Oh no!! Those who say they believe in one God are going to conquer the west and force them to pay the Jizya so they won’t have to fight in their wars!
Actually I really only hear the first half of that sentence, but I see and hear it a lot. Jizya-phobia comes from one sentence in the Quran. People are too busy or too scared to read the rest of the words. Those who understand this Jizya get a kick out of the fear that one little sentence causes.
The word ‘jizya’ is only mentioned once in the Quran, that’s how important it is. And as it never makes sense to take one sentence and build a case upon it, I’m going to start with the verse that precedes the scary word. Verse 9.28
PICKTHAL 9.28: O ye who believe! The idolaters only are unclean. So let them not come near the Inviolable Place of Worship after this their year. If ye fear poverty Allah shall preserve you of His bounty if He will. Lo! Allah is Knower, Wise.
Notice that this verse is speaking of unwashed idolaters not being allowed into the mosque? And the word; after this their year? The story is about what was going on in that time.
Next verse…
PICKTHAL: 9:29 Fight against such of those who have been given the Scripture as believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, and forbid not that which Allah hath forbidden by His messenger, and follow not the Religion of Truth, until they pay the tribute readily, being brought low
Not everyone who was given the scripture, followed it. The religion of truth is the belief in ONE God (Allah, if you speak Arabic) Tribute is the same as Jizya and some consider Jizya to be charity.
Here is Ali’s version of the same verse. This is the one that freaks some people out.
Not everyone who was given the scripture, followed it. The religion of truth is the belief in ONE God (Allah, if you speak Arabic) Tribute is the same as Jizya and some consider Jizya to be charity.
Here is Ali’s version of the same verse. This is the one that freaks some people out.
9:29 (Y. Ali) Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued
But Ali add quite a bit to this verse. The following is the actual Arabic translation.
But Ali add quite a bit to this verse. The following is the actual Arabic translation.
“fight those who do not believe in God, nor in the Day of Judgment, nor do they forbid what has been forbidden by God and his messenger, nor condemn the religion of the right of those who received the book, until they pay the tribute from the hands of they subdued”
That’s the actual translation. Subdued meant they stopped fighting and ripping off the believers and nothing is said about subduing the book people.
This next verse shows how the desert Jews and Christians distorted the Torah and the Gospel.
That’s the actual translation. Subdued meant they stopped fighting and ripping off the believers and nothing is said about subduing the book people.
This next verse shows how the desert Jews and Christians distorted the Torah and the Gospel.
9:30 (Y. Ali) The Jews call 'Uzair a son of Allah, and the Christians call Christ the son of Allah. That is a saying from their mouth; (in this) they but imitate what the unbelievers of old used to say. Allah's curse be on them: how they are deluded away from the Truth!
Do you know any Jew who believes that Ezra/Uzair was the son of G-d? Probably not, but you would heard the stories if you lived in the 7th century Arabian desert. Also, Christ was not the name of Jesus. His name isn’t mentioned in anyone’s version. And if you read Josephius, you’d find there were many who thought they were the messiah. According to the Quran, Jesus IS from God and was resurrected to God just as the Gospel says.
There you have it. That’s the only time Jizya is mentioned…and no punishment for not following this ‘advice-guidance’ which is probably why no one pays it today.
Many believe the companions of Muhammad were the only blood thirsty humans in the Arabian Desert. This is not true. No village escaped the roaming gangs. If you wanted your village safe, you have to protect it. Not everyone wanted to fight a battle, they didn’t mind if others did the fighting.
The plan was, to create diverse societies that all lived in harmony but also joined up to fight off bad guys. But the pagans, the mis-informed Jews and Christians(and sometimes Muslims) did not want to fight, they’d just leave. New rule. If you want to live with the Muslims but didn’t convert, you paid protection tax so you wouldn’t have to fight.
Being subdued and brought low does not mean captured slaves. These people could come and go as they pleased. But if they chose to stay, they paid Jizya. If you look back on the Hadith you won’t find people trying to leave the lands of Jizya as many liked the new rules.
And not everyone had to pay Jizya, just men. Women, children, the old, the sick, slaves, monks, hermits and the poor were all exempt unless they were rich. And they didn’t have to contribute to charity.
The Quran was the new rules and you had to behave. Certain behaviors would no longer be tolerated. You better wear clothes when you’re outside and no masturbating in public. There were lots of new rules.
And what about Hadith, what does it say about jizya? Well hadith only mentions the word ‘jizya’ 5 or 6 times. Not a lot considering that there are over half a million Hadith/stories/tales/narrations. These are from Muslim, Buky and Dawud.
Muhammad commanded his military leaders to demand jizya from non-Muslims if they refused to accept Islam, and to fight them if they refused to pay.
They’re all dead now
They’re all dead now
Muhammad collected jizya from the people of Bahrain after his companions and such beat them in battle and had come to a peace treaty and he gave them this advice, not to become so greedy that you compete against yourselves for money.
And no one was pissed off.
And no one was pissed off.
The King of Aila sent a white mule and a sheet for wearing to the Prophet as a present, and wrote to the Prophet that his people would stay in their place and will pay jizya taxation.
"Let one of you talk to me!" Al-Mughira replied, "Ask whatever you wish." The other asked, "Who are you?" Al-Mughira replied, "We are some people from the Arabs; we led a hard, miserable, disastrous life: we used to suck the hides and the date stones from hunger; we used to wear clothes made up of fur of camels and hair of goats, and to worship trees and stones.
I don’t think many appreciate how bad it was, the Hadith is a good history, but they make for a terrible religion.
Allah's Apostle said, "By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, son of Mary (Jesus) will shortly descend amongst you people as a just ruler and will break the Cross and kill the pig and abolish the jizya (a tax taken from the non-Muslims, who are in the protection, of the Muslim government). Then there will be abundance of money and no-body will accept charitable gifts.
I guess Jesus came back and no one noticed….not one of the 57 Muslim countries charge Jizya.
Turkey was the last to charge the Jizya. I guess the fewer wars, the less the need of Jizya. Because that was the whole point of Jizya, it’s like a war tax.
To conclude, Jizya is only charged to non believing men. They can keep their religious beliefs and their lands, they do not have to pay any other tax and they do not need to give in charity or fight any of the wars. These men do have to follow the rules of the land, they can leave.
And there’s your Jizya!