Jizyah as a section of the Islamic Shariah, or Islamic law, has long been a source of great controversy and largely misinterpreted by those of poor Islamic knowledge or no knowledge at all …
Jizyah is a tax prescribed and levied on non-Muslim citizens in an Islamic State, those who meet certain criteria set and strictly clarified in the Islamic teachings.
Jizyah as a section of the Islamic Shariah, or Islamic law, has long been a source of great controversy and largely misinterpreted by those of poor Islamic knowledge or no knowledge at all which fed and asserted much misconception about Islam.
Among the serious misconception about Jizyah is that it’s a living proof of Islam’s ”intolerance of Non-Muslims and discrimination against them”.
Nothing can be more faulty and erroneous than such interpretation.
Jizyah is a tax imposed on Non-Muslims, as a method of ensuring equality with Muslims who pay Zakah money on a yearly basis. It’s also ordained upon Non-Muslims in return for the protection the Muslim government and army of the Muslim state in which they’re living offer them during times of war.
Jizyah, sometimes also called Sadaqah, is almost equal to the Zakah money that’s obliged on every able and adult Muslim who meets that criteria of Zakah payer.
It’s a proof of equality between Muslims and Non-Muslims and not the opposite as some claim by spreading faulty and misleading interpretation of that item of law in the Islamic Shariah.
There are many incidents in the History of Islam that proof and explain the origin and truthful spirit of Jizyah that’s not related in any way to the bigotry claims spread by some about it being a proof of discrimination against Non-Muslims.
= Who is exempted from paying Jizyah?
– Women and children
– The Blind, handicapped and old men
– The poor, needy and mad-men
– Non-Muslim who voluntarily chose to join the Muslim army to defend the country.
– If the Islamic state fails to protect its non-Muslim subjects, then they are exempted from paying the tax. (Look up additional criteria of those exempted from paying Jizyah- also try to look up the criteria of those exempted from paying Zakah and compare the two, you’d find them largely similar)
Do your own research and uncover more levels of wisdom and moral of the Jizyah among other sections of the Shariah law that have long been subject to huge misinterpretation and heresy. Do not be a victim of spreading misconceptions, you have no reason to.
Wassalaam,
The Muslim Tribune Staff Writers
