The Quran insinuates that the Jews viewed the angel Gabriel as their enemy. This is derived from the following verse:  

Say (O Muhammad): “Whoever is an enemy to Jibrael (Gabriel) (let him die in his fury), for indeed he has brought it (this Qur’an) down to your heart by Allah’s Permission, confirming what came before it [i.e. the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] and guidance and glad tidings for the believers. S. 2:97 Hilali-Khan

Here’s how the Islamic expositors interpreted this text:

Then Allah, Exalted is He, revealed the following verse about the saying of one of the Jews, ‘Abdullah Ibn Suriyyah, that Gabriel was the enemy of the Jews, saying: (Say) O Muhammad!: (Who is an enemy to Gabriel!) is automatically an enemy to Allah. (For he it is who hath revealed to your heart) sent Gabriel to you with the Qur’an (by Allah’s leave) by Allah’s command, (confirming) affirming the Oneness of Allah (that which was before it) of the Book, (and a guidance) from error (and glad tiding) good news (to believers) that Paradise will be theirs. (Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs https://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=0&tTafsirNo=73&tSoraNo=2&tAyahNo=97&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=2; bold emphasis mine)

(Say (O Muhammad, to mankind): Who is an enemy to Gabriel!…) [2:97]. Sa‘id ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Zahid informed us> al-Hasan ibn Ahmad al-Shaybani> al-Mu’ammil ibn al-Hasan ibn ‘Isa> Muhammad ibn Isma‘il ibn Salim> Abu Nu‘aym> ‘Abdullah ibn al-Walid> Bukayr> Ibn Shihab> Sa‘id ibn Jubayr> Ibn ‘Abbas who said: “The Jews came to the Prophet and said: ‘O Abu’l-Qasim! We would like to ask you about a few things; we shall follow you if you answer them. Who, among the angels, comes to you? For there is not a single prophet except that an angel comes to him with a message and revelation from his Lord, glorified and majestic is He, so who is the angel who comes to you?’ He said: ‘it is Gabriel’. They said: ‘That is the one who comes down with war and fighting. He is our enemy. If you had said: Michael, who comes down with rain and mercy, we would have followed you’. And so Allah, exalted is He, revealed (Say (O Muhammad, to mankind): Who is an enemy to Gabriel! For he it is who hath revealed (this Scripture) to thy heart by Allah’s leave) up to His saying (Then, lo! Allah (Himself) is an enemy to the disbelievers) [2:98]”. (‘Alī ibn Ahmad al-Wahidi, Asbab al-Nuzul https://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=0&tTafsirNo=86&tSoraNo=2&tAyahNo=97&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=2; bold emphasis mine)

VIII: His words, “Anyone who is the enemy of Jibril.” (2:97)

‘Ikrima said, “The meaning of ‘Jibr‘, ‘Mik‘, and ‘Saraf‘ is ‘slave’ [i.e. in Jibril, Mika’il and Israfil] and ‘il’ means ‘Allah’.”

4210. It is related that Anas said, “When ‘Abdullah ibn Salam heard of the arrival of the Messenger of Allah in Madina while he was gathering fruit in some land, he went to the Prophet and said, “I will ask you about three things WHICH ONLY A PROPHET KNOWS. What is the first sign of the Final Hour? What is the first food that the people of the Garden will eat? And for what reason does a child resemble his father or his mother?” He said, “Jibril has just informed me about them.” He said, “Jibril?” He replied, “Yes.” He said, “That is the enemy of the Jews among the angels.” He recited this ayat: “Say, ‘Anyone who is an enemy to Jibril should know that it was he who brought it down upon your heart, by Allah’s authority.'” “The first sign of the Final Hour will be a fire which will gather people from the east to the west. The first food that the people of the Garden will eat will be the extra bit of the liver of the fish. When the man’s discharge comes first, the child will resemble him. If the woman has a discharge first, then it will resemble her.” He said, “I testify that there is no god but Allah and I testify that you are the Messenger of Allah. O Messenger of Allah, the Jews are a calumnious people. If they know about my Islam before you ask them about me, they will slander me in your presence.” The Jews came and the Messenger of Allah said, “What kind of man is ‘Abdullah ibn Salam among you?” They said, “The best of us, and the son of the best of us, and our master and the son of our master.” The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “What would you think if ‘Abdullah were to become Muslim?” They said, “We seek refuge with Allah from that!” ‘Abdullah came out to them and said, “I testify that there is no god but Allah and I testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” They said, “The worst of us and the son of the worst of us,” and began to disparage him. He said, “This is what I feared, Messenger of Allah.” (Aisha Bewley, The Sahih Collection of al-Bukhari, Chapter 68. Book of Tafsir; bold capital emphasis mine)

The Jews are the Enemies of Jibril

Imam Abu Ja`far bin Jarir At-Tabari said, “The scholars of Tafsir AGREE that this Ayah (2:97-98) was revealed in response to the Jews who claimed that Jibril (Gabriel) is an enemy of the Jews and that Mika’il (Michael) is their friend.” Al-Bukhari said, “Allah said…

(Whoever is an enemy of Jibril (let him die in his fury)). `Ikrimah said, “Jibr, Mik and Israf all mean, worshipper, while il means, Allah”. Anas bin Malik said, “When `Abdullah bin Salam heard of the arrival of the Prophet in Al-Madinah, he was working on his land. He came to the Prophet and said, `I am going to ask you about three things which nobody knows EXCEPT a Prophet. What will be the first portent of the Hour What will be the first meal taken by the people of Paradise Why does a child resemble its father, and why does it resemble its maternal uncle’ Allah’s Messenger said, (Jibril has just told me the answers.) `Abdullah said, `He (i.e. Jibril), among all the angels, is the enemy of the Jews.’ Allah’s Messenger recited the Ayah…

(Whoever is an enemy to Jibril (Gabriel) (let him die in his fury), for indeed he has brought it (this Qur’an) down to your heart). Allah’s Messenger then said, (The first portent of the Hour will be a fire that will bring together the people from the east to the west; the first meal of the people of Paradise will be the caudate lobe of the liver of fish. As for the child resembling his parents: If a man has sexual intercourse with his wife and his discharge is first, the child will resemble the father. If the woman has a discharge first, the child will resemble her side of the family.) On that `Abdullah bin Salam said, `I testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and you are the Messenger of Allah.’ `Abdullah bin Salam further said, `O Allah’s Messenger! THE JEWS ARE LIARS, and if they should come to know about my conversion to Islam before you ask them (about me), they will tell a lie about me.’ The Jews came to Allah’s Messenger and `Abdullah went inside the house. Allah’s Messenger asked (the Jews), (`What kind of man is `Abdullah bin Salam’) They replied, `He is the best among us, the son of the best among us, our master and the son of our master.’ Allah’s Messenger said, (What do you think if he would embrace Islam) The Jews said, `May Allah save him from it.’ Then `Abdullah bin Salam came out in front of them saying, `I testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.’ Thereupon they said, `He is the evilest among us, and the son of the evilest among us.’ And they continued talking badly about him. Ibn Salam said, `This is what I feared, O Messenger of Allah!.”’ Only Al-Bukhari recorded this Hadith with this chain of narration. Al-Bukhari and Muslim recorded this Hadith from Anas using another chain of narration.

Some people say that `il’ means worshipper while whatever word that is added to it becomes Allah’s Name, because `il’ is a constant in such conjunction. This is similar to the names `Abdullah, `Abdur-Rahman, `Abdul-Malik, `Abdul-Quddus, `Abdus-Salam, `Abdul-Kafi, `Abdul-Jalil, and so forth. Hence, `Abd’ is constant in these compound names, while the remainder differs from name to name. This is the same case with Jibril, Mika’il, `Azra’il, Israfil, and so forth. Allah knows best. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Q. 2:97-98 https://www.alim.org/quran/tafsir/ibn-kathir/surah/2/97; bold and capital emphasis mine)

What makes the hadith from al-Bukhari, which is also cited by Ibn Kathir, rather interesting is that, if Abdullah bin Salam was right that the Jews are liars, then what does this say about his credibility seeing that he himself was a Jew? Doesn’t this prove that he too was lying to Muhammad in order to make him look stupid?

This is confirmed by the fact that, if Ibn Salam was correct that only a prophet would know the answers to his questions, then how could he possibly know whether Muhammad’s answers were right when he himself wasn’t a prophet?

Besides, which medical doctor or embryologist would argue that the reason a child will resemble either his father’s or mother’s side of the family will be determined by which parent has a sexual orgasm first?

The Jews of Muhammad’s time were obviously making fun of him, exposing him for the fraud that he was, since they would have never viewed Gabriel as an antagonist or hostile angel when their own religious texts and tradition praise him as one of those spirit creatures assigned to intercede for them.

Note, for instance, the manner in which the book of Daniel describes him:

“And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man.And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision.Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright. And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be.” Daniel 8:15-19 Authorized King James Version (AV) 

“And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God; yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.” Daniel 9:20-23 AV

In fact, the rabbinic tradition even went as far as to claim that there was one instance where Gabriel reproved and corrected God!

The rabbis then discussed how Gabriel could be so audacious as to rebuke God. Here’s their explanation:

§ Abaye said to Rav Dimi, who descended to Babylonia from Eretz Yisrael: How do you explain this verse in the West, Eretz Yisrael: “Do not proceed hastily to litigation, lest you know not what to do in the end of it, when your neighbor has put you to shame. Debate your cause with your neighbor, and do not reveal the secret of another” (Proverbs 25:8–9)?

Rav Dimi explained as follows: At the time that the Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Ezekiel: Go say to Israel: “Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite” (Ezekiel 16:3), the spirit Paskonit, which is another name for the angel Gabriel, said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the Universe, were the patriarch Abraham and the matriarch Sarah to come now and stand before You, would you speak to them in such a manner and put them to shame? Is it not stated: “Debate your cause with your neighbor, and do not reveal the secret of another”?

The Gemara asks: But does the angel Gabriel have so much authority that HE CAN REPROVE GOD IN SUCH A MANNER? The Gemara answers: YES, as Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, says: He, the angel Gabriel, has three names: Piskon, Itmon, and Sigron. He is called Piskon because he splits [sheposek] words AND ARGUES WITH GOD ON HIGH. He is called Itmon because he conceals [she’otem] the sins of the Jewish people. And he is called Sigron because once he closes [shesoger] his arguments on behalf of the Jewish people, no one reopens the discussion. (Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 44b https://www.sefaria.org/Sanhedrin.44b.4-6?lang=bi; capital emphasis mine)

And here’s another rendering of the foregoing rabbinic tradition:

Abaye asked R. Dimi:⁸ To what do ye in ‘the West’ relate the following verse: Go not forth hastily to strife, for what wilt thou do in the end thereof when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame. Debate thy cause with thy neighbour, but reveal not the secrets of another?⁹ — [He answered]: When the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Ezekiel, Go and say unto Israel, An Amorite was thy father, and thy mother was a Hittite,¹⁰ the intercessory¹¹ spirit said before the Holy One, blessed be He, ‘Sovereign of the Universe! if Abraham and Sarah came and stood before Thee, wouldst Thou say [this] to them and put them to shame?’ Debate thy cause with thy neighbour,¹² but reveal not the secret of another!¹³ But has he so much license?¹⁴ — YES, For R. Jose son of R. Hanina said: He has three names: Pisakon, Itamon, and Sigaron.¹⁵ Pisakon, BECAUSE HE ARGUES AGAINST THE MOST HIGH;¹⁶ Itamon, because he hides the sins of Israel, Sigaron, because when he concludes¹⁷ a matter, none can reopen it.¹⁸

8. R. Dimi often carried Palestine exegesis to the Babylonian schools.
9. Prov. XXV, 8-9.
10. Ezek. XVI, 3.
11. [H] lit., ‘an arguing spirit, — an additional name of the Angel Gabriel, WHO ALWAYS INTERCEDED ON BEHALF OF ISRAEL. V. however p. 99, n. 6.
12. I.e., reproach him alone.
13. Do not take up anothers’ shame.
14. To reproach God so freely!
15. [H] from [H] ‘to split;’ [H] from [H] ‘to lock’; and [H] from [H] ‘to close’. So at least according to the Talmudic interpretation which follows.
16. Lit., ‘he splits words upwards.
17. I.e., when his words are of no effect.
18. No others can successfully intercede. Kohut suggests that they are of Arabic origin. Pisakon denoting shame; Itamon, sin, and Sigaron, pain, an angel being in charge of each of these three things. Hence in his opinion, [H] does not denote Gabriel but the Spirit of Shame. V. ‘Aruch Completum, vol. I, p. 63. (Sanhedrin 44; bold and capital emphasis mine)

Pay close attention to the footnote:

11. H] lit., ‘an arguing spirit, — an additional name of the Angel Gabriel, WHO ALWAYS INTERCEDED ON BEHALF OF ISRAEL. V. however p. 99, n. 6.

Since the Jews believed that Gabriel was a mighty angelic creature powerful enough to correct God, and the spirit who interceded for them, how could they then turn around and tell Muhammad that he was their enemy?

The answer is obvious. These Jews were mocking Muhammad, exposing him for a fool for believing every fairytale and lie which he heard from others.

Interestingly, the Muslim sources themselves admit that the Jews were ridiculing Muhammad for the purpose of exposing him as a fraud since they knew he was a deceiver and a false prophet:

About this time the Jewish rabbis showed hostility to the apostle in envy, hatred, malice, because God had chosen His apostle from the Arabs. They were joined by men from al-Aus and al-Khazraj who had obstinately clung to their heathen religion. They were hypocrites, clinging to the polytheism of their fathers denying the resurrection; yet when Islam appeared and their people flocked to it they were compelled to pretend to accept it to save their lives. But in secret they were hypocrites whose inclination was towards the Jews because they considered the apostle a liar and strove against Islam.

It was the Jewish rabbis who used to annoy the apostle with questions and introduce confusion, so as to confound the truth with falsity. The Quran used to come down in reference to these questions of theirs, though some of the questions about what was allowed and forbidden came from the Muslims themselves… (The Life of Muhammad: A Translation of Ibn Ishaq’s Sirat Rasul Allah, with introduction and notes by Alfred Guillaume [Oxford University Press, Karachi, Tenth impression 1995], p. 239; bold emphasis mine)

Little wonder that the Quran quotes unbelievers as saying that Muhammad was an “ear,” meaning someone who listened and parroted what others were saying, no matter how silly, ridiculous, foolish, or unbelievable:

And among them are men who hurt the Prophet (Muhammad) and say: “He is (lending his) ear (to every news).” Say: “He listens to what is best for you; he believes in Allah; has faith in the believers; and is a mercy to those of you who believe.” But those who hurt Allah’s Messenger (Muhammad) will have a painful torment. S. 9:94 Hilali-Khan

Muhammad simply repeated the fables and lies which the Jews and others told him as if they were revelations sent down to him from God.  Little did he realize that it would be these same fairytales and falsehoods that he parroted as part of his scripture, which would end up exposing him as a fraud and antichrist.

FURTHER READING

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Jamal Badawi’s Misinformation and Misquotations – Part 5 

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