Narrating the sayings of the people of the book

Narrated AbuNamlah al-Ansari:

When he was sitting with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and a Jew was also with him, a funeral passed by him. He (the Jew) asked (Him): Muhammad, does this funeral speak? The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Allah has more knowledge. The Jew said: It speaks. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Whatever the people of the Book tell you, do not verify them, nor falsify them, but say: We believe in Allah and His Messenger. If it is false, do not confirm it, and if it is right, do not falsify it.

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ الْمَرْوَزِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، أَخْبَرَنِي ابْنُ أَبِي نَمْلَةَ الأَنْصَارِيُّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، أَنَّهُ بَيْنَمَا هُوَ جَالِسٌ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَعِنْدَهُ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْيَهُودِ مُرَّ بِجَنَازَةٍ فَقَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ هَلْ تَتَكَلَّمُ هَذِهِ الْجَنَازَةُ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ الْيَهُودِيُّ إِنَّهَا تَتَكَلَّمُ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ مَا حَدَّثَكُمْ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ فَلاَ تُصَدِّقُوهُمْ وَلاَ تُكَذِّبُوهُمْ وَقُولُوا آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ فَإِنْ كَانَ بَاطِلاً لَمْ تُصَدِّقُوهُ وَإِنْ كَانَ حَقًّا لَمْ تُكَذِّبُوهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Narrated Zayd ibn Thabit:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) ordered me (to learn the writing of the Jews), so I learnt for him the writing of the Jews. He said: I swear by Allah, I do not trust Jews in respect of writing for me. So I learnt it, and only a fortnight passed before I mastered it. I would write for him when he wrote (to them), and read to him when something was written to him.

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ يُونُسَ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ خَارِجَةَ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ - قَالَ قَالَ زَيْدُ بْنُ ثَابِتٍ أَمَرَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَتَعَلَّمْتُ لَهُ كِتَابَ يَهُودَ وَقَالَ ‏

‏ إِنِّي وَاللَّهِ مَا آمَنُ يَهُودَ عَلَى كِتَابِي ‏

‏ ‏.‏ فَتَعَلَّمْتُهُ فَلَمْ يَمُرَّ بِي إِلاَّ نِصْفُ شَهْرٍ حَتَّى حَذَقْتُهُ فَكُنْتُ أَكْتُبُ لَهُ إِذَا كَتَبَ وَأَقْرَأُ لَهُ إِذَا كُتِبَ إِلَيْهِ ‏.‏