97. Tawḥīd (Oneness of Allah)

٩٧۔ كتاب التوحيد

97.51 What is allowed as regards the interpretation of the Taurat and other Holy Books

٩٧۔٥١ باب مَا يَجُوزُ مِنْ تَفْسِيرِ التَّوْرَاةِ وَغَيْرِهَا مِنْ كُتُبِ اللَّهِ بِالْعَرَبِيَّةِ وَغَيْرِهَا

[Machine] According to the saying of Allah, exalted be He: "Bring forth the Torah and recite it if you are truthful."

لِقَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: {فَأْتُوا بِالتَّوْرَاةِ فَاتْلُوهَا إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ}.

bukhari:7541Ibn ʿAbbās > Abū Sufyān b. Ḥarb

Abu Sufyan bin Harb told me that Heraclius called for his translator and then asked for the letter of the Prophet ﷺ, and the former read it (thus): "In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Merciful. (This letter is) from Muhammad bin 'Abdullah, to Heraclius. "...O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians): Come to a word that is just between us and you that we worship none but Allah..." (V.3:64)  

البخاري:٧٥٤١وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو سُفْيَانَ بْنُ حَرْبٍ

أَنَّ هِرَقْلَ دَعَا تَرْجُمَانَهُ ثُمَّ دَعَا بِكِتَابِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَرَأَهُ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ مِنْ مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ إِلَى هِرَقْلَ وَ{يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ تَعَالَوْا إِلَى كَلِمَةٍ سَوَاءٍ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ } الآيَةَ  

bukhari:7542Muḥammad b. Bashhār > ʿUthmān b. ʿUmar > ʿAlī b. al-Mubārak > Yaḥyá b. Abū Kathīr > Abū Salamah > Abū Hurayrah

The people of the Scripture used to read the Torah in Hebrew and explain it to the Muslims in Arabic. Then Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Do not believe the people of the Scripture, and do not disbelieve them, but say, 'We believe in Allah and whatever has been revealed...' (3.84)  

البخاري:٧٥٤٢حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ عُمَرَ أَخْبَرَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

كَانَ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ يَقْرَءُونَ التَّوْرَاةَ بِالْعِبْرَانِيَّةِ وَيُفَسِّرُونَهَا بِالْعَرَبِيَّةِ لأَهْلِ الإِسْلاَمِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لاَ تُصَدِّقُوا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ وَلاَ تُكَذِّبُوهُمْ وَ{قُولُوا آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ} الآيَةَ  

bukhari:7543Musaddad > Ismāʿīl > Ayyūb > Nāfiʿ > Ibn ʿUmar

A Jew and Jewess were brought to the Prophet ﷺ on a charge of committing an illegal sexual intercourse. The Prophet ﷺ asked the Jews, "What do you (usually) do with them?" They said, "We blacken their faces and disgrace them." He said, "Bring here the Torah and recite it, if you are truthful." They (fetched it and) came and asked a one-eyed man to recite. He went on reciting till he reached a portion on which he put his hand. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Lift up your hand!" He lifted his hand up and behold, there appeared the verse of Ar-Rajm (stoning of the adulterers to death). Then he said, "O Muhammad! They should be stoned to death but we conceal this Divine Law among ourselves." Then the Prophet ﷺ ordered that the two sinners be stoned to death and, and they were stoned to death, and I saw the man protecting the woman from the stones. (See Hadith No. 809, Vol. 8)  

البخاري:٧٥٤٣حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ عَنْ أَيُّوبَ عَنْ نَافِعٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ ؓ قَالَ

أُتِيَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ بِرَجُلٍ وَامْرَأَةٍ مِنَ الْيَهُودِ قَدْ زَنَيَا فَقَالَ لِلْيَهُودِ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ بِهِمَا قَالُوا نُسَخِّمُ وُجُوهَهُمَا وَنُخْزِيهِمَا قَالَ {فَأْتُوا بِالتَّوْرَاةِ فَاتْلُوهَا إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ} فَجَاءُوا فَقَالُوا لِرَجُلٍ مِمَّنْ يَرْضَوْنَ يَا أَعْوَرُ اقْرَأْ فَقَرَأَ حَتَّى انْتَهَى عَلَى مَوْضِعٍ مِنْهَا فَوَضَعَ يَدَهُ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ ارْفَعْ يَدَكَ فَرَفَعَ يَدَهُ فَإِذَا فِيهِ آيَةُ الرَّجْمِ تَلُوحُ فَقَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ إِنَّ عَلَيْهِمَا الرَّجْمَ وَلَكِنَّا نُكَاتِمُهُ بَيْنَنَا فَأَمَرَ بِهِمَا فَرُجِمَا فَرَأَيْتُهُ يُجَانِئُ عَلَيْهَا الْحِجَارَةَ