Dealing with People of the Book
Fatwa No: 85704

Question

I am a student at an Islamic private school and I have to write a research paper on, "how to deal with the People of the Book". I have been unable to find any such information that was able to help, so I was wondering if you could help by sending me some information on this subject. Whatever information you are able to give me will suffice.

Answer

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.

Dear brother, first know that this site deals with Fatwas which are needed by Muslims and it is not specialized in making research papers or reports.
However, we would like to advise you to read the following books in order to get a clear and sound opinion about this subject. This will help you know accurately the path of these people.
1) Al-Jawab al-Sahih (the right answer) written by Ibn Taymiyah .
2) Hidayat al-Hayara (guidance of the suspicious).                  
3) The books of Ahmad Daydat and the book: "Izhar al-Haq" (exposure of the truth) written by Sheikh Rahmatullah al-Hindi .
Second you could also read verses (that talk about "Al Wala Wa Al-bara) and read their meanings in Books of interpretation like the Tafseer Ibn Katheer , al-Qurtubi , and al-Zilal of Seyed Qutub . You may also consult Fiqh and Hadith books.
We suggest also that you divide the research into three main ideas: (1) Definition of what is meant by Ahl al-Kitab. (2) How to deal with those of them who are in war with Muslims. (3) How to deal with peaceful and non-aggressive People of the Book.
Allah knows best.

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