The Naming of the People of the Book: Nasara (Nazarenes) vs. Christians (Masihiyyun)

Published

Apr 20, 2026 / Dhu al-Qidah 3, 1447 AH

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The Naming of the People of the Book: Nasara (Nazarenes) vs. Christians (Masihiyyun)

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Question:

Is it permissible to refer to the Nasara (Nazarenes) as ‘Christians’ (Masihiyyun)?

Answer:

This is a term that commonly used and recognized today. However, Allah, the Exalted, named them in His Book as ‘the Nasara’, the Prophet (Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him) named them ‘the Nasara’, and the Muslim scholars named them ‘the Nasara’ until very recently.​

This changed when the Nasara colonized some Islamic lands and said: ‘You are Muhammadans and we are Christians,’ in an attempt to create a sense of commonality and rapprochement between Muslims and the Nasara.