Jiziyah Tax

Is Jiziyah ‘الجزية’ (tax) oppressive?

Jiziyah is a fair and beautiful tax system.

There is no need to feel ashamed or apologetic about Islam. Don’t feel so defensive and insecure. Be proud of your faith. Don’t twist the truth. Just understand it properly.

What is Jiziyah?

It is a tax, paid in return for security, freedom to live & work in Muslim countries. It is similar to a modern work-visa, but much cheaper.

Who pays Jiziyah?

Jiziyah (tax) is only taken from MEN who are capable of fighting, not from women, children, elderly, etc.

Imam al-Qurtubi al-Maliki said:
هذا إجماع من العلماء على أن الجزية إنما توضع على جماجم الرجال الأحرار البالغين، وهم الذين يقاتلون دون النساء والذرية والعبيد والمجانين المغلوبين على عقولهم والشيخ الفاني
“There is a consensus amongst Islamic scholars that jizya is to be taken only from heads of free men past puberty, who are the ones fighting, but not from women, the children, the slaves, the insane, and the dying old.”
[“Jami li Ahkam al-Qur’an”, 8/72].

Ibn al-Mundhir al-Shafi’ii said:
وأجمعوا على أن لا تؤخذ من صبي، ولا من امرأة‏:‏ جزية‏.‏
“And (the scholars) agreed that Jizya is not to be taken from children nor from women.”
[“Kitab Al-Ijmaa”, no. 231].

So women pay 0% tax … totally exempt.

The POOR are also excluded, it only applies to rich men:

Al-Qadhy Abu Ya’la al-Hanbali said:
وتسقط الجزية عن الفقير وعن الشيخ وعن الزَمِن
“There is no jizya upon the poor, the old, and the chronically ill”.
[“Ahkam al-Sultaniyah”, p. 160].

Not only are they exempt from Jiziyah, the poor non-Muslims get State Benefits from the Muslim treasury.

Imam Ibn al-Qayyim said:
وقد تقدم أن عمر رضي الله عنه أجرى على السائل الذمي رزقه من بيت المال، فكيف يكلف أداء الجزية، وهو يرزق من بيت مال المسلمين؟
“The Caliph Omar allocated money to be given to a poor beggar (Jew) from among the ahl al-Dhimmah, and this was from the Muslim treasury. How can these type of people be expected to pay Jiziyah, while they themselves are depending on the Muslim treasury in terms of their income?”
[“Ahkam ahl al-Dhimmah”, 1/160].

How much is Jiziyah (tax)?

There is no fixed amount specified in the Qur’an and Sunnah, but throughout history, it ranged from 1 Dinar per year to 4 Dinar per year.

The Prophet charged the people of Dhimmah in Yemen 1 Dinar per year:

وَمِنْ كُلِّ حَالِمٍ – يَعْنِي مُحْتَلِمًا – دِينَارًا
“And ONE DINAR for every adult (unbeliever as a poll-tax).”
[“Abu Dawud”, 1576 – صحيح]
https://sunnah.com/abudawud:1576

So how much is a Dinar?

عَنْ عُرْوَةَ الْبَارِقِيِّ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَعْطَاهُ دِينَارًا يَشْتَرِي لَهُ شَاةً
It was narrated from ‘Urwah Al-Bariqi that the Prophet (ﷺ) gave him ONE DINAR to buy him a sheep …
[“Sunan Ibn Majah”, 2402 – صحيح].
https://sunnah.com/ibnmajah:2402

From this hadith we can know that a Dinar can be used to buy a sheep.

In the UK, you can buy a sheep for £200.

So the total Jiziyah would be like £200 per year – and women, children, elderly, and the poor are exempt.

Imagine paying £200 tax per year!

Just 1 sheep per year!! 🐑

If you compare it to a work-visa, in the UK – a work-visa costs about £1000 per year.

And if you compare it to income tax: the amount of income tax we pay in the West is substantially more than this – sometimes up to 40% of a person’s total income!!

If someone is willing to pay 40% tax in return for certain services & privileges, why is paying 1 Dinar a problem?

Granted, you get less back, but you also pay less.

I’m not implying that the little amount o Jiziyah gives back exactly what the modern tax system gives back. The jiziyah system does not include free NHS, infrastructure, etc….because Jiziyah is a very small amount of money – it’s 1 sheep – it cannot pay for all that.

You get what you pay for…. You pay more tax, you get more services.

The concept of paying tax in return for services is exactly the same.

BTW: it is not only the non-Muslim who pay tax – the eligible Muslims pay Zakat which is 2.5% of the surplus wealth of the Muslim. This can be substantially more than a sheep!

What do the non-Muslims get in return?

They get protection and freedom to live and work in Muslim lands according to the rules and customs of their own religion.

They can practice their religion in their own private environment (not publicly), such as drinking wine, eating pork, going to their churches, etc. [In contrast: the Muslim gets flogged if he/she drinks wine].

The Muslims are prohibited from harming them in any way, some jurists said that even verbal abuse against them is forbidden.

Ibn Humam al-Hanafi said:
وإذا أتلف المسلم خمر الذمي أو خنزيره ضمن قيمتهما
الخمر لهم كالخل لنا ، والخنزير لهم كالشاة لنا ، ونحن أمرنا بأن نتركهم
“If a Muslim damages the winestocks or pigs of a disbeliever living under covenant with us – the Muslim has to pay compensation for these damages. That is because wine for them is like vineger for us and pork for them is like lamb for us. We are commanded to leave them to their ways.”
[“Fath al-Qadir”, 9/358].

Not only are they exempt from military services, the Muslim armies will fight on their behalf, if anyone attacks them.

Imam al-Qarafi al-Maliki said:
حكى ابن حزم في مراتب الإجماع: أن من كان في الذمة، وجاء أهل الحرب إلى بلادنا يقصدونه، وجب علينا أن نخرج لقتالهم بالكراع والسلاح ونموت دون ذلك
“Ibn Hazm narrated in “maratib al-Ijmaa”, a consensus that the people who are ahl al-Dhimmah (pay jiziyah Tax), and other people enter our lands targeting them, then it becomes obligatory upon us to come out and fight them (in defence of the Dhimmis), even if we die doing so.”
[“Anwa al-Buruq”, 4/398].

It is an amazing system, and that is why millions of non-Muslims flocked to Muslim lands during our golden age, escaping oppression in their own lands. They found refuge and financial prosperity in our lands.

Many of them converted to Islam, seeing the mercy, justice and beauty in our religion.