Kitaab

Kitaab is an Arabic word (Arabic: كتاب) derived from the root k-t-b, meaning "writing." It refers to a book or bound text. The plural is kutub. In Somali, the word is a loanword used for both ordinary books and religious writings.

In religious usage, kitaab refers to the scriptures that God revealed to the prophets. When preceded by the definite article—Al-Kitaab—it most often means the Qur'an. Similarly, there are related phrases such as Ahlu-l-Kitaab, used for those who possess earlier scriptures that were revealed.

Linguistic meaning

The root k-t-b has given rise to many words: kataba (he wrote), kaatib (writer), maktab and maktaba (writing place or library). Kitaab is among the Arabic words that spread to other languages, including Persian, Turkish, Urdu, Swahili, and Somali. In many of these languages its meaning has narrowed to religious texts, whereas in Arabic it still carries a general meaning.

Revealed scriptures

Islamic doctrine holds belief in the scriptures of God. The scriptures named in the Qur'an include the Torah (Moses), the Gospel (Jesus), the Psalms (David), and the Qur'an (Muhammad). Also mentioned are scrolls associated with Abraham and Moses. Belief in these scriptures is counted as one of the six pillars of faith, as taught in standard Islamic scholarship among Sunni scholars.

Ahlu-l-Kitaab

The term Ahlu-l-Kitaab (People of the Book) appears in the Qur'an and conventionally refers to Jews and Christians. Islamic jurisprudence that developed applied specific rulings to this group, including matters related to marriage and slaughtered meat, as well as the jizya (poll tax) system in early Islamic states.