The 'People of the Book' in Islam

Understanding a Very Dubious Kind of 'Protection'

Anyone who has ever been to one of the mosque “outreach” events to which non-Muslims in the West are periodically invited will be very familiar with the term “People of the Book”. This is the special category in which monotheistic believers (Jews, Christians and Sabeans) are placed according to the Qur’an. This is supposedly “proof” that adherents of these religions have nothing at all to fear from the presence of Islam.

There are, however, several problems with this soothing sentiment.

First of all, a significant proportion of the West’s population cannot be described as “People of the Book” by any stretch of the imagination. There are, of course, many people in all Western countries who do not identify with any faith (e.g., atheists and agnostics) as well as many people (e.g., Buddhists and Hindus) who would be classed as idolaters by Islamic theology.

These people (as non-Christians or non-Jews) are self-evidently not “People of the Book” and fall under the very harsh judgment regarding the treatment of “total” disbelievers. So, even if it could be proved that the “People of the Book” enjoy equality with Muslims according to traditional Muslim theology (which is certainly not the case, as we shall see), this would still leave a large percentage of Western society as implacable enemies according to Muslim teaching.

Any person who believes that the “People of the Book” simply follow an alternative path to Allah and should, therefore, be accepted as equals with Muslims will swiftly be disabused of that notion upon opening the Qur’an. Those called “People of the Book” are not exempt from Allah’s curses and contempt. Quite the contrary in fact!