Religious Minorities Under Muslim Rule

Religious minorities are often depicted as oppressed and vulnerable victims of their Muslim rulers. This portrayal, however, is far from accurate. This brief paper seeks to reorient our understanding of the rights and responsibilities that religious minorities possessed under Muslim rule.

Religious minorities are often depicted as oppressed and vulnerable victims of their Muslim rulers. This portrayal, however, is far from accurate. Here we seek to understand the rights and responsibilities religious minorities possessed under Muslim rule.

The protected people

Religious minorities in the Muslim Empire were known as Ahl ul-Dhimmah or dhimmīs, which literally translates to the protected people.

ذِمَّيّ: Protected

The meaning of the word dhimmī is important because it demonstrates the significance of religious minorities, who are people who were to be protected on behalf of God and His Prophet — an immense responsibility.

Under Muslim rule, the State was required to protect religious minorities from both internal and external harm.
Dhimmīs were granted religious and legal autonomy meaning they could maintain their religious practices without interference.
The power of the Muslim state was dependent on their ability to provide two precious resources to their people: security and justice.

Historical foundations

The Charter of Medina

Prophet Muhammad, upon his arrival in Medina, contracted a treaty with the non-Muslims that essentially established rights and responsibilities between the various Muslim groups and the Jewish tribes.

Essentially: Allowed Jews to continue their lives without interference, while obligating them to help defend the city if necessary.

The Pact of ‘Umar

This historically impactful document is a list of agreements written up between Umar b. al-Khattab (ra) during his caliphate and the people of Syria.

Essentially: Promoted Christian and Jewish self-government and legal autonomy, while also requiring their support against enemies of the state when needed.

The jizyah – a discriminatory tax?

In return for protection by the Muslim State, religious minorities paid jizyah or poll-tax.
The tax can be considered similar to the zakah tax that Muslims are required to pay.
The amount of jizyah paid depends on the economic status of the payee — the poor pay less.
The jizyah is only taxable on able-bodied men who are fit enough to serve in the army.
To provide ease, payment does not need to be limited to gold or silver, but can be collected in the form of any non-monetary means.
Must be returned if the Muslim State cannot provide military protection to the dhimmīs.

Exempt from paying jizyah

Women
Children
Elderly
Disabled
Poor
Monks

Conclusion

The rights and responsibilities of religious minorities, as we have seen, are not always a simple matter. Throughout history there have been diverse scholarly opinions on the laws regarding relationships between Muslims and non-Muslims; however, the manifestations of these regulations were dependent on the judgment of the ruler in his respective political, economic, and social milieu. The dhimmī paradigm that was established at an early stage of Islamic civilization was consequently flexible in nature, and has generally resulted in tolerant societies.

From the article: Religious Minorities under Muslim Rule at yaqeeninstitute.org