Are the Christians in this time the People of the Book?
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Al-Huwaini: Are the Christians in this era the People of the Book?
The Shaykh : Is there any doubt about that?! And what is the difference between the Christians of this time and the Christians of the time when the words of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, were revealed in the Qur'an:[Al-Ma'idah 5:73], for these are the followers of those.
The questioner : The Shaykh : Ahmad Shakir (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned in his commentary on *Umdat al-Tafsir* that the existing Christians are not, meaning, from the Book in any way, because they have abandoned even the Book that is with them.
The Shaykh : In my opinion and view, we cannot apply this statement to the entire Christian community. Without comparison, we know from our reading of some books by some writers, and from our reading of some magazines and newspapers, that there are individuals among the Muslims who have left the religion and apostatized from Islam because of the beliefs they write, broadcast, and publish, in which they fight Islam. These are undoubtedly individuals; we say that they are not Muslims. Likewise, and a fortiori, there are atheists among the Christians who have left the Christian religion entirely, for example, the communists in the lands of the Russians and their like. But we cannot say that all Christians have left their religion and no longer believe in the Torah and the Gospel. We cannot make this statement. However, we say that whoever among them denies the Gospel and the Torah is not a Christian. But can we deny the faith of some Christians, at least in the Torah and the Gospel, and that they adhere to the rulings contained in the Torah and the Gospel, even if only in thought and not in action? And therefore, I believe, if the report is correct aboutThe Shaykh : Ahmad Shakir (may Allah have mercy on him), that there is an expansion that is not, meaning, praiseworthy. Yes.
The Shaykh : Is there any doubt about that?! And what is the difference between the Christians of this time and the Christians of the time when the words of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, were revealed in the Qur'an:
They have certainly disbelieved who say, "Allah is the third of three."
لَقَدْ كَفَرَ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ ثَالِثُ ثَلَاثَةٍThe questioner : The Shaykh : Ahmad Shakir (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned in his commentary on *Umdat al-Tafsir* that the existing Christians are not, meaning, from the Book in any way, because they have abandoned even the Book that is with them.
The Shaykh : In my opinion and view, we cannot apply this statement to the entire Christian community. Without comparison, we know from our reading of some books by some writers, and from our reading of some magazines and newspapers, that there are individuals among the Muslims who have left the religion and apostatized from Islam because of the beliefs they write, broadcast, and publish, in which they fight Islam. These are undoubtedly individuals; we say that they are not Muslims. Likewise, and a fortiori, there are atheists among the Christians who have left the Christian religion entirely, for example, the communists in the lands of the Russians and their like. But we cannot say that all Christians have left their religion and no longer believe in the Torah and the Gospel. We cannot make this statement. However, we say that whoever among them denies the Gospel and the Torah is not a Christian. But can we deny the faith of some Christians, at least in the Torah and the Gospel, and that they adhere to the rulings contained in the Torah and the Gospel, even if only in thought and not in action? And therefore, I believe, if the report is correct aboutThe Shaykh : Ahmad Shakir (may Allah have mercy on him), that there is an expansion that is not, meaning, praiseworthy. Yes.
Source
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