Mu'meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalam

I have a friend that is a has had a difficult life and has befriended people of another religion who are very good and have helped my friend in those difficult times. My friend is a muslim (goes to the mosque, fasts etc) but has been invited to church and has gone there and listened to the prayers etc.  Is that wrong?
Also my friend was given a copy of the bible and has chose to keep it (along with copies of the quran and other Islamic books) as my friend belives that there is nothing wrong with that (afterall there are other books there also).  I asked my friend if he has read the bible and he said he read some sections  which he says are very similar to the quran.
Is it wrong to have a copy of the bible in a muslim home and is it wrong to read it?  My friend is in all intent and purposes a muslim and recognises that himself.
Please reply.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Read and keep bible

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: My friend is a muslim (goes to the mosque, fasts etc)
but has been invited to church and has gone there and listened to the
prayers etc.  Is that wrong?
It would indeed be wrong for a believer, who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day, to attend any sessions or gatherings of prayer where ‘shirk’ is being committed or Allah Subhanah is invoked with other beings.

In most, if not all churches today, the Christians invoke Prophet Isa (a.s.) and his chaste mother along with Allah Subhanah; thus it would indeed be wrong to be a witness to such forms of manifest ‘shirk’.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verses 72-73:

72 They do blaspheme who say: "Allah is Christ, the son of Mary." But said Christ: "O children of Israel! Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord." Whoever joins other gods with Allah, Allah will forbid him the Garden and the Fire will be his abode. There will for the wrong-doers, be no one to help.

73 They do blaspheme who say: ‘Allah is one of three in a Trinity’: for there is no god except One Allah. If they desist not from their word (of blasphemy), verily a grievous penalty will befall the blasphemers among them.

It all depends on the intention of the believer. If a believer attends the Christian prayer services just to give his friends company, or simply because he was invited, etc. it would indeed be wrong. But if a believer goes to one of these services with the intention to invite his Christian friends to the Truth of Islam, there is no harm.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.1 Narrated by Umar bin Al Khattab

I heard the Messenger of Allah (saws) saying, "The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions, and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended."

Your Question: Is it wrong to have a copy of the bible in a muslim home and is it wrong to read it?

A muslim is not a muslim unless he believes in the Revelations which Allah Subhanah sent upon the People of the Book; ie. The Jews and the Christians. Allah Subhanah has Himself Declared in the Glorious Quran that the People of the Book have changed the Original Revelations sent to them; thus the Torah and the Bible which are available today, although some of it might truly be the Revelations of Allah Subhanah, most of it are the words and works of man.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale-Imraan verse 78:There is among them a section who distort the Book with their tongues; (as they read) you would think it is a part of the Book but it is no part of the Book; and they say "That is from Allah" but it is not from Allah: it is they who tell a lie against Allah and (well) they know it!

Allah Subhanah revealed His Last and Final Message, the Glorious Quran upon His Last and Final Messenger, Mohamed ar-Rasool Allah (saws) as a Book of Guidance for all mankind until the end of time. Allah Subhanah Declares in the Glorious Quran that this Book confirms what is intact from the Old Testaments; thus if one is looking for Guidance, the Glorious Quran is more than sufficient and one does not need to refer to the Old Testaments for guidance.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 35 Surah Fatir verse 31: That which We have revealed to thee (O Mohamed (saws)) of the Book (Quran) is the Truth confirming what was (revealed) before it: for Allah is assuredly with respect to his servants, Well Acquainted, and Fully-Observant.

It would indeed be wrong to read the Bible or the Torah for seeking guidance today. But if a believer keeps a copy of the Bible in his home, or reads it to understand the faith of his Christian brethren, or compare it with the Truth of the Quran, and to use it to invite his Christian brethren to the Truth of Al-Islam; there is absolutely no harm.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan