People of the Book

English

Etymology

Calque of Arabic أَهْل الْكِتَاب (ʔahl al-kitāb).

Noun

People of the Book pl (plural only)

  1. (Islam) Non-Muslim adherents of religions based on holy scripture, especially of the Abrahamic religions.

Usage notes

The religionists included under this category is a matter of dispute. The Qur'an explicitly mentions Christians, Jews, and "Sabians" (this latter term is itself unclear). The category was later extended by Islamic rulers and thinkers to include peoples such as Zoroastrians, Buddhists, Hindus, among others.[1]

Synonyms

  • People of the Scripture
  • Ahle Kitab (Persian, Urdu)
  • Ahl al-Kitab (Arabic)
  • ahl al-kitab (alternative letter case form)

Translations

References

  1. ^ Vikør, Knut S. (2024), Religious Minorities in Islamic Legal Traditions (Religious Minorities Online)‎[1], De Gruyter, →DOI
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