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in category Prior Revelations

Is it allowed in Islam to gain knowledge from Holy Books other than Holy Quran?

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The Qur'an confirms previous scriptures like the Torah and Gospel were originally inspired by Allah, and as such Muslims believe in them:

"Say (O Muslims), 'We believe in Allah and that which has been sent down to us and that which has been sent down to Ibraaheem (Abraham), Ismaa'eel (Ishmael), Ishaaq (Isaac), Ya'qoob (Jacob), and to Al-Asbaat (the twelve sons of Ya'qoob (Jacob)), and that which has been given to Moosa (Moses) and 'Eesa (Jesus), and that which has been given to the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we have submitted (in Islam)'" (Qur'an al-Baqarah 2:136)

"O you who believe! Believe in Allah, and His Messenger (Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)), and the Book (the Quran) which He has sent down to His Messenger, and the Scripture which He sent down to those before (him), and whosoever disbelieves in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, and the Last Day, then indeed he has strayed far away" (Qur'an an-Nisa' 4:136)

However both the Torah and Gospel were distorted and changed over time:

"Then woe to those who write the Book with their own hands and then say, "This is from Allah," to purchase with it a little price! Woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for that they earn thereby" (Qur'an al-Baqarah 2:79)

Because of this distortion, it is prohibited to follow them or believe what is in them.

It was narrated from Jaabir ibn Abdullah (ra) that Umar ibn al-Khattaab (ra) came to the Prophet (saw) with some written material he had got from one of the people of the Book. He read it to the Prophet (saw), and he got angry and said: "Are you confused (about your deen), O son of al-Khattaab? By the One in Whose hand is my soul, I have brought it (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 Musa were alive, he would have no option but to follow me." (Ahmad, 14736)

An-Nasaa'i and others narrated from the Prophet (saw) that he saw a page of the Torah in the hand of Umar ibn al-Khattaab (ra). He said: "If Muosa were alive, and you were to follow him and leave me, you would go astray." According to another report: "… he would have no option but to follow me." According to another version: The face of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) changed when 'Umar showed that to him, and one of the Ansaar said to him: O son of al-Khattaab, do you not see the face of the Messenger of Allah (saw)? 'Umar said: I am content with Allah as my Lord, Islam is my deen and Muhammad as my Prophet.

It is why Ibn Abbas (ra) used to say:

How can you ask the people of the Book about anything, when your Book that was revealed to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is more recent, and you read it pure and not tampered with? And He has told you that the People of the Book altered the Book of Allah and changed it, and they wrote the Book with their own hands, and said that it is from Allah, to purchase with it a little price. Does not the knowledge that has come to you forbid you to ask them about anything? No, by Allah, we have not seen any man among them ask you about that which was revealed to you. (Bukhaari, 7363)


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