Religious minorities are often seen as oppressed and vulnerable victims of brutal Muslim rulers.
And aren't they? Take a look at ISIS. Persecuting, killing, enslaving, and exiling religious groups based off differences of belief. They take the name of Islam and claim their actions
are inspired by its teachings. But this portrayal is far from accurate. The original laws of early Islamic civilizations actually resulted in generally tolerant societies. So what were
these laws? Religious minorities under Muslim rule were referred to as dhimmi, or the protected people. Short for ahl al-dhimma, it is often loosely defined as people of the book, but
it literally translates to those protected by God and his prophet. This meant that protecting non-Muslims was actually seen as a divine responsibility and not to be taken lightly.
Under Muslim rule, the state was required to protect religious minorities from both internal and external harm. Prophet Muhammad, may peace and blessings be upon him, said,
whoever wrongs a peaceful non-Muslim or infringes his rights, I will personally prosecute him on the day of judgment. Religious minorities also enjoyed legal and religious autonomy,
meaning they could practice their religion without interference. Essentially, the power of the Muslim state was dependent on providing two resources to its people, security and
justice. But there was a special tax on religious minorities under Muslim rule called the jizya. Non-Muslims were required to pay this poll tax in return for protection from the Muslim
state. Muslims were also required to pay a similar tax called the zakah. But there were certain legal bindings pertaining to the jizya. Firstly, the amount of jizya paid depended
on the economic status of the payee. The rich paid more, the poor paid less. Secondly, the jizya was only taxable on able-bodied men. It exempted them from military service and
protected them during war. Thirdly, the jizya did not have to be paid in gold or silver. The Muslim state recognized non-monetary payments to provide ease to the payee. Fourth, if the
state could not provide military protection to the non-Muslims, the law required the state to return the jizya back to them. And fifth, some people were actually exempt from paying
the jizya. The tax was not applicable to women, children, the elderly, the disabled, the poor, and monks. But where is there legal proof that non-Muslims under Muslim rule should
be treated humanely? There are three Islamic documents that set the foundation. When Prophet Muhammad first migrated to Medina, he contracted a treaty with the Jewish tribes called the
Charter of Medina. This treaty allowed the Jews to continue their lives without interference while obligating them to help defend the city if necessary. Ibn Qayyum, an imam and student
of knowledge, wrote Ahkam Ahl al-Dinma, or the Laws of the Pretended People. This massive legal text was a 2,000-page comprehensive encyclopedia on all the regulations pertaining
to religious minorities. Cited in the text is the Pact of Umar, our third document. This was a list of agreements between the second caliph Umar and the people of Syria promoting
Christian and Jewish self-government and legal autonomy, and requiring their support against enemies of the state when needed. At a time when Hellenistic societies actively persecuted
Christians and autonomous living was never an option, these Islamic laws were unique. There was never widespread systematic persecution of any religious group in the Islamic world.
Did instances of persecution still happen under Muslim rulers? Of course, without a doubt because ultimately, almost all those instances were rooted in the pursuit of power,
not in the principles of Islam. In essence, Islamic thought declared that the protection of the people, regardless of any difference, is a divine responsibility.
