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Jizya Explained
Jizya was a state levy of a historical polity — not a personal act of worship you owe. This page is educational only; there is no calculator because there is nothing for you to pay.
- ✓Basis: Qur’an 9:29 mentions jizya in the context of the early Muslim state.
- ✓Applied historically to able-bodied adult non-Muslim males; women, children, the elderly, monks and the poor were exempt.
- ✓Payers were exempt from military service and zakat; the state owed them protection.
- ✓Amounts varied by era and ruler — no single fixed figure exists in the sources.
- ✓Modern nation-states do not levy jizya; beware of anyone demanding it from you.
❓ Frequently asked questions
Do I have to pay jizya today?
No. It was a levy of a historical state system, not an individual worship obligation.
Was jizya a fixed amount?
No — historical amounts varied widely by time and place.
Jizya vs zakat?
Zakat is worship paid by Muslims with fixed recipients; jizya was a civic levy on non-Muslim subjects in lieu of military service.