Minorities in an Islamic State — Page 28
28 investigation. The Jew pleaded not guilty, but the culprit insisted that the Jew was the thief. Some other people seem to have supported the Muslim on the available evidence and denounced the Jew as being guilty. The Holy Prophet sa , too, thought, may be the Jew was responsible for the theft. It was on this occasion that God revealed the above given verse and informed the Prophet sa of the true facts. The Muslim was accordingly punished because of the theft and for misstatement. The Holy Prophet sa , further, forbade the Muslim from quarrelling with the Jew. 36 Jizyah : Jizyah was a tax realized from the non-Muslim citizens of a Muslim state. The one condition basic to its realization was that it was to be imposed only on those males who were able to earn and did actually earn. Those below 20 and above 50, as also women, the insane, the slaves, the disabled, the paralytic, the deaf, destitute, monks and priests, and the members of fighting forces were exempt from this tax. Even a rich man could claim relief from this tax in case of a year ’s long unemployment. 37 Three different categories of assesse males were defined to determine their financial status. Normal rate of Jizyah was three rupees per annum. It was six rupees yearly from the middle class people and 12