...a kind of Christian. Al-Shafi'i stated this explicitly, and he suspended judgment regarding them in another place. It is narrated from Ahmad that he said: 'It has reached me that they observe the Sabbath.' Thus, they resemble the Jews. The correct view regarding them is that if they agree with the Christians or the Jews in the fundamentals of their religion and differ with them in the derivatives, then they are among those whom they agree with. If they differ from them in the fundamentals of the religion, then they are not of them. And Allah knows best. As for those other than these from among the disbelievers, such as one who holds fast to the scrolls of Abraham, Seth, or the Psalms of David, they are not People of the Book, and neither their intermarriage nor their slaughtered meat is lawful. This is the view of Al-Shafi'i. The Qadi mentioned another perspective regarding them, which is that they are of the People of the Book, their slaughtered meat is lawful, their women may be married, and they are permitted to pay the jizyah, because they hold fast to a book from the books of Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, so they resemble the Jews and the Christians. Our argument is the statement of the Almighty: 'Lest you say, "The Scripture was only sent down to two groups before us"' [Quran 6:156]. Also, those books were exhortations and parables and contained no rulings, so the status of books containing rulings is not established for them.

Section: The Magians (Majus) have no book, and neither their slaughtered meat nor the marriage of their women is lawful. Ahmad stated this explicitly. This is the view of the majority of scholars, except for Abu Thawr, who permitted that due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): 'Treat them according to the manner of the People of the Book.' And because it is narrated that Hudhayfah married a Magian woman. And because they are permitted to pay the jizyah, so they resemble the Jews and the Christians. Our argument is the saying of the Almighty: 'And do not marry polytheistic women' [Quran 2:221]. And His saying: 'And do not hold to marriage bonds with disbelieving women' [Quran 60:10]. He granted a concession for that only regarding the People of the Book, so those besides them remain under the general ruling, and it has not been established that the Magians have...