Islam basics

Belief in the Revealed Books

Neither believe nor disbelieve the People of the Book but say: {We believe in Allah and what has been sent down to us

عَنْ ‌أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: كَانَ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ يَقْرَؤُونَ التَّوْرَاةَ بِالْعِبْرَانِيَّةِ، وَيُفَسِّرُونَهَا بِالْعَرَبِيَّةِ لِأَهْلِ الْإِسْلَامِ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «لَا تُصَدِّقُوا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ وَلَا تُكَذِّبُوهُمْ، وَقُولُوا: {آمَنَّا بِاللهِ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْنَا} [البقرة: 136] الْآيَةَ».

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The People of the Book used to read the Torah in Hebrew and expound on it in Arabic to the Muslims. So, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Neither believe nor disbelieve the People of the Book but say: {We believe in Allah and what has been sent down to us.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 136]."

Narrated by Al-Bukhāri · hadeethenc:65046

Grading: Authentic (as published by the source; the grader is not named)

Explanation from the source
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) warned his Ummah not to get deceived by what the People of the Book report in their books. The Jews, during the Prophet's lifetime, used to read the Torah in Hebrew, the language of the Jews, and expound on it in Arabic. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: Neither believe nor disbelieve the People of the Book. This applies to things that are not known to be true or false. In fact, Allah Almighty commanded us to believe in the Qur’an revealed to us and the Book revealed to them. But there is no way in which we can know whether what they relate to us from these books is true or false, unless our Shariah clarifies whether it is true or false. Hence, we should stop, neither believing them, lest we may become their partners in what they distorted, nor disbelieving them, lest their statement may be right, and thus we will be denying what we were commanded to believe in. And Allah Almighty commanded the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) that we should say: {We believe in Allah and what has been sent down to us; and what was sent down to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the descendants [of Jacob]; and what was given to Moses and Jesus; and what was given to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we have submitted.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 136]
  • What the People of the Book relate falls under three categories: what is consistent with the Qur’an and the Sunnah - it must be believed; what contradicts the Qur’an and the Sunnah - this is false and must be denied; and what is not established in the Qur’an or the Sunnah to be true or false - this is to be narrated and should not be believed or denied.

"I am not weeping because I do not know that what Allah holds is better for the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), but I weep because the revelation from the sky has stopped." Her words moved them to tears and they began to weep along with her

عن أنس بن مالك رضي الله عنه قال: قَال أَبُو بَكر لِعُمَر رضي الله عنهما بَعْدَ وَفَاةِ رَسُول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : انْطَلِق بِنَا إِلَى أُمِّ أَيمَنَ -رَضِي الله عنها- نَزُورُهَا كَمَا كَانَ رَسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يَزُورُها، فَلَمَّا انتَهَيَا إِلَيهَا، بَكَت، فَقَالاَ لَهَا: مَا يُبكِيك؟ أَمَا تَعْلَمِين أَنَّ ما عِنْد الله خَيرٌ لِرَسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ؟ فَقَالَت: مَا أَبْكِي أَنْ لاَ أَكُون أَعلَم أَنَّ مَا عِندَ الله تعالى خَيرٌ لِرَسُول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ، وَلَكِن أَبكِي أَنَّ الوَحي قَدْ انْقَطَع مِنَ السَّمَاء؛ فَهَيَجَتْهُمَا عَلَى البُكَاء؛ فَجَعَلاَ يَبْكِيَان مَعَهَا.

Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: After the Prophet's death, Abu Bakr said to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with both of them): "Let us visit Umm Ayman, just as the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to visit her." When they came to her, she wept. They said to her: "What makes you weep? Do you not know that what is with Allah is better for the Messenger of Allah?" She said: "I am not weeping because of not knowing that what is with Allah is better for the Messenger of Allah, but I weep because the revelation from the sky has stopped." Her words moved them to tears and they began to weep along with her.

Narrated by Muslim · hadeethenc:3035

Grading: Authentic hadith (as published by the source; the grader is not named)

Explanation from the source
The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were the most eager of people to follow the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) in every aspect. They would even walk in the same path that he used to walk in, sit in the same places he used to sit in and do everything they knew he used to do. This Hadīth is a proof of that, as Abu Bakr and ‘Umar visited a woman whom the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) used to visit. They visited her only because of this. When they arrived at her home, she began to weep. They said to her why are you weeping? Do you not know that what Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He, has prepared for His Messenger is better than this world? She replied: I do not weep because of that, but rather because the revelation has ceased. This is because when the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) passed away, the revelation stopped, as there is no revelation after him. That is why Allah perfected the Shariah before he passed away. Allah, the Almighty, says: {This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion} [Al-Mā‘idah: 3]. Upon hearing her words, Abu Bakr and ‘Umar started weeping as well because she reminded them of what they had forgotten.

Allah, the Exalted, sent down the Divine Revelation to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) abundantly during the period preceding his death until he died at a time when the revelation had never been more abundant

عن أنس بن مالك رضي الله عنه مرفوعاً: إن الله عز وجل تابع الوحي على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قبل وفاته حتَّى تُوُفِّيَ أكثر ما كان الوحي.

Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: Allah, Exalted and Glorified, sent down the Divine Revelation to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) abundantly during the period preceding his death until he died at a time when the revelation had never been more abundant.

Narrated by Bukhari & Muslim · hadeethenc:4217

Grading: Authentic hadith (as published by the source; the grader is not named)

Explanation from the source
Allah, Exalted and Glorified, increased the revelation that was sent down to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) before his death to complete the Shariah, up until the Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) died at a time when the revelation was most abundant.

Source category: hadeethenc:category:61

Source: HadeethEnc.com, published by HadeethEnc.com. Version API snapshot retrieved 2026-10-11 (the source publishes no version number) (retrieved 2026-10-11). Published by HadeethEnc.com. Shown unmodified; not reviewed by a scholar.