The Just and Protective System of Jizyah in Islam
Before the advent of Islam, jizyah was imposed as a tool of oppression and exploitation upon conquered nations. Dominant powers used it as a means of humiliating the subdued, exerting psychological pressure, and gaining control over their wealth and honor. The primary aim was vengeance and the expression of hostility.
Islam implemented jizyah based on principles of justice, protection, and equality. Through this system, the beliefs, properties, and dignity of non-Muslims were safeguarded. Conquered nations were granted equal civic rights as Muslims, and the responsibility of protecting their lives and wealth fell upon the Islamic government.
Hazrat Khalid ibn al-Walid (رضي الله عنه) once stated in a treaty:
“If we protect you, then we have the right to take jizyah from you; otherwise, we do not.”
(Tārīkh al-Balādhurī)
Muslim treaties took special care to uphold the rights of non-Muslim subjects. When Muslims faced difficulty in protecting the people of Homs, Hazrat Khalid ibn al-Walid (رضي الله عنه) returned their jizyah. Similarly, Hazrat Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah (رضي الله عنه) refunded the jizyah to the people of Damascus.
These events clearly indicate that jizyah was taken solely in exchange for protection.
Islam ensured that jizyah was set at a reasonable and bearable rate, comprising three tiers:
① Wealthy individuals: 48 dirhams annually
② Middle-class persons (traders/farmers): 24 dirhams annually
③ Low-income earners (laborers): 12 dirhams annually
These were minimal amounts, and if someone lacked the capacity to pay, jizyah was waived.
A wealthy Muslim pays 2.5% of his wealth as Zakat, which far exceeds the jizyah amount. For example, if a Muslim owns one million dirhams, he must pay 25,000 dirhams in Zakat. Meanwhile, a non-Muslim with the same wealth would pay only 48 dirhams annually as jizyah.
Islam mandated jizyah only upon those able to afford it. The following individuals were exempted:
✔ The poor and destitute
✔ Children, women, and the elderly
✔ The sick and disabled
✔ Religious monks
Hazrat Khalid ibn al-Walid (رضي الله عنه) clarified in a treaty that jizyah would be taken only from those engaged in earning, and their protection would be the responsibility of the Islamic government.
(Al-Balādhurī)
Islam exempted dhimmis (non-Muslim subjects) from military service, as it would be unjust to compel those who do not adhere to Islamic beliefs to fight in Islamic wars.
If a dhimmi voluntarily joined the Muslim army, their jizyah would be waived.
Islam not only granted dhimmis the right to live with dignity but also took responsibility for the welfare of their poor and ill. Hazrat Umar (رضي الله عنه) set a precedent by allocating a stipend from the Bayt al-Mal (Public Treasury) for an elderly Jewish man.
(Kitāb al-Kharāj by Imām Abū Yūsuf)
In Islam, jizyah is imposed only on those who take part in warfare against Muslims. Islam neither mandates nor supports the imposition of jizyah on peaceful non-Muslim citizens, and this aligns well with the structure of modern state systems.
Islam transformed jizyah from a tool of oppression to a system of justice, serving not only to protect the rights of conquered peoples but also to ensure their welfare and security.
✦ Nature of Jizyah Before Islam
Before the advent of Islam, jizyah was imposed as a tool of oppression and exploitation upon conquered nations. Dominant powers used it as a means of humiliating the subdued, exerting psychological pressure, and gaining control over their wealth and honor. The primary aim was vengeance and the expression of hostility.
✦ The Reality of Jizyah in Islam
Islam implemented jizyah based on principles of justice, protection, and equality. Through this system, the beliefs, properties, and dignity of non-Muslims were safeguarded. Conquered nations were granted equal civic rights as Muslims, and the responsibility of protecting their lives and wealth fell upon the Islamic government.
Hazrat Khalid ibn al-Walid (رضي الله عنه) once stated in a treaty:
“If we protect you, then we have the right to take jizyah from you; otherwise, we do not.”
(Tārīkh al-Balādhurī)
✦ Historical Evidence and Conduct of Muslim Conquerors
Muslim treaties took special care to uphold the rights of non-Muslim subjects. When Muslims faced difficulty in protecting the people of Homs, Hazrat Khalid ibn al-Walid (رضي الله عنه) returned their jizyah. Similarly, Hazrat Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah (رضي الله عنه) refunded the jizyah to the people of Damascus.
These events clearly indicate that jizyah was taken solely in exchange for protection.
✦ The Structure and Amount of Jizyah in Islam
Islam ensured that jizyah was set at a reasonable and bearable rate, comprising three tiers:
① Wealthy individuals: 48 dirhams annually
② Middle-class persons (traders/farmers): 24 dirhams annually
③ Low-income earners (laborers): 12 dirhams annually
These were minimal amounts, and if someone lacked the capacity to pay, jizyah was waived.
✦ Comparison Between Zakat and Jizyah
A wealthy Muslim pays 2.5% of his wealth as Zakat, which far exceeds the jizyah amount. For example, if a Muslim owns one million dirhams, he must pay 25,000 dirhams in Zakat. Meanwhile, a non-Muslim with the same wealth would pay only 48 dirhams annually as jizyah.
✦ Categories Exempted from Jizyah
Islam mandated jizyah only upon those able to afford it. The following individuals were exempted:
✔ The poor and destitute
✔ Children, women, and the elderly
✔ The sick and disabled
✔ Religious monks
Hazrat Khalid ibn al-Walid (رضي الله عنه) clarified in a treaty that jizyah would be taken only from those engaged in earning, and their protection would be the responsibility of the Islamic government.
(Al-Balādhurī)
✦ Jizyah as Exemption from Military Service
Islam exempted dhimmis (non-Muslim subjects) from military service, as it would be unjust to compel those who do not adhere to Islamic beliefs to fight in Islamic wars.
If a dhimmi voluntarily joined the Muslim army, their jizyah would be waived.
✦ Protection of Dhimmi Rights
Islam not only granted dhimmis the right to live with dignity but also took responsibility for the welfare of their poor and ill. Hazrat Umar (رضي الله عنه) set a precedent by allocating a stipend from the Bayt al-Mal (Public Treasury) for an elderly Jewish man.
(Kitāb al-Kharāj by Imām Abū Yūsuf)
✦ Islamic Jizyah Principles and the Modern State System
In Islam, jizyah is imposed only on those who take part in warfare against Muslims. Islam neither mandates nor supports the imposition of jizyah on peaceful non-Muslim citizens, and this aligns well with the structure of modern state systems.
❖ Conclusion
Islam transformed jizyah from a tool of oppression to a system of justice, serving not only to protect the rights of conquered peoples but also to ensure their welfare and security.
