The People of the Book and Their Ruling
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The first question comes from a brother listener who used the initials (F. R. A.) from the Republic of Yemen. His message contains two questions. The first one says: Who are the People of the Book? Please inform us, may Allah reward you.
Answer: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his companions, and whoever follows his guidance.
As for what follows: The People of the Book are, as Allah described them in His Book, the Jews and the Christians. They are called the People of the Book because Allah sent down two books to them: the first to the Children of Israel, to Musa, which is the Torah, and the second to Isa, which is the Injil. Therefore, they are called the People of the Book, and also the People of the Two Books. They have rulings specific to them, different from the rulings of the other polytheists. They are grouped with the other disbelievers under the name of disbelief and shirk (associating partners with Allah). So they are disbelievers and polytheists, just like the worshippers of idols, the worshippers of stars, the worshippers of planets, and the other disbelieving atheists.
However, they have specific characteristics because they received these two books from their past prophets, from Musa and Harun, and from Isa (peace be upon them). Allah established specific rulings for them, among which is the permissibility of their slaughtered animals, provided they were not slaughtered for other than Allah, they did not invoke other than Allah over them, they did not mention other than the name of Allah over them, and there is nothing that makes them forbidden. These are permissible for us, as Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Ma'idah: 5].
Likewise, their women are permissible for us, the chaste, chaste, free women, as in His saying, the Exalted: [Al-Ma'idah: 5], the verse. So these are two rulings specific to the People of the Book: the permissibility of their chaste women, and the permissibility of their slaughtered animals that they did not invoke other than Allah over, and did not slaughter according to other than the law of Allah.
As for the other polytheists, their slaughtered animals are not permissible for us, nor are their women.
There is a third matter: which is taking the jizyah (tax on protected non-Muslims). The jizyah is also taken from them, and it is a sum of money imposed on them every year on their men who are able to pay it. The Majus (Zoroastrians), the worshippers of fire, share this ruling with them; because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) took it from them, just as he took it from the People of the Book.
So these three rulings are specific to the People of the Book, and the last ruling, which is the third, which is taking the jizyah, is shared by the Majus.
Some scholars held the view of taking the jizyah also from other than these people, based on a well-known disagreement among scholars regarding taking it from the worshippers of idols, the worshippers of planets, and other polytheists.
However, the well-known view among the majority of scholars is that the jizyah is not taken except from the People of the Two Books and the Majus.
Answer: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his companions, and whoever follows his guidance.
As for what follows: The People of the Book are, as Allah described them in His Book, the Jews and the Christians. They are called the People of the Book because Allah sent down two books to them: the first to the Children of Israel, to Musa, which is the Torah, and the second to Isa, which is the Injil. Therefore, they are called the People of the Book, and also the People of the Two Books. They have rulings specific to them, different from the rulings of the other polytheists. They are grouped with the other disbelievers under the name of disbelief and shirk (associating partners with Allah). So they are disbelievers and polytheists, just like the worshippers of idols, the worshippers of stars, the worshippers of planets, and the other disbelieving atheists.
However, they have specific characteristics because they received these two books from their past prophets, from Musa and Harun, and from Isa (peace be upon them). Allah established specific rulings for them, among which is the permissibility of their slaughtered animals, provided they were not slaughtered for other than Allah, they did not invoke other than Allah over them, they did not mention other than the name of Allah over them, and there is nothing that makes them forbidden. These are permissible for us, as Allah the Exalted said:
and the food of those who were given the Scripture is lawful for you and your food is lawful for them
وَطَعَامُ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ حِلٌّ لَكُمْ وَطَعَامُكُمْ حِلٌّ لَهُمْLikewise, their women are permissible for us, the chaste, chaste, free women, as in His saying, the Exalted:
chaste women from among those who were given the Scripture before you
وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْAs for the other polytheists, their slaughtered animals are not permissible for us, nor are their women.
There is a third matter: which is taking the jizyah (tax on protected non-Muslims). The jizyah is also taken from them, and it is a sum of money imposed on them every year on their men who are able to pay it. The Majus (Zoroastrians), the worshippers of fire, share this ruling with them; because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) took it from them, just as he took it from the People of the Book.
So these three rulings are specific to the People of the Book, and the last ruling, which is the third, which is taking the jizyah, is shared by the Majus.
Some scholars held the view of taking the jizyah also from other than these people, based on a well-known disagreement among scholars regarding taking it from the worshippers of idols, the worshippers of planets, and other polytheists.
However, the well-known view among the majority of scholars is that the jizyah is not taken except from the People of the Two Books and the Majus.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.