countries, accompanied by a great fire and “redness in the sky.”
