Praise be to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
It is not permissible for a Muslim to possess copies of the Torah, the Gospel, or other scriptures that preceded the Qur’an merely for the purpose of reading them, because the Noble Qur’an contains the beneficial truth that a Muslim needs, and because what the People of the Book possess today is not the Gospel revealed to Jesus, peace be upon him, preserved exactly as it was revealed, but has been subject to alteration.
One of the reasons scholars have mentioned for discouraging possession of these books is that Allah, Most High, revealed the Qur’an confirming the scriptures that preceded it and serving as an authority over them. It contains the guidance and truth that a Muslim needs.
Allah, Most High, says:
“He has sent down to you the Book in truth, confirming what came before it.”
Thus, whatever beneficial truth was contained in the earlier scriptures, the Qur’an has affirmed what the Muslim needs from it. Therefore, a Muslim does not need to seek guidance in other books.
If the purpose of possessing the Gospel is to learn the words of Allah that He revealed to Jesus, peace be upon him, then Allah has already clarified in the Noble Qur’an what a Muslim needs to know concerning this. There is therefore no need to refer to the copies that exist today.
The Gospel that Allah revealed to Jesus, peace be upon him, was a Book from Allah, and a Muslim must believe that it was revelation from Allah.
As for the Gospels existing today, they are not that revealed Gospel preserved exactly as Allah revealed it. Rather, they are several books in which alteration and changes have occurred.
Among the evidence mentioned by Shaykh Ibn ʿUthaymīn, may Allah have mercy on him, for not relying upon them is that there are four Gospels existing today, rather than one Gospel, and there are differences among them. Therefore, they should not be treated as though they are the revealed Book given to Jesus, peace be upon him.
The ruling differs according to the purpose, the person's level of knowledge, and their ability to distinguish truth from falsehood.
Ordinary Muslims should not possess or read these books, because they may contain falsehood and alterations, and because the Muslim has no need for them due to the Qur’an.
As for a student of knowledge who possesses sufficient knowledge to distinguish truth from falsehood, Shaykh Ibn ʿUthaymīn, may Allah have mercy on him, stated that there is no harm in studying these books if the purpose is to identify the falsehood they contain, refute it, and establish the proof against their followers.
In this case, the purpose of studying them is not to seek guidance from those books, but rather to pursue a scholarly objective involving refuting the falsehood contained in them and clarifying the truth.
A Muslim should not possess the Gospel or Torah merely to learn what they contain, because the Noble Qur’an is sufficient for the truth that a Muslim needs, and because the books existing today have not been preserved from alteration. They should not be regarded as the Gospel that Allah revealed to Jesus, peace be upon him.
As for a qualified student of knowledge who is able to distinguish truth from falsehood, it is permissible for them to study these books for a valid scholarly purpose, such as identifying alterations, responding to misconceptions, and establishing the proof.
And Allah knows best.