Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
A Muslim must believe in the Torah and the Gospel in their original revealed forms, because they are among the Scriptures that Allah revealed to His messengers. A Muslim must also respect whatever remains in them of the Words of Allah, including His names and attributes. Therefore, their copies should not be deliberately desecrated or insulted.
A Muslim believes in all of Allah’s messengers and the Scriptures that Allah revealed. Allah, the Most High, says:
“The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and so have the believers. They all believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His messengers. We make no distinction between any of His messengers.” [Al-Baqarah: 285]
Allah has informed us that the People of the Book altered and changed parts of the Torah and Gospel. However, this alteration does not necessarily mean that everything contained in them has been changed. They may still contain elements of truth, including references to the names and attributes of Allah.
Therefore, a Muslim should not categorically insult or desecrate a copy of the Torah or Gospel, because it may contain some of the Words of Allah or His names and attributes.
Al-Haytami, may Allah have mercy on him, stated:
“The correct view is that they contain what is presumed not to have been altered because it agrees with what we know from our law.”
Al-Khatib Ash-Shirbini, may Allah have mercy on him, also explained regarding some of their written pages that what may be destroyed or used refers to material known to have been altered and which is free from the name of Allah and similar sacred references.
A number of jurists likewise affirmed the obligation to respect the names of Allah and the names of the prophets when they are written in these books, because of their sanctity.
In principle, a Muslim should not acquire or keep the books of the People of the Book, particularly if he is not a scholar capable of distinguishing what they contain of truth and falsehood.
It was narrated that Umar ibn Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, came to the Prophet ﷺ with a book that he had obtained from some of the People of the Book. The Prophet ﷺ became angry and said:
“Are you confused about it, O Ibn Al-Khattab? By the One in whose Hand is my soul, I have brought you a clear and pure message. Do not ask them about anything, lest they tell you something true and you reject it, or something false and you believe it. By the One in whose Hand is my soul, if Moses were alive, he would have no choice but to follow me.”
Narrated by Ahmad (14736); Al-Albani graded it Hasan in Al-Irwa (6/34).
This indicates that a Muslim should not turn to the books of the People of the Book in search of guidance or truth, as Allah has sufficed him with the Noble Quran. However, scholars may examine them when necessary to identify alterations and respond to their adherents, according to the details discussed by scholars elsewhere.
If a copy of one of the books of the People of the Book comes into a Muslim’s possession, he should not keep or acquire it without a legitimate need. At the same time, he should not desecrate it or throw it into the garbage or deal with it in a similarly disrespectful manner, because it may contain the names and attributes of Allah or some of His Words that have remained unaltered.
The method mentioned for disposing of such a copy is to burn and destroy it in a manner that protects the names and honored expressions contained in it from desecration.
This should be distinguished from the issue of the book’s contents being subject to alteration. The presence of alteration does not mean that everything in the book is false, nor does it remove the sanctity of the names of Allah or whatever elements of truth remain within it.
The Torah and Gospel, in their original forms, are Scriptures revealed by Allah, and Muslims must believe in their original revelation while believing that the People of the Book subsequently introduced alterations and changes.
Therefore, their copies should not be deliberately desecrated or insulted, because they may contain the names and attributes of Allah or some of His Words that remain within them.
A Muslim should not acquire or keep them without a legitimate need. If a copy comes into his possession and he wishes to dispose of it, he should do so in a manner that preserves the sanctity of what it contains, such as burning it, without insulting or desecrating it.
And Allah knows best.