Jews or Christians and he embraced Islam, he would be counted among the Muslims by the agreement of the Muslims. If his parents were Muslims and he disbelieved, he would be an unbeliever by the agreement of the Muslims. If his unbelief constitutes apostasy, he is not permitted to remain in it, for he is an apostate on account of his forefathers.

Every ruling attached to religious designations—Islam, faith, unbelief, hypocrisy, apostasy, adopting Judaism, or adopting Christianity—applies only to someone who possesses the characteristics that warrant that designation. A person’s being one of the polytheists or the People of the Book falls under this principle. Whoever is himself a polytheist is subject to the rulings governing polytheists, even if his parents are not polytheists. Whoever is a Muslim, though his parents are polytheists, is subject to the rulings governing Muslims, not those governing polytheists. Likewise, if he is a Jew or a Christian while his forefathers were polytheists, he is subject to the rulings governing Jews and Christians. But to apply the rulings governing polytheists to him, despite his being a Jew or a Christian, because his forefathers were polytheists before the abrogation and alteration, would contravene established principles.

Fourth: Allah Most High says:

“Those who disbelieved among the People of the Book and the polytheists were not…”

He also says:

“And say to those who were given the Scripture and to the unlettered, ‘Have you submitted yourselves to Allah?’ If they submit, they are rightly guided.”

These and similar passages address the people living at that time and speak about them. The Scripture meant here is the scripture in their possession, which had undergone whatever abrogation and alteration had occurred. What is meant is not those who adhered to it before its abrogation and alteration, for those people were not unbelievers. Nor were they among those addressed by the laws of the Quran, or those addressed in the Quran with the words:

“O People of the Book!”

They had died before the Quran was revealed. Since this is so, everyone who follows this scripture now held by