Looking at other faiths.

format_quote Originally Posted by ameerkam

Salaam.

Without studying/reading the books can you research about other faiths or get in a dialogue with (say a Christian) about how they view things but not exactly studying the texts.
Would that be permissible?


Jazzakallahu Khair

You would only hear what they have to say without knowing whether what they tell you is actually what the law book they profess to follow dictates, or simply their own personal opinion or an outright lie.
The only basis on which you can then correct any wrong opinions is by using plain logical reasoning - which may or may not include what the book/books which you claim to follow say/says.

The benefit of knowing the basis of someone else's position after becoming well grounded in what you believe to be the truth is that you can also draw reasoning from what they claim to respect in order to confirm the truth, or to refute any possible ignorant claims of the person, or even to refute the position of their basis so as to come upon common terms on the truth.




وَمِنْهُمْ أُمِّيُّونَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ إِلَّآ أَمَانِىَّ وَإِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَظُنُّونَ

And there are among them illiterates, who know not the Book, but (see therein their own) desires, and they do nothing but conjecture.

Quran, Al-Baqarah 2:78


The most important thing is to be well grounded in Quran and also in important ahadith so that you are learned and have a strong foundation - since a weak mass which collides with another weak mass stronger than itself crumples more than the other mass and can disintegrate.