Muslims are Permitted to Receive Tribute from Followers of the Quran

Only verse 29 of Repentance is revealed in respect to Bani Ghoraizeh and Bani Nozair tribes, in which Moslems are permitted to receive tribute from Followers of the Book. Hereunder we will mention translation and interpretation of this verse in summary:

Fight those who believe not in God and the Last Day and do not forbid what God and His Messenger have forbidden such men as practice not the religion of truth, being of those who have been given the Book until they pay the tribute out of hand and have been humbled.

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In this verse, Islam has considered a series of regulations between Moslems and Polytheists, because Followers of The Book are similar to Moslems in view of following a divine religion, and in the other hand are similar to polytheists.

On this basis, it is not allowed to kill them, while this is allowed for those idolaters who resist, because the purpose is eradication of idolatry from the earth.

Islam permits to come to agreement with Followers of The Book in case they accept to live peacefully with Moslems as a safe religious minority, respect Islam, and do not stage excitements against Moslems and do not perform opposite propagation.

One of the other signs of their submission to this peaceful coexistence is paying tribute as a toll tax, and paying yearly a specific low amount to the Islamic government.

Otherwise, Islam permits to fight and challenge with them. The reason is explained in three sentences of above verse:

First, fight with those who do not believe in God, and The Last Day. But how Followers of The Book who do not believe in God and The Last Day, while we observe that apparently they believe in God and Resurrection. This is due to the fact that their belief is mixed with superstitions.

But regarding belief in origin and reality of monotheism, firstly, a group of Jews (as you will see later) considered Ezra as son of God, and generally Christians believe in divinity of Christ and Trinity.

Secondly, as it is referred in the next verses, they were affected by polytheism in service, and practically worshipped their scientists and religious scholars. They requested for forgiving the sins, which only allocates to God, from them, and recognized the religious commands, which they had altered.

However, their belief in Resurrection was an altered belief. Because as it is indicated by their speech, they restrict resurrection to spiritual resurrection.

So both their belief in origin and resurrection is defective. Their second characteristic is not submitting to divine forbiddances and do not forbidding what God and His Messenger have forbidden.

Messenger may refer to Moses or Christ A.S. Because their followers are not faithful to what is forbidden in their religions, and perform a lot of actions which are forbidden in the religion of Moses or Christ, and not only perform them, but also sometimes call them allowed and lawful.

Or it may refer to Islam’s Prophet S.A. That is to say it is instructed to fight with them because they do not submit to what God has forbidden through His Messenger, and commit those sins.

The recent possibility is more authenticated. The evidence is verse 33 of this sura,

It is He who has sent His Messenger with the guidance and religion of truth.

Furthermore, in Quran Messenger is single form refers to Islam’s Prophet; otherwise it should be used in plural form, as it is stated in verse 13 of Jonah.

And their Messengers came to them with clear signs.

But it is evident that non-Moslems do not accept all forbiddances of Islam.

However, it should be considered that these qualities are mentioned for clarifying the reason of permitting fight with them. In other words, it is allowed to fight with them due to not accepting Islamic forbiddances, and being stained with a lot of sins.

Finally, it is referred to their third characteristic as, “They do not believe in the religion of truth”.

Again there are two possibilities for the above sentence, but apparently religion of truth is Islam, which is referred in next verses.

Mentioning this sentence after their non-belief in Islamic forbiddances is an expression of common after particular. Namely first it is referred to their with a lot of forbiddances, such as, contamination with drinking wine, usury, eating pork, and committing a lot of sexual promiscuity, which are increasing.

Then it is mentioned that basically they do not submit to religion of truth, namely their religions are deviated from the main route.

They have forgotten a lot of realities, and have replaced them with a lot of superstitions. Therefore they should accept developmental revolution of Islam, and revive their religious mental world, or at least they should live along with Moslems as a religious minority and accept the conditions of peaceful life.

After mentioning these three characteristics, which in fact are the permits of fighting with them, it is said that, “This ordinance is for those who are Followers of The Book”.

Their difference aspect with unbelievers and idolaters is mentioned in a brief sentence, “This fight will be continued until they accept tribute while they are submitted”. But this ordinance is not truthful for the unbelievers.