Minorities in an Islamic State — Page 9
9 incumbent on Muslims who hold the reigns of power to discharge this duty zealously and never underestimate its importance". 6 This positive statement of the Holy Prophet sa clearly shows that he gave exactly the same rights to Dhimm i non-Muslims as were given to the combatant tribes who accepted Islam. It is on the basis of this equality of the rights that Muslim jurists have defined the rights of non-Muslim citizens in a Muslim State, in the following words: "If the non-Muslims chose to live under a Muslim State and agree to pay its taxes, they will enjoy the same rights and privileges as are enjoyed by Muslims at large. Similarly they will be asked to discharge same obligations as the Muslims are required to discharge. " 7 Dhimm i s — an Honourable Title: In short, it was this declaration of protection of and responsibility for the non-Muslims, on the basis of which the non-Muslim citizens of a Muslim state were described as Dhimm i s. True, this term has come to carry some dangerous connotations because of its wrong interpretation by some ignorant Mullahs. But in the great days of early Islam, the term Dhimm i signified the sacred responsibility of Muslims to protect all the rights of the non-Muslim citizens, and