The Jizyah Was not Imposed before the 9th year of Hijrah

27-3-2018 | IslamWeb

Question:

Assalamu Alaikum,Dear Sheikh,Can you please provide the reference in books regarding the letters sent by the Prophet Mohammed to the rulers to either accept Islam or pay Jizya. Can you please provide references from authentic ahadith sources. Jazakallah khair.

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

The reference books which mention these correspondences and letters are the authentic books of the Prophetic traditions, the books of biography and others. Ibn Al-Qayyim wrote in his book “Zaad Al-Ma’aad” a Chapter where he mentioned the methodology of the Prophet in his correspondences with the kings and others. He mentioned the letters that he wrote to Heraclius, Caesar, Negus (An-Najaashi) and others. So you may refer to the above book.

It is important to know that not all the letters which the Prophet sent out ordered people to pay the Jizyah when they refused to embrace Islam. This is because imposing the Jizyah on someone who refused to embrace Islam, was a matter that came late, either in the eighth or the ninth year of Hijrah. Many of the letters that he sent were before that.

Allah knows best.