Definition: Narrations transmitted from the People of the Book — Jews and Christians — that entered Quranic exegesis and hadith literature, whether they agree with Islam, contradict it, or are of unknown status.
Three Categories (per the Prophet's hadith: "Do not believe the People of the Book, nor disbelieve them"):
- Agreeing with Islam: Confirmed by the Quran or Sunnah — accepted and transmitted. E.g., the story of Talut and Jalut as narrated from Ka'b al-Ahbar.
- Contradicting Islam: Such as anthropomorphism of Allah or attributing immoral acts to prophets — definitively rejected; only cited to warn against.
- Status unknown: Matters on which the Sharia is silent, with no evidence for or against — suspended; neither confirmed nor denied.
Ruling on narrating them: Permitted for type 1, forbidden for type 2 (except as a warning), and permissible for type 3 with a caveat that they are not proofs.
Note: Many classical commentators narrated Isra'iliyyat without distinguishing their status — Ibn Kathir himself warned against their danger.
Question: List the three categories of Isra'iliyyat and the ruling on narrating each.
Answer: (1) Agreeing with Islam: may be narrated. (2) Contradicting: rejected, cited only as a warning. (3) Unknown status: suspended, not used as proof.