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The news of the people of the book between acceptance and refusal

Question

What is the ruling of the stories of the previous nations reported in the books of the people of the book?

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

The scholars may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  them divided the news and stories of the people of the book into three categories:

1- What corresponds with the Quran: we believe in and we narrate this type of news and stories.

2- What is denied by the Quran: we are obliged to deny it.

3- Stories which the Quran did not deny nor approve of it is permissible to narrate this type of stories and news without accepting them as true or testifying that they are untrue, but we should say: “We believe in what is revealed to us and revealed to you.”

The evidence about this is the saying of the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ): "There is no harm to report about the news of the children of Israel.” [Al-Bukhari]

Allaah Knows best.

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