Ruling on Reading Non-Islamic Books
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Question:
The questioner, Sumayyah Muhammad from Yemen, has a set of questions. She says: Your Eminence, is it forbidden for a believer to read non-Islamic books, and other books that contain nothing about Islam?
Answer:
If the books contain something beneficial, there is no harm in reading them, even if it is about worldly matters, such as medicine, or other books about minerals, or things that are beneficial; there is no harm, provided they are about something permissible.
As for books that contain things that mislead people and confuse them regarding their religion, such as the books of the people of Kalam; it is not permissible to look at them or read them; because the books of the people of Kalam call to evil, religious innovation, abandoning the religion, and doubt in the religion of Allah, so it is obligatory to be cautious of them.
As for books that discuss the benefits of gold, the benefits of silver, the benefits of petroleum, the benefits of such and such, from the permissible things, these benefit doctors and others; so there is no blame in that, and likewise books that discuss agriculture, the benefits of agriculture, the benefits of camel meat, sheep meat, the thing that has benefit; there is no harm. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
The questioner, Sumayyah Muhammad from Yemen, has a set of questions. She says: Your Eminence, is it forbidden for a believer to read non-Islamic books, and other books that contain nothing about Islam?
Answer:
If the books contain something beneficial, there is no harm in reading them, even if it is about worldly matters, such as medicine, or other books about minerals, or things that are beneficial; there is no harm, provided they are about something permissible.
As for books that contain things that mislead people and confuse them regarding their religion, such as the books of the people of Kalam; it is not permissible to look at them or read them; because the books of the people of Kalam call to evil, religious innovation, abandoning the religion, and doubt in the religion of Allah, so it is obligatory to be cautious of them.
As for books that discuss the benefits of gold, the benefits of silver, the benefits of petroleum, the benefits of such and such, from the permissible things, these benefit doctors and others; so there is no blame in that, and likewise books that discuss agriculture, the benefits of agriculture, the benefits of camel meat, sheep meat, the thing that has benefit; there is no harm. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.