Bara'at Surah Tafsir by Martyred Supreme Leader, Shahid Ali Khamenei, Verse 29

Verse 29

قَاتِلُوا الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَلَا بِالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَلَا يُحَرِّمُونَ مَا حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَلَا يَدِينُونَ دِينَ الْحَقِّ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ حَتَّىٰ يُعْطُوا الْجِزْيَةَ عَنْ يَدٍ وَهُمْ صَاغِرُونَ

Fight those who do not have faith in Allah nor [believe] in the Last Day, nor forbid what Allah and His Apostle have forbidden, nor practice the true religion, from among those who were given the Book, until they pay the tribute out of hand, degraded

As mentioned at the beginning of the commentary, some of the verses of this Surah are about the stance of Muslims against the infidels and polytheists. This verse begins

are a collection of verses that express the stance of Muslims against the People of the Book (Christians) and their stance against Islam. Of course, according to some narrations, the Magians are also among the People of the Book[1]

In this verse, the ruling on fighting the People of the Book is expressed in a different way from fighting the polytheists. In the following verses, topics such as the philosophy of fighting the People of the Book, the social aspect and the devotion of the People of the Book to the religious leaders of the Jews and Christians, the philosophy of the emergence of Islam, and other matters concerning the People of the Book are discussed. Of the total of seven verses revealed on this subject, the first verse, the ruling and the following verses are the statement of the ruling, its significance and its meaning. Some commentators have said that the verse is the basis for the Battle of Tabuk. Although this may be true, there is a gap between the revelation of this verse and the Battle of Tabuk was two years away. In justification of this view, it can be said that although the Battle of Tabuk did not take place after the revelation of this verse, since this was the first war of the Muslims against the Roman Empire and the Christians, the Islamic army needed to strengthen its morale and readiness. “Fight those who do not believe in Allah and the Last Day and do not forbid what Allah and His Messenger have forbidden, and do not refrain from it. In the Islamic society, like in any other society, there are laws and limits. There are rules that all members of society are obligated to observe; including the prohibition of certain social relationships and behaviors. The inclusion of the verse regarding the prohibitions of the People of the Book themselves is clear, and it is necessary for them to observe what is forbidden in their religion; but in the subject of the verse regarding the prohibitions of the Islamic religion, for the People of the Book who do not believe in Islam and naturally do not consider its prohibitions as forbidden, it should be said that everything that is forbidden and forbidden in the Islamic society, such as drinking alcohol, is also forbidden for Jews and Christians. And this prohibition is natural; because when the Islamic society accepted foreigners within itself and gave them all the privileges of freedom and the enjoyment of the benefits of that government, expecting them to observe the limits of the Islamic society is not bullying, but a completely rational matter and in accordance with the customs and good of that country. Therefore, the People of the Book should not do anything against the regulations and prohibitions of the Islamic society and should respect the laws of the Islamic country, and this is one of the conditions of the People of the Book and the dhimmis

The reason for fighting with the People of the Book

Since belief in God and the Day of Judgment is the indisputable principle of all divine religions, it cannot be said that the meaning of the verse is that the People of the Book are those who do not believe in the principle of belief in God and the Day of Judgment. Rather, it should be said that the meaning is to fight the People of the Book, because in their belief in monotheism and resurrection, there is falsehood and Superstition has taken hold and they believe in a superstitious god, not Allah. The God of the Jews is Yahweh, who is from the tribe of the Israelites and is their friend and does not love anyone other than the Israelites at all. Their god believes in class and racial differences; therefore, their monotheism is very different from the pure Islamic monotheism that is mentioned in Surah At-Tawheed and other verses. The Quran has been presented. And they do not know the true religion, the true religion, the correct religion, and the religion that is in accordance with nature

ولا یدینون دین الحق

And they did not accept the honor of creation and do not accept it and do not bow to it. This verse indicates the main reason for the front and the fight with the People of the Book. The verse says that they do not have the right religion and do not accept the religion of Islam, which is in accordance with the honor of creation and in accordance with the nature and truth of the universe, and do not pay attention to the guidance of Islam, which came as a compassionate physician to treat humanity; for this reason, they must be fought.

The verse then introduces them and says that they are those who were given the Book; whether from the Jews, the Christians, the Jews, or any religion that is based on the heavenly religion: “Among those who were given the Book

من الذین اوتوالکتاب

حتی یعطوا الجزیة

Until they pay the jizyah. This verse indicates the limit of war against the People of the Book; that is, war against them should continue until they pay the jizyah. Therefore, the ruling on fighting against the People of the Book is different from fighting against the polytheists. The jizyah is from the word “jizyah” which means “reward” and it is the money that the infidels, the Jews and the Christians, must pay in exchange for enjoying security, peace and other benefits of the Islamic society

Jiziyah philosophy

In explaining the philosophy of the jizyah, it should be said that in those savage times, when bloodshed was the pretext for power and conquest, and when the commotion of the hordes of savage tribes had arisen, the light of Islam dawned, dispelling the darkness of society and spreading the shadow of justice and fairness, so that comfort and security became widespread, and this is something that has not been achieved anywhere other than Islam

It was as if when the news reached that Muawiyah's savage troops had entered the houses of some dhimmis women during the reign of Imam Ali (a.s.), Imam Ali (a.s.) said: "If someone dies because of it, he deserves it."[2]

In such a society, where the Islamic government is obligated to protect the lives and property of its citizens against any form of harm or aggression, the payment of a modest sum as *jizyah*—which serves, in effect, as a small contribution in exchange for the enjoyment of the comfort, security, and amenities provided by the Islamic society—constitutes only a minor part of one's obligations

On the other hand, we see that Muslims in this society have higher obligations; including paying financial rights such as khums and zakat, as well as the obligation to participate in the battlefields and all defense matters, while the dhimmis are free from such obligations and their responsibility is far less than the responsibility of the sultans towards the Islamic society. Therefore, the jizyah is not only a just ruling, but also an order with Islamic compassion and mercy. With this statement, it becomes clear that the statement of some orientalists that in the Islamic society, taxes were only the responsibility of the dhimmis is biased

The amount of the Jizyah

Historical accounts differ on the amount of the jizyah. Of course, many historians and orientalists have been biased in stating this amount

The Islamic jizyah was approximately an average of ten dirhams per year, which only healthy and fit men who were able to fight had to pay, and women, children, the insane, and the elderly were exempt from paying the jizyah.

This is while in Iran, the tax that was collected only from the poor classes before Islam was much higher than this amount and the upper classes were exempt from paying it; but Islam collected a little less than that from the general public

The same classes were taking, which helped to heal the lower classes. Let them pay the jizyah themselves, most of the second class

The following possibilities have been put forward in the meaning of "عن بده": First, that the People of the Book will pay the jizyah with their own hands. Second, that it means "عن قدرة لكم"; that is, that they will pay you jizyah because you have the power. But another meaning that seems to be more in line with the reality than the second meaning is that "عن قدرة لكم" means that they will pay you jizyah as much as they have the ability and power; no less, and more than a few narrations also confirm this meaning.[3]

And they are humble; They should pay the jizyah while they are submissive and small to the law and obedient and submissive to your command. There has been a mistake in the meaning of the word "saghir" which has also been the source of rulings in jurisprudential books. Some have thought that the meaning of "saghir" implies humiliation and humiliation and have concluded that a dhimmi should suffer humiliation and humiliation when paying the jizyah, for example, he should pay the jizyah with his neck bent and when receiving the jizyah from him, he should be beaten on the head or have his hair pulled out, which is an incorrect understanding, because the word "saghir" does not convey the concept of humiliation

A lowly person is someone who accepts a low and inferior status for themselves; for example, someone who can study and reach high positions, if not studying means that one is content with a low status. It is a matter of humiliation, humiliation, and disrespect

This means that anyone who does not accept Islam and is not willing to benefit from the guidance of Islam will not be one with Muslims and will not have their dignity and status. Therefore, he must submit to the ruler of the Islamic society and his decree by paying the jizyah and pay the jizyah and compensation in return for using the services of the Islamic society. In addition, it should be known that the glory of the Islamic society lies in the strength of its foundations, the practicality of its decrees, and the existence of spiritual and social executive guarantees; not in arrogance and domination. The Quran has explicitly forbidden arrogance and disregard for people: And do not make your cheek proud of people.[4] And the conduct of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) also shows respect for the human dignity of people. Man is respected in the eyes of Islam, and for this reason, it accepted the People of the Book into its embrace and knew that it attracts people to itself and requires good behavior. Perhaps the source of such a mistake in the fatwas of the scholars was the actions of the Abbasid rulers who were not familiar with Islam, and this behavior was considered an Islamic command

The Hadith Discussion on the Jizyah

We have already mentioned that regarding the jizyah and its limits, there are narrations that can be used to determine the amount and quality of jizyah. Among these, there are narrations that are questionable; one of them is a narration in which the word "dignified" is mentioned and its chain of transmission is also reliable; but since this narration contains a statement that is in line with the spirit of Islamic teachings and the practice of the great ones, has contradictions, it cannot be accepted, and there is no problem in saying that it was not transmitted from the infallible; but since it is a scientific discussion, the narration

We will transmit to you the words of Zurarah, who said: I said to Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him): What is the limit of the jizyah on the People of the Book, and is there anything specific that they are obligated to pay that they should not deviate from? He said: That is up to the Imam[5] to take from each of them what he wants according to his wealth and what he can afford. They are a people who ransomed themselves from being enslaved or killed, so the jizyah is taken from them according to what they can afford for him to take from them until they submit. For God, Blessed and Exalted is He, said: “Until they pay the jizyah willingly while they are humbled.” And how can he be humbled if he does not care about what is taken from him? Until he finds humiliation for what was taken from him, in you therefore, he will submit[6]

The narrator says that the Jizyah should be collected from the People of the Book, and the Jizyah is in the hands of the Imam and the ruler of the Islamic community. Up to this point, there is no objection to the narration; but in the last sentence, he says that the Jizyah should be collected from them so that they become sad and distressed and are forced to become Muslims. We do not consider this passage to be in accordance with Islamic teachings; because Islam that is obtained with hot silver has no value. Islam means submission to God; not slavery like a prisoner of war. Islam means the development of the soul of you and me with Islamic teachings and the implementation of its regulations. It is a valuable and desirable submission that is done with knowledge, willingness, and willingness. What Islam seeks is the development of spirituality and morality in society; not just the abundance of Muslims individuals and the mere expansion of the geographical borders of Islam Unfortunately, in the early days of Islam, the borders of Islamic countries receded and it developed but Islamic thought did not spread. What is the value of having a thousand people with Islamic ID cards in the other world but no news of Islamic thought and thought! Therefore, it is very unlikely that the ruling on the jizyah is to convert the People of the Book to Islam; and that too with humiliation and the lawgiver extorts money from the People of the Book through pressure and humiliation so that Muslims can become Muslims: After the bright light of Islam has reached everywhere and the obstacles to the spread of Islam have been removed through effort and struggle, and people have understood the greatness and importance of the religion of Islam, there is no reason for non-Muslims to be reluctant to accept Islam

The practice of Muslims in the early days of Islam, as well as the practice of Islamic governments, testifies that there was no compulsion or coercion for Jews and Christians to convert to Islam, otherwise so many Jews and Christians would not have remained within the Islamic community. As a result, there is no problem with a Jewish person living next door to the house of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) who pays the jizyah and abides by Islamic regulations

Islam is like a healing and saving medicine. When the sick of the world is informed about the existence of such medicine and the obstacles to its use are removed and it becomes available, Islam does not force them to accept it, because they can benefit from this medicine or deprive themselves of its blessings.

The proof of this is that even the rulers of the Umayyads and Abbasids, who committed all kinds of oppression, did not force the People of the Book to accept Islam; therefore, many Christians, Jews, and Magians were present in the society of islam lived according to its own beliefs. Now, considering these points, how can one accept that the Imam would order to collect so much jizyah from the people of Dhimmi that they would accept Islam out of necessity and pain

Therefore, it seems that this narration, despite having a good chain of transmission, is one of those narrations that must be returned to its people

[7]یجب ردها الی اهلها

 because it is apparently against the Quran. In another narration, a narrator from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said about the amount of tax: According to a special agreement, the amount of the tax was twice the usual amount, instead of the tax, which did not come from the case of the tax and can be used, the amount of the tax and its authority were overpowered" by the Christians. In this narration, the word "humiliation" is used in It has been given to the People of the Book themselves. Ibn Muslim said, “I said to Abu Abdullah, peace be upon him: ‘Have you seen what they takes from this fifth of the land of the jizyah, and what he takes from the landowners as a jizyah for their heads? Is there anything assigned to them in that?’” He said: They were obligated to pay what they had agreed upon themselves, and the Imam has no right to more than the jizyah. If the Imam wishes, he may impose it on their heads, and nothing on their wealth, or if he wishes, it may be imposed on their wealth, and nothing on their heads. I said: So this is the fifth? He said: This is something that the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) agreed upon with them[8]

It is said that the second caliph had made a special agreement with the Christians of Taghlib that they would pay double the tax, which was one dirham, and not pay jizyah in return. According to this narration, the amount of jizyah collected from the People of the Book varied. Some of them received khums of land income as jizyah, while others received Khums from the peasants who were landowners, according to the number of people they had per capita

This discrepancy in the amount of jizyah that Umar had invented, leads the narrator to ask whether there was no specific limit set for jizyah? The Imam replied that the amount that the Imam agreed upon with the People of the Book was it is a tax that the People of the Book must pay, and the Imam can take from them a certain number of their people or a certain amount of their property, as they determine

According to the expression, if the Imam wishes, he places that on their heads and nothing on their wealth, and if he wishes, it is on their wealth and nothing on their heads and shares. The Imam informs that the jizyaا is levied on the wealth or on the heads of individuals

The two are different. Per capita means that each person pays a certain amount, and "jizyah" means

It is upon the property owners to pay a certain percentage of their wealth as jizyah. In the expression “what they did not allow upon themselves”, there are two possibilities, either of which can be used

It is used to say that it is up to the People of the Book to determine the amount of the jizyah themselves. The first possibility is that it means that what they consider to be permissible and permissible for themselves pay jizyah. The second possibility is the same meaning as jizyah

Since jizyah means compensation, the Imams want to say that they should pay this compensation in the same amount as they would pay for a certain compensation for themselves

In this narration, the narrator asks, "So what is this one-fifth that you have given instead of On what basis do they collect jizyah? In response, the Imam attributed this to the reconciliation of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him and his family) with the People of the Book and considered the basis of Umar's action to be on that basis, although some may have misinterpreted this narration. they have given support

In any case, in this narration, a word that contains the meaning of humiliation has not been used. In addition, the amount of the jizyah is in the hands of the People of the Book themselves. Therefore, what has been reported in some jurisprudential books regarding the quality of taking jizyah from the People of the Book, in addition to not being derived from the verse, is also considered with human respect in the Quran and Islam are contradictory, and we cannot follow orders that contradict the Quran

Let us act according to the actions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him and his family). Perhaps the doubt may arise in our minds that this easy ruling is for the People of the Book

How can the Quranic command

أَشِدَّاءُ عَلَى الْكُفَّار

be combined

In response, it should be said that the verse أَشِدَّاءُ عَلَى الْكُفَّارِ

refers to the battlefield, where there is no mercy and the infidels are forced to break their pact because of that or because they have no flexibility with the Muslims. they pick it up along the way. Of course, the first possibility is better

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