Question: It is allowed to read books which educate about other religions other than Islam simply for awareness about them and for information? Or reading books about some communist systems and the likes not out of amazement of them nor to act upon them, but for the purpose mentioned earlier?
Answer: “It is upon a person to first to know the truth and know the correct religion and become full of beneficial knowledge. Then after that become acquainted with opposing things in order to warn against them and refute them. As for an ignorant person whose education is weak and his attainment of the legislated knowledge is limited, then it is not allowed for this person to read books of falsehood. This is because sometimes it will deceive him and influence his creed and he does not know. This is due to him not having knowledge by which to distinguish truth from falsehood. So it is necessary for him to first attain beneficial knowledge by which he will know truth from falsehood. Then there is no harm in becoming acquainted with it”.
[al-Muntaqaa min Fatawaa Fadilatus-Shaikh Saalih al-Fawzaan (2/307)]
Translated by
Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan
