An Examination of the Jurisprudential Verses About Temples of the People of the Book

Although Islam does not deem all rulings related to mosques as applicable to temples, it regards the temples of the People of the Book in most cases similar to the Islamic mosques, and so, rules Muslims’ prayer saying in the temples of the People of the Book as permissible. The Qur’ān’s recommendation to venerate the divine waymarks – including the temples of the People of the Book – also involves the shrines of the prophets and Imāms (a), as suggested by Islamic narrations and the unity of basis. The use of the temples of the People of the Book to augment oaths in cases such as mutual cursing and also the consideration of the temporary marriage of a Muslim man with a Christian woman whose previous divorce is made in the court rather than church as invalid show that Islam respects the beliefs of the People of the Book about their temples. An examination of the qur’ānic verses indicates that the word masjid has a general and specific meaning. Its general meaning (as prayer site) involves the temples of the People of the Book, while its specific meaning (as mosque) has the same meaning that is common and famous among Muslims.