Minorities in an Islamic State — Page 37
37 not be of silk because silk adds to gracefulness, and therefore defeats the very purpose, which is to disgrace and humiliate Dhimm i s ; otherwise, too, it produces in the poorer Muslims a sense of inferiority. Also the Dhimm i s must not wear robes which the Muslims wear. They should also not be allowed to wear the dress of the learned and the scholar. 45 (2) The second distinction pertains to the mounts that the Dhimm i s should possess. It was laid down that they could, however, ride a mule or a donkey. Even then they could not use saddle meant for horse, instead they should use only an inferior kind of saddle meant for pack animals. Some jurists have gone to the length of insisting that the Dhimm i s should not use any animals as mounts. They permit its use only in cases of extreme emergency, for instance, when a patient is to be removed or when the journey is very long. But even then they are required to dismount and walk on foot when they pass a Muslim colony". 46 (3) The third article lays down that the Dhimm i s should affix prescribed signs on their houses as marks of distinction so that everybody should know that they belong to Dhimm i s. This would save Muslims from inadvertently praying for their forgiveness. Again, their houses should in no way be higher than the houses of Muslims. Muslim women should observe purdah from the Dhimm i women as they do