Through Force or Faith? — Page 206
?— A Reply to Pope Benedict XVI 206 only applicable to the Non-Muslim subjects; the answer is that firstly this tax was considered expiation for military service which Muslim soldiers performed and from which the Non-Muslim subjects were exempted. That means, whereas every Muslim was subject to obligatory military service, Non-Muslim subjects were exempted from it and, therefore, it was only fair that a limited amount of burden of the military expenses of the state was put on the Non-Muslim subjects and this was called jizya. Moreover it appears that the taxes in Islam are divided into three categories: 1. Taxes specific to Muslims like Zak ā t. 2. Taxes specific to Non-Muslim like jizya. 3. Taxes common to all that could be levied on all under appropriate conditions like the land tax. The reason for this division and distinction was that the Islamic state was charged with tasks that were particular for the Religious interests of Muslims and it was unfair to burden non-Muslims for them. Hence the taxes were separated for Muslims and non-Mus- lims by Islam with perfect honesty. Thus whereas for taxes exclu- sive to Muslims like Zak ā t, religious and secular purposes were merged; the tax exclusive to non-Muslims like jizya had no reli- gious purpose and it was for general welfare. That is why the tax- ation of Zak ā t, which is for Muslims only, has a higher rate than the tax of jizya because its scope is wider. Thus the restriction of the tax of jizya for the non-Muslims is indeed the proof of the sublime honesty of Islam and the founder of Islam. However,