Islamonweb

First of all, I really appreciate your courage and sincerity in asking this question. It demonstrates a genuine desire to learn and understand history with clarity, which is a valuable quality. May Allah bless you in your studies and make your path of learning full of light and wisdom. Please know that there is absolutely no issue of judgment here, it always welcome to ask about thing that we don’t know. The Prophet ﷺ said:

«ألا سألوا إذ لم يعلموا فإنما شفاء العي السؤال»
“Why did they not ask when they did not know? Indeed, the cure for ignorance is to ask.” (Abū Dāwūd)

Jizya is a tax that was historically taken from non-Muslim subjects living under a Muslim government. It was not meant as a punishment, but as part of a social contract between the state and its citizens. By paying jizya, non-Muslims received:

• Protection of their lives, property, and places of worship.
• Freedom to practise their own religion.
• Exemption from military service.

Only healthy, sane adult men who could afford it were required to pay. Women, children, the elderly, the poor, and people with disabilities were exempt. In this way, jizya was a contribution toward the security and administration of the state, in place of military duty.

Muslims, on the other hand, did not pay jizya because they already had their own obligations: paying zakat (a compulsory charity that supported the poor) and performing military service when required. So the system was designed to balance responsibilities—non-Muslims gave jizya, Muslims gave zakat and defence.

When rulers like Aurangzeb reintroduced jizya, it followed this same principle. Some of the funds were used for welfare or charity, but its real meaning was about mutual responsibility and protection within the state.

Muslims, on the other hand, had a different set of duties. They didn’t pay jizya, but they were required to give zakat—a compulsory charity that supported the poor. More than that, Muslims were expected to serve in the army when needed, which was often a heavy responsibility.

So really, both Muslims and non-Muslims contributed to the state, but in different ways. Non-Muslims paid jizya in place of military service, while Muslims gave zakat and took up the defence of the land.

When Aurangzeb reintroduced the jizya tax in the Mughal Empire, it followed this same principle. Whether the money went to welfare and charity, its main purpose remained the same: to balance the duties of citizens and to guarantee protection for all.