bint e aisha wrote:
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For general laymen Muslims, there is no reason to read the books of people of the Book or any other text. For you living in a 97% Muslim country, there is also no reason.
However, it is permitted and even be desired by people of knowledge to read it as it is needed.
For us, it is a regular (almost daily) occurrence to be able to speak to Non-Muslims so we need to have some general familiarity with religions (around us) and their text. This is the commentary underneath the Hadith on this topic in Saheeh Bukhari:
قال الØاÙظ ابن Øجر رØمه الله تعالى : " بخلا٠الراسخ Ø› Ùيجوز له النظر ÙÙŠ التوراة والإنجيل ØŒ ولا سيما عند الاØتياج إلى الرد على المخال٠، ويدل على ذلك نقل الأئمة قديما ÙˆØديثا من التوراة ØŒ وإلزامهم اليهود بالتصديق بمØمد صلى الله عليه وسلم بما يستخرجونه من كتابهم ØŒ ولولا اعتقادهم جواز النظر Ùيه ØŒ لما Ùعلوه وتواردوا عليه " انتهى من " ÙØªØ Ø§Ù„Ø¨Ø§Ø±ÙŠ " ( 13 /525 – 526) .
Quote:
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (RA) said: … unlike the one who is well versed in knowledge. For him it is permissible to read in the Torah and Gospel, especially when he needs to refute an opponent. This is indicated by the fact that the imams (leading scholars), both in the past and more recently, quoted from the Torah to prove to the Jews that they should believe in Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) on the basis of what they found in their book. If they did not believe that it was permissible to read it, they would not have done that and persisted in doing so, generation after generation.
T-H-E-N it is the case of Non-Muslims who accept Islam and Ibn Taymiyyah (RA) said:
قال ابن تيمية رØمه الله تعالى : " وإذا Øصل من مسلمة أهل الكتاب ØŒ الّذين علموا ما عندهم بلغتهم ØŒ وترجموا لنا بالعربيّة : انتÙع بذلك ÙÙŠ مناظرتهم ومخاطبتهم ØŒ كما كان عبد اللّه بن سلام ØŒ وسلمان الÙارسيّ ØŒ وكعب الأØبار ØŒ وغيرهم ØŒ ÙŠØدّثون بما عندهم من العلم ØŒ ÙˆØينئذ يستشهد بما عندهم على مواÙقة ما جاء به الرّسول ØŒ ويكون Øجّة عليهم من وجه ØŒ وعلى غيرهم من وجه آخر ØŒ كما بيّنّاه ÙÙŠ موضعه " انتهى من " مجموع الÙتاوى " (4/109 – 110)
Quote:
Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If it so happens that there are some of the people of the Book who convert to Islam, and they have knowledge of what they have in their language and can translate it to us in Arabic, that may be useful when debating with the Jews and Christians or talking to them, as ‘Abdullah ibn Salaam, Salmaan al-Faarisi, Ka‘b al-Ahbaar and others did; they transmitted what they had of knowledge. In that case we may quote what they have that is in harmony with what the Messenger brought, and that will be proof against them in some ways and against others in other ways, as we have explained elsewhere.
I recently learned that T-H-I-S hadeeth is from the beginning era of Islam:
عن جابر بن عبد الله رضي الله عنهما : " أَنَّ عÙمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّاب٠أَتَى النَّبÙيَّ صَلَّى اللَّه٠عَلَيْه٠وَسَلَّمَ بÙÙƒÙتَاب٠أَصَابَه٠مÙنْ بَعْض٠أَهْل٠الْكÙتÙب٠، Ùَقَرَأَه٠على النَّبÙيّ٠صَلَّى اللَّه٠عَلَيْه٠وَسَلَّمَ ÙَغَضÙبَ وَقَالَ : ( Ø£ÙŽÙ…ÙتَهَوّÙÙƒÙونَ ÙÙيهَا يَا ابْنَ الْخَطَّاب٠، وَالَّذÙÙŠ Ù†ÙŽÙْسÙÙŠ بÙيَدÙÙ‡Ù ØŒ لَقَدْ جÙئْتÙÙƒÙمْ بÙهَا بَيْضَاءَ Ù†ÙŽÙ‚Ùيَّةً ØŒ لَا تَسْأَلÙوهÙمْ عَنْ شَيْء٠ÙÙŽÙŠÙخْبÙرÙوكÙمْ بÙØَقّ٠ÙَتÙكَذّÙبÙوا بÙÙ‡Ù ØŒ أَوْ بÙبَاطÙÙ„Ù ÙَتÙصَدّÙÙ‚Ùوا بÙÙ‡Ù ØŒ وَالَّذÙÙŠ Ù†ÙŽÙْسÙÙŠ بÙيَدÙÙ‡Ù ØŒ لَوْ أَنَّ Ù…Ùوسَى كَانَ Øَيًّا ØŒ مَا وَسÙعَه٠إÙلَّا أَنْ يَتْبَعَنÙي†) "
Quote:
It was narrated from Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah (RA) that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (RA) came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) with some written material he had got from one of the people of the Book. He read it to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and he got angry and said: “Are you confused (about your religion), O son of al-Khattaab? By the One in Whose hand is my soul, I have brought it (the message of Islam) to you clear and pure. Do not ask them about anything, lest they tell you something true and you disbelieve it, or they tell you something false and you believe it. By the One in Whose hand is my soul, if Moosa were alive, he would have no option but to follow me.†[Ahmed]
It might have been Mufti Tariq Masood who recently touched on this issue but I cannot recall so I will not quote it...
