Ruling on participating in the missionary organizations competitions


Question:

Some Muslim youth began corresponding with Christian missionary clubs and agencies which in return send them lessons about the Injil (Gospel), video tapes of missionary lectures, and immoral magazines which have spread all over our Islamic countries including Algeria. I have enclosed for you a typical copy of the correspondences they sent to us.

  1. Q 1: Is it permissible according to Shari’ah (Islamic law) to correspond with such missionary agencies? What is the ruling on those who read Injil (Gospel)?
  2. Q 2: Is it permissible according to Shari’ah (Islamic law) to participate in the enticing competitions organized by such agencies?

Answer:

The Injil (Gospel) that exists today is not the same that Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He, sent down. It contains a great deal of Tahrif (distortion of the meaning), lies, additions, omissions, and sayings that are unbefitting to Allah, the Exalted. Allah has declared this in His Book stating, “And verily, among them is a party who distort the Book with their tongues (as they read), so that you may think it is from the Book, but it is not from the Book, and they say: “This is from Allâh,” but it is not from Allâh; and they speak a lie against Allâh while they know it.” [Aal Imran: 78]

Furthermore, He, the Exalted, states, “Then woe to those who write the Book with their own hands and then say, “This is from Allâh,” to purchase with it a little price! Woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for that they earn thereby.” [al-Baqarah: 79]

Muslims should not read any of the Jewish or Christian books. The Prophet (peace be upon him) admonished ‘Umar when he saw a paper from Tawrah (Torah) with him; the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to him, “Are you confused about it (Islamic religion), O Ibn Al-Khattab?! By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, I have brought unto you a white, bright and clean religion… Even if Musa were alive, he would have had no other way but to follow me.” In the narration of Abdullah ibn Thabit: then Umar said: “I am pleased with Allah as a Lord, Islam as a religion, and Muhammad (peace be upon him) as a Prophet.” 1

Consequently, it is not permissible to correspond with Christian missionary centers, listen to their tapes, or participate in competitions organized by them, however appealing they may be. This is a sort of helping them in sin and transgression. However, reading Jewish and Christian books is permissible for those who are able to refute all the falsehood mentioned in them in order to establish proof and remove doubts.

  1. Ahmad, Musnad, vol. 3, p. 387; Al-Darimy, Sunan, Introduction, no. 435. ↩

May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet, his family and Companions