and other Jews, I know of no disagreement reported from Ahmad concerning the lawfulness of the animals they slaughtered, nor from the Companions, the Successors, or others among the early generations. Their disagreement concerned Banū Taghlib alone. Some scholars of Ahmad’s school, however, held that two views were reported from him concerning these other groups as well, just as with Banū Taghlib. The majority, including Abū Hanīfah and Mālik, held their slaughtered animals to be lawful. I know of no precedent among the early generations for the other view.

These same scholars of Ahmad’s school further stated that, where either parent was not of the People of the Book but was instead a Magian, neither their slaughtered animals nor marriage to their women was lawful. This is also al-Shāfi‘ī’s position when the father was a Magian. As for the mother, he held two views. If both parents were Magians, the animals slaughtered by their child were unlawful according to al-Shāfi‘ī and those scholars of Ahmad’s school who agreed with him. This view has also been attributed to Mālik. I strongly suspect, however, that this attribution to Mālik is mistaken, for I have not found it in the books of his followers.

This ruling is an extension of the position extrapolated from Ahmad concerning the other Arab Jews and Christians. That position, in turn, rests on one of the two views reported from him concerning the Christians of Banū Taghlib—the view preferred by these scholars.

If, however, one confines the two reported views to Banū Taghlib, excluding the other Arabs, or holds that the disagreement encompasses them all and proceeds on the view that the animals slaughtered by Banū Taghlib and marriage to their women are lawful, as the majority maintain, then lineage has no bearing under this reported view. Indeed, even if both parents were Magians or idolaters, but their child belonged to the People of the Book, that child would unquestionably be subject to the rulings applicable to the People of the Book according to this position. The jurists of the schools of Ahmad and Abū Hanīfah, among others, explicitly stated this.