Owning or gifting books on other religions

Question: Is it sinful to have textbooks on other religions or to give them to others?

Answer:

Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

Dear questioner,

Thank you for your important question.

Having books of other religions would only be sinful if there was a very high chance of reading them, leading to disbelief. Most of the time that is not usually the case. They are just used for educational reasons to help us understand the world around us.

If there is a genuine concern that a particular book would misguide people or that a particular person would be misguided by exposure to a certain book about other religions, then it would be forbidden for them to buy it.

Returning a book about other religions to a school is their property, and one would have no choice but to return to them.

Please also see:

I pray this helps.

[Ustadh] Farid

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years, he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language.