A polemic against Judaism by a convert to Islam from the Ottoman period: Risalat Ilzam al-Yahud fima za amu fi l-Tawrat min qibal ilm al-kalam

In this contribution a translation is presented of Risālat Ilzām al-Yahūd fimā za'amū fi l-Tawrāt min qibal 'ilm al-kalām ("Epistle forcing the Jews [to admit their error] with regard to what they contend about the Torah, by dialectical reasoning"), a polemical tract against Judaism by Salām 'Abd al-'Allām, a Jew who converted to Islam during the reign of the Ottoman sultan Bayezid II (regn. 886/1481-918/1512). The epistle contains virtually no autobiographical details, so that we know next to nothing about the author's profession or whereabouts. On the basis of a limited number of biblical passages, the author argues that the Jews should admit that the Torah has been abrogated by the new dispensation of Islam and accept the prophethood of Muhammad.