How are non-Muslims treated under sharia law?
It depends on the time and place, but the principles are clear. Islamic law guarantees non-Muslims protection of their life, property and freedom of worship, and the Quran commands justice toward them. Historically this took the form of "dhimma" status with a tax called jizya. Practice varied across history, and many contemporary scholars now build on equal citizenship instead.
The core principles
The Quran says plainly that faith can't be forced: "There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion" (Quran 2:256). It also tells Muslims to be good and fair to peaceful non-Muslims:
The Prophet ﷺ said that whoever kills a person under a treaty with the Muslims will not smell the fragrance of Paradise (Sahih al-Bukhari 3166). He also said he would plead on the Day of Judgment for any such person who is wronged, denied his rights or burdened beyond his capacity (Sunan Abi Dawud 3052, graded sahih). When a Jewish man's funeral passed, he stood up and said, "Is it not a living being (soul)?" (Sahih al-Bukhari 1312).
The historical dhimma system
In classical Muslim states, Jews, Christians and later other communities lived as dhimmis, "protected people." In return for protection, they paid the jizya, a tax on able adult men. Women, children, the elderly and the poor were generally exempt, and dhimmis didn't pay zakat or have to serve in the army. Communities ran their own courts for family matters, kept their churches and synagogues, and many rose high in medicine, trade and government. See Can I give zakat to non-Muslims?
An honest look at history
Practice wasn't always ideal. In some periods non-Muslims faced extra restrictions, such as rules on clothing or building new places of worship, and some rulers treated them harshly. In other periods, such as parts of Muslim Spain and the Ottoman Empire, coexistence was strong and many minorities fled to Muslim lands to escape persecution elsewhere. Historians debate the details, and both sides of the story are real.
Citizenship today
Most contemporary scholars point out that the dhimma was a pre-modern arrangement for empires, and that modern nation states rest on equal citizenship. The 2016 Marrakesh Declaration, signed by hundreds of Muslim scholars and leaders, called for full citizenship rights for religious minorities in Muslim-majority countries. In the West, Muslims are themselves a minority, protected by the same equal-rights laws as everyone else. See Do I have to follow the laws of my country as a Muslim?
- Islamic law protects non-Muslims' life, property and worship.
- The Quran commands justice and kindness toward peaceful non-Muslims.
- The historical dhimma and jizya system varied in practice.
- Contemporary scholars emphasize equal citizenship.
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