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Ahl al-Kitāb

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions | 1997 | 700+ words | Copyright

Ahl al-Kitāb. ‘People of the Book’, i.e. possessing a scripture; the name given by the Qurʾān to the Jewish (Banū Isrāʾīl) and Christian (Naṣārā) communities, possessors respectively of the Tawrāt (Torah) and Zabūr (Psalms) and of the Injīl (Gospel), and later extended by Muslim law to the Sabeans and the Zoroastrians. To these people was given the status of dhimma, ‘protection’. Although the Qurʾān allows them to keep their own religion, and affords them protection, they are expected to pay a special tribute, the jizya (9.29). Because of this special status, it is a vital issue in community relations whether the category can be extended to include others, e.g., Hindus.

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JOHN BOWKER. "Ahl al-Kitāb." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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JOHN BOWKER. "Ahl al-Kitāb." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-AhlalKitb.html

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