96. Holding Fast to the Qur'an and Sunnah
٩٦۔ كتاب الاعتصام بالكتاب والسنة
Narrated Humaid bin 'Abdur-Rahman that he heard Mu'awiya talking to a group of people from Quraish at Al-Madina, and on mentioning Ka'b Al-Ashbar, he said, "He was one of the most truthful of those who used to talk about the people of the Scripture, yet we used to detect certain faults in his information."
سَمِعَ مُعَاوِيَةَ يُحَدِّثُ رَهْطًا مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ بِالْمَدِينَةِ وَذَكَرَ كَعْبَ الأَحْبَارِ فَقَالَ إِنْ كَانَ مِنْ أَصْدَقِ هَؤُلاَءِ الْمُحَدِّثِينَ الَّذِينَ يُحَدِّثُونَ عَنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ وَإِنْ كُنَّا مَعَ ذَلِكَ لَنَبْلُو عَلَيْهِ الْكَذِبَ
The people of the Book used to read the Torah in Hebrew and then explain it in Arabic to the Muslims. Messenger of Allah ﷺ said (to the Muslims). "Do not believe the people of the Book, nor disbelieve them, but say, 'We believe in Allah and whatever is revealed to us, and whatever is revealed to you.' "
كَانَ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ يَقْرَءُونَ التَّوْرَاةَ بِالْعِبْرَانِيَّةِ وَيُفَسِّرُونَهَا بِالْعَرَبِيَّةِ لأَهْلِ الإِسْلاَمِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لاَ تُصَدِّقُوا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ وَلاَ تُكَذِّبُوهُمْ وَقُولُوا {آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ} الآيَةَ
Ibn ʿAbbas said, "Why do you ask the people of the scripture about anything while your Book (Qur'an) which has been revealed to Messenger of Allah ﷺ is newer and the latest? You read it pure, undistorted and unchanged, and Allah has told you that the people of the scripture (Jews and Christians) changed their scripture and distorted it, and wrote the scripture with their own hands and said, 'It is from Allah,' to sell it for a little gain. Does not the knowledge which has come to you prevent you from asking them about anything? No, by Allah, we have never seen any man from them asking you regarding what has been revealed to you!"
عَنْ شَىْءٍ وَكِتَابُكُمُ الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَحْدَثُ تَقْرَءُونَهُ مَحْضًا لَمْ يُشَبْ وَقَدْ حَدَّثَكُمْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ بَدَّلُوا كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَغَيَّرُوهُ وَكَتَبُوا بِأَيْدِيهِمُ الْكِتَابَ وَقَالُوا هُوَ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ لِيَشْتَرُوا بِهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلاً أَلاَ يَنْهَاكُمْ مَا جَاءَكُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ عَنْ مَسْأَلَتِهِمْ لاَ وَاللَّهِ مَا رَأَيْنَا مِنْهُمْ رَجُلاً يَسْأَلُكُمْ عَنِ الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْكُمْ