Short answer
The People of the Book (Ahl al-Kitab) are Jews and Christians, the communities who received the Torah and the Gospel. The Quran addresses them with respect, invites them to the worship of the one God, and allows Muslim men to marry their chaste women and Muslims to eat their properly slaughtered meat.
Ahl al-Kitab are Jews and Christians, including those today who hold to those religions, even though their texts were altered. Abu Hanifa also counted the Sabians as People of the Book, while his two students did not. Zoroastrians, Hindus, Buddhists and others are not People of the Book for marriage and slaughter.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- Adds conditions of lineage for marriage and slaughter: the person's ancestors must have entered the religion before it was abrogated or altered.
Explanation
The Quran uses Ahl al-Kitab, the People of the Scripture, for Jews and Christians more than thirty times. It praises the righteous among them, criticises wrong beliefs, and calls them to a word common to both: worship Allah alone. Muslims today often say "Christians and Jews" or "People of the Book" in everyday speech; the Quran also calls Christians Nasara.
Being People of the Book has practical effects:
- Marriage: a Muslim man may marry a chaste Christian or Jewish woman, though many scholars advise against it today for the sake of the children's faith. A Muslim woman may not marry a non-Muslim man. The marriage section covers this in detail.
- Food: their properly slaughtered meat is lawful, with the conditions in eating at a non-Muslim home.
- Dialogue: Muslims are told to discuss with them only in the best manner.
Being People of the Book does not mean the beliefs are the same. Muslims believe Jesus was a prophet and not divine, and that Muhammad ﷺ is the final messenger sent to all people, including Jews and Christians. See what Islam says about other religions.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Aal-i-Imraan 3:64
قُلْ يَٰٓأَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ تَعَالَوْا۟ إِلَىٰ كَلِمَةٍۢ سَوَآءٍۭ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ أَلَّا نَعْبُدَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَ وَلَا نُشْرِكَ بِهِۦ شَيْـًۭٔا وَلَا يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا أَرْبَابًۭا مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَقُولُوا۟ ٱشْهَدُوا۟ بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ ﴿٦٤﴾
Say, "O People of the Scripture, come to a word that is equitable between us and you - that we will not worship except Allah and not associate anything with Him and not take one another as lords instead of Allah." But if they turn away, then say, "Bear witness that we are Muslims [submitting to Him]."
The Quran calls Jews and Christians to the shared worship of the one God.
Quran, Surah Al-Ankaboot 29:46
۞ وَلَا تُجَٰدِلُوٓا۟ أَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ إِلَّا بِٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ ۖ وَقُولُوٓا۟ ءَامَنَّا بِٱلَّذِىٓ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَأُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ وَإِلَٰهُنَا وَإِلَٰهُكُمْ وَٰحِدٌۭ وَنَحْنُ لَهُۥ مُسْلِمُونَ ﴿٤٦﴾
And do not argue with the People of the Scripture except in a way that is best, except for those who commit injustice among them, and say, "We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you. And our God and your God is one; and we are Muslims [in submission] to Him."
Dialogue with them must be courteous.
Quran, Surah Al-Maaida 5:5
ٱلْيَوْمَ أُحِلَّ لَكُمُ ٱلطَّيِّبَٰتُ ۖ وَطَعَامُ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ حِلٌّۭ لَّكُمْ وَطَعَامُكُمْ حِلٌّۭ لَّهُمْ ۖ وَٱلْمُحْصَنَٰتُ مِنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنَٰتِ وَٱلْمُحْصَنَٰتُ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ إِذَآ ءَاتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ مُحْصِنِينَ غَيْرَ مُسَٰفِحِينَ وَلَا مُتَّخِذِىٓ أَخْدَانٍۢ ۗ وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِٱلْإِيمَٰنِ فَقَدْ حَبِطَ عَمَلُهُۥ وَهُوَ فِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ مِنَ ٱلْخَٰسِرِينَ ﴿٥﴾
This day [all] good foods have been made lawful, and the food of those who were given the Scripture is lawful for you and your food is lawful for them. And [lawful in marriage are] chaste women from among the believers and chaste women from among those who were given the Scripture before you, when you have given them their due compensation, desiring chastity, not unlawful sexual intercourse or taking [secret] lovers. And whoever denies the faith - his work has become worthless, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers.
Their food and chaste women are lawful for Muslims, within conditions.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Nikah, Fasl fi bayan al-muharramat. Marriage to a kitabiyya is allowed; the difference between Abu Hanifa and his students on the Sabians.
- Minhaj al-Talibin (Nawawi), Kitab al-Nikah, the chapter on whom one may not marry. The Shafi'i lineage conditions for the Jewish and Christian woman.
This answer is pending review by the scholars on our team. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.