between them and others regarding the poll tax. Those who restrict its collection to them say:

“They retain a semblance of scriptural status, unlike others. Lives are protected where there is doubt, but doubt does not render sexual relations or slaughtered animals lawful.”

Thus, when ʿAlī and Ibn ʿAbbās disagreed about the animals slaughtered by Banū Taghlib, ʿAlī said:

“They have retained nothing of Christianity except drinking wine.”

Ibn ʿAbbās recited the words of the Most High:

“Whoever among you takes them as allies is indeed one of them.”

ʿAlī, may Allah be pleased with him, prohibited eating the animals they slaughtered, although their lives were protected. He was also the one who transmitted the report concerning the scripture of the Magians. This shows that resembling the People of the Book in certain respects warrants sparing their lives, but does not make the animals they slaughter or marriage to their women lawful.

Shaykh al-Islām—may Allah have mercy on him—was asked:

“A man uttered words of disbelief and was judged to have disbelieved. He subsequently swore an oath invoking a threefold divorce from his wife. If he returns to Islam, may he enter into a new marriage contract with her without her first marrying another man?”

He replied:

Praise be to Allah. If he apostatizes and does not return to Islam until his wife’s waiting period has expired, the marriage bond is severed according to the four imams. If he divorces her after that, he has pronounced divorce upon a woman who is no longer his wife, so the divorce has no effect. If he returns to Islam, he may marry her.

If, however, he divorces her during the waiting period, before returning to Islam, there are two views