People of the Book
People of the Book or Ahl al-kitāb (Arabic: أهل الكتاب) is an Islamic term referring to followers of those religions which Muslims regard as having been guided by previous revelations, generally in the form of a scripture.[1] In the Quran they are identified as the Jews, the Christians, the Sabians, and—according to some interpretations—the Zoroastrians.[2] Starting from the 8th century, some Muslims also recognized other religious groups such as the Samaritans,[3] and even Buddhists, Hindus, and Jains,[4] as People of the Book.
For the novel by Geraldine Brooks, see People of the Book (novel).
Historically, the religious communities recognized by Muslims as People of the Book were subject to the legal status known as dhimma ('protection'), meaning that they were allowed to practice their faith and to govern their community according to the rules and norms of their own religion, in return for paying a special head tax called the jizya.[5]
The Quran uses the term in a variety of contexts, from religious polemics to passages emphasizing the community of faith among those who possess monotheistic scriptures.[6]
In Islamic law, Muslim men are permitted to marry women who are People of the Book; however, Muslim women are prevented from marrying men who are People of the Book.[7] In the case of a Muslim-Christian marriage, which is to be contracted only after permission from the Christian party, the Christian woman should not be prevented from attending church for prayer and worship.[8][9]
The term 'People of the Book' has been reappropriated as a means of self-identification by Jews and by the members of certain Christian denominations.[10]
In the Quran[edit]
Meaning of the term[edit]
When used in conjunction with a person, the term ahl identifies the members of that person's household, including their fellow tribesmen, relatives and all those who share a family background with them. However, it may also be used with place names to refer to people living in a certain locality (e.g., ahl al-Madīna in Quran 9:101, 'the people of Medina'), or with more abstract nouns, as in ahl madhhab, 'the people of a certain madhhab or school of thought'.[11]
The word kitāb, meaning 'writing' or 'book', occurs very often in the Quran, generally in the sense of a divine rather than a human activity, which consists in writing down and recording everything that is created. More than just referring to a 'book', it conveys meanings of divine knowledge, divine authority, and divine revelation.[12]
The term ahl al-kitāb, then, refers to those who have been given access to such knowledge and revelation:[13] they are the people to whom God has 'sent down' (see tanzīl) his wisdom by means of a prophet, as an act of divine grace.[14] However, the revelations given to the People of the Book, taking the form of the Torah (al-Tawrāt), the Psalms (al-Zabūr), and the Gospel (al-Injīl),[6] were all partial, and it is precisely by already being familiar with the books (kutub) previously sent down that the People of the Book were expected to be able to recognize Muhammad as a prophet, and the Quran as the final and most complete revelation.[15]
Identity[edit]
Several verses in the Quran are commonly understood as identifying the Jews, the Christians, and the Sabians as People of the Book. Thus for example Sūrat al-Māʾida 5:68–69, which mentions these groups along with the Muslims ("the believers") as being safe from fear and grief:[16]
Usage by Jews and Christians[edit]
In Judaism, the term "People of the Book" (Hebrew: עם הספר, Am HaSefer)[52] has been reappropriated as a term to designate the Jewish people, in reference to the Torah or to the entire Hebrew Bible.[53] Members of some Christian denominations have also embraced the term "People of the Book" in reference to themselves, foremost among them the Puritans[54] as well as the Seventh-day Adventist Church[55] and the Baptists.[56]