Hidāyat al-Ḥayārā
Guidance for the Perplexed in Responding to the Jews and Christians
Ibn al-Qayyimهداية الحيارى في أجوبة اليهود والنصارى - ط عطاءات العلم — ابن القيم
517 pages
About
Ibn al-Qayyim (a medieval Syrian Hanbali scholar, d. 751 AH) offers a critical response to the doctrinal claims of Jews and Christians. This work thoroughly examines their scriptures and arguments to affirm Islamic prophethood and expose religious corruptions.
Table of contents
Preface to the Verification
First: Dialogue with the People of the Book
A – Among the earliest books and treatises on this subject are those from the ancient sources.
B - From Contemporary Books
Second: The Relationship of Islam with Other Divine Laws
Islam’s Relationship with Other Religions
Third: The Book “Guidance for the Perplexed in Responses to Jews and Christians”
The subject of the book and the reason for its composition
The Style and Method of the Book
Attribution of the Book to Its Author and Its Title
Sources of the Book
The Relationship Between 'Hidayat al-Hayara' and the Book 'Al-Jawab al-Sahih'
Previous editions of the book
Handwritten Copies of the Book
The Methodology of Verification
The Author’s Preface
The Chapter on the Condition of the People of the Earth at the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) Mission
Section: The Reason for Writing the Book
Division of the Book into Two Parts
Section One: Answers to the Questions
The First Issue: Their Claim That Nothing Prevented the People of the Two Scriptures from Embracing Islam Except Leadership and Sustenance, and the Response Thereto
Section: No one among the Muslims has ever said that all the classes of people you mentioned were clearly guided.
Chapter: The Second Question: They say: "Even if they chose disbelief for that reason, would not those who have neither authority nor sustenance follow the truth?"
His Answer from Various Perspectives
Chapter: The Story of the Conversion to Islam of ’Adi ibn Hatim
The Story of Salman al-Farisi’s Conversion to Islam
Chapter: Concerning Heraclius, the King of Syria
Section: On the Conversion to Islam of the Negus
Section: On the King of Egypt al-Muqawqis
Section: On Ibn al-Jalandi, the King of Oman, and Others
Chapter: The Prophet’s ﷺ Letter to Al-Ḥārith ibn Abī Shamir
Chapter: The Story of Abdullah ibn Salam
Chapter: The Third Issue – The Common Claim That the Prophet ﷺ Is Mentioned in the Torah and the Gospel but They Erased It, the Rational Objection, and Its Response
The fact that he (peace and blessings be upon him) is mentioned in earlier books is known in various ways.
Section: Some of the Glad Tidings Reported About Him and His Ummah
The First Aspect
The Second Aspect
The Third Aspect
The Fourth Aspect
The Fifth Aspect
The Fifth Aspect
The Sixth Point
The Seventh Face
The Eighth Aspect
The Ninth Aspect
The Tenth Aspect
The Eleventh Aspect
The Twelfth Aspect
The Thirteenth Aspect
The Fourteenth Aspect
The Fifteenth Aspect
The Sixteenth Aspect
The Seventeenth Aspect
The Eighteenth Face
The Nineteenth Aspect
The Twentieth Aspect
The Twenty-First Aspect
The Twenty-Second Aspect
The Twenty-Third Section
The Twenty-Fourth Aspect
The Twenty-Fifth Aspect
The Twenty-Sixth Aspect
The Twenty-Seventh Aspect
The Twenty-Eighth Section
The Twenty-Ninth Face
The Thirtieth Aspect
The Thirty-First Argument
The Thirty-Second Aspect
The Thirty-Third Aspect
The Thirty-Fourth Aspect
The Thirty-Fifth Aspect
The Thirty-Sixth Aspect
The Thirty-Seventh Aspect
The Thirty-Eighth Aspect
The Thirty-Ninth Aspect
Chapter
Chapter: The reports and glad tidings of his prophethood in the earlier books, known through various sources
Section: These methods are followed by some of the custodians who believe that they have not altered the words of the Torah and the Gospel.
Section: [The Fourth Question]
The questioner said: Would it be possible for someone who embraced Islam from among the Jews, such as ‘Abd Allāh ibn Salām, to produce the documents they have so that they may testify against us?
The Answer in Various Aspects
Section: The Fifth Question: You have attributed to the two great nations the choice of disbelief for the aforementioned purpose; Ibn Salām and his companions are more deserving of that purpose.
The Answer in Five Aspects
Chapter [The Sixth Question]: Doubt Intrudes upon Us from Ibn Salam and His Companions
The Answer from Multiple Perspectives
Section [The Seventh Issue]: We see in your religion the greatest indecencies among those who are most learned and most discerning.
The Answer from Various Perspectives
Section: One Should Not Rule Out the Ummah’s Usage of “al-Ghadhbiyya” for the Impossible
Section
Section
Chapter
Section: If You Say, 'We Made Him a God Only Because He Called Himself the Son of God.'
Section: If you say, 'We made him a god because of the testimony of the prophets and messengers to that effect.'
Section: If You Say, “We Must Ascribe Divinity to Him Based on the Words of Isaiah”
Section: 'If you say, “We made him a god,”' from the Gospel of Matthew
Section: And if you have ascribed divinity to him based on what you transmitted from Isaiah
Section: And if you ascribe divinity to him by the words of Isaiah
Chapter: And if you ascribe divinity to him by the statement of Isaiah
Section: And if you ascribe divinity to him by the words of Habakkuk
Section: And if you ascribe divinity to him by his statement in the third book
Chapter: On the Fact that, Had Muhammad ﷺ Not Appeared, All Prophecies Would Have Been Nullified
Section: And we clarify that they cannot attribute any virtue to Christ except by acknowledging that Muhammad is the Messenger of God.
Chapter: On Relying in Their Religion upon the Companions of the Assemblies and Mentioning It
Section: Then they had a Fifth Assembly
Section: Then they had a sixth assembly
Section: Then They Had a Seventh Assembly
Section: Then They Had an Eighth Assembly
Chapter: Then There Was for Them a Ninth Assembly
Section: Then There Was for Them a Tenth Assembly
Section: If This Is the Condition of the Predecessors
Section Two: On Establishing the Prophethood of Muhammad, peace be upon him, by All Types of Evidence
Section: That It Is Impossible to Believe in Any Prophet While Denying the Prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him), for Several Reasons
Section: Denying the Prophethood of the Seal of the Prophets Is Denying the Lord
Section: All the people of the earth are in the darkness of ignorance except those upon whom the light of Prophethood has shone.
Section: The Light of Prophethood Almost Blinds and Sweeps Away Those Insights