Debating with the People of the Book: A Guide to Islamic Etiquette

Understanding the Islamic Approach to Debating with Jews and Christians

DEBATING WITH THE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK

ALLĀH says,

وَقُولُوٓاْ ءَامَنَّا بِٱلَّذِىٓ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡنَا وَأُنزِلَ إِلَيۡكُمۡ وَإِلَٰهُنَا وَإِلَٰهُكُمۡ وَٰحِدٌ وَنَحۡنُ لَهُۥ مُسۡلِمُونَ 

And say ˹to the people of the Book˺, We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you. And our GOD and your GOD is one.

That is, let your argument with the People of the Book be based on belief in what was sent down to you and what was sent down to them, and on belief in your Messenger and their Messenger, and on the fact that GOD is One. Do not frame your argument with them in such a way that it leads to you criticising any of the divinely-revealed Books or any of the Messengers, as the ignorant do when arguing, criticising everything that they have, whether it is right or wrong. This is unfair and is drifting away from the proper manners and etiquette of debate. What one should do is reject what one’s opponent has of falsehood and accept what he has of truth, and not reject the truth just because he said it, even if he is a disbeliever.

Moreover, basing the debate with the People of the Book on these guidelines will compel them to accept the Qur’an and the Messenger (ﷺ) who brought it, because if he speaks of the religious fundamentals on which all the Prophets and Books are agreed, which are established in the minds of both sides, and they both agree on them and believe in them as established facts, and the previous Books and Messengers – including the Qur’an and Muhammad (ﷺ) – explained them, preached them and told the people about them, then this will compel them to believe in all the Books and all the Messengers. This is something that is unique to Islam.

As for the idea that we believe in what it says in one particular Book, but not another Book, when the other Book confirms what is mentioned in the previous Book, this is unfair and wrong, and it results in rejecting all of them, because if a person rejects the Qur’an, which speaks of the same fundamentals and confirms what came before it of the Torah, then he will be rejecting what he claims to believe in.

{Tafsi‌r As-Sa’di}

Abu Hurayrah (may ALLĀH be pleased with him) narrated:

The people of the Scripture (Jews) used to recite the Torah in Hebrew and they used to explain it in Arabic to the Muslims. On that ALLAH’S Messenger (ﷺ)  said, “Do not believe the people of the Scripture or disbelieve them, but say:– “We believe in ALLĀH and what is revealed to us.” (2:136)

{Al-Bukhārī #4485}

It was narrated from Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may ALLĀH be pleased with him) that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may ALLĀH be pleased with him) came to the Prophet (ﷺ) with some written material he had got from one of the people of the Book. He read it to the Prophet (ﷺ), 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.”

{Ahmad #14736}