Many enemies of Islam try to claim that the jizyah is a tax just because you are non-muslim, and this is far from correct. If we look at Muslims living in an Islamic country, they have to pay zakat, where 2.5% of their money is given to the state, which is then used for people who are poor or needy. Zakat is actually one of the pillars in Islam, and if a Muslim doesn’t pay their zakat, it is a major sin. Muslims and non-Muslims both benefit from zakat, so a disbeliever who is poor still has this benefit and would not be left without help. As for non-Muslims living in an Islamic country, they are not obligated to pay zakat. This is because Islam allows the people to have the right to practice their own religion, and one cannot be forced to follow Islam. Therefore, a religious obligation like zakat would not be forced on non-Muslims. Similarly, in times of war, Islam doesn’t force people who follow other religions to fight and defend the land, but Muslims would have to, as this is a religious obligation. Therefore, since these non-Muslims (Jizyah only applies to military-aged male combatants, not children, women, old men, poor people, etc.) are using the services of the Muslim government and are being protected, provided, and taken care of without having to fight and defend the country themselves, then they have to pay for it. This shows that the jizyah is actually such a merciful rule! Imagine only a specific group of non-Muslims who are able to fight but don’t have to fight only pay the jizyah, while the Muslims themselves not only have to fight, but also pay Zakat on a yearly-basis as well, which can be a lot more than the jizyah! This is why, when one looks in history, the Jews ran away from the Crusaders and went to Morocco and requested that they pay the jizyah so that the Muslims would protect them, while they would only pay a small fee and not have to fight at all.<\/p>\r\n
Therefore, the jizyah is a service fee, not a tax. If it was a non-Muslim tax, then non-Muslims would have to pay even if they don’t use the services of the country. But in an Islamic government, this is not how the jizyah works. It was only when the government is providing for the non-Muslims is when the jizyah would be applied. That is why in the authentic narration, when Khalid Ibn Walid RA, a companion of the Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him), couldn’t protect the non-Muslims from the Byzantines, he returned their jizyah. If this was a non-Muslim tax, he would have never done this. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) also explicitly told Muslims to treat those who pay the jizyah well, not cursing, belittling, or harming them. In fact, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said that if anyone hurts a Dhimmi (one who pays the jizyah, therefore, earning protection), then he shall be his adversary on The Day of Resurrection (Mishkat Al-Masabih 4047). Some might question The Verse in The Noble Quran where Allah Says (interpretation of meaning), “[fight] until they give the jizyah willingly while they are humbled” (Quran 9:29). If someone is rebellious to give their funds to the government that literally provides for them and protects them and their religion, then they should be prepared to give the government money, and either they can give it willingly, or they can leave; there is no third option. Moreover, this Verse is referring to the enemies of Islam who were at war with the Muslims, and Allah, in His infinite mercy, allowed them to stay and live under the Islamic state, despite them being in rebellion.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
In conclusion, one can see that this is a very simple concept, and every single government today uses some form of funding, but the double standard for Muslims is what brings up these types of questions.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
And Allah Knows best.<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"